The Files app conundrum in iOS 26 continues.

The Files app is very versatile, but having to go through multiple steps just to look at a file, photo, video, etc., adds to the complexity of a very capable yet simple app.

Instead of tapping a file or photo to view it, now you have to tap and hold and select Quick Look in order to view said file or photo without exiting the app. I deleted the Preview app so I wouldn’t have to deal with this issue, and it worked for a while, until I realized that different file types open in different apps that you have installed:

If you tap a PDF - it opens Preview as the default. If you delete Preview, then it opens in Apple’s Books app.

If you tap an image file - it opens in Preview, but if you delete Preview, it opens in the Files app like iOS 18.

If you tap a video file - it opens in VLC by default, but if I delete VLC, it opens in Files.

I can live without the Preview app, but I don’t want to delete Books, VLC, and whatever other app that also opens documents, videos, etc.

The UI should be the other way around. A standard tap should open the respective file in Files, and a tap and hold should bring up an “Open with…” option to select another app of your choice.