📄 expo/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next

File: filesystem-next.md | Updated: 11/15/2025

Source: https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next

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Expo FileSystem (next)

GitHub Changelog npm

A library that provides access to the local file system on the device.

GitHub Changelog npm

Android

iOS

tvOS

Bundled version:

~18.0.12

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The next version of the FileSystem API is included in the expo-file-system library. It can be used alongside the previous API, and offers a simplified, object oriented way of performing filesystem operations.

To provide quicker updates, expo-file-system/next is currently unsupported in Expo Go and Snack. To use it, create a development build .

expo-file-system/next provides access to the file system stored locally on the device. It can also download files from the network.

Installation

Terminal

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- npx expo install expo-file-system

If you are installing this in an existing React Native app , make sure to install expo in your project.

Usage

Writing and reading text files

example.ts

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import { File, Paths } from 'expo-file-system/next'; try { const file = new File(Paths.cache, 'example.txt'); file.create(); // can throw an error if the file already exists or no permission to create it file.write('Hello, world!'); console.log(file.text()); // Hello, world! } catch (error) { console.error(error); }

Downloading files

example.ts

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import { Directory, File, Paths } from 'expo-file-system/next'; const url = 'https://pdfobject.com/pdf/sample.pdf'; const destination = new Directory(Paths.cache, 'pdfs'); try { destination.create(); const output = await File.downloadFileAsync(url, destination); console.log(output.exists); // true console.log(output.uri); // path to the downloaded file, e.g. '${cacheDirectory}/pdfs/sample.pdf' } catch (error) { console.error(error); }

Moving and copying files

example.ts

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import { Directory, File, Paths } from 'expo-file-system/next'; try { const file = new File(Paths.document, 'example.txt'); file.create(); console.log(file.uri); // '${documentDirectory}/example.txt' file.move(Paths.cache); console.log(file.uri); // '${cacheDirectory}/example.txt' file.move(new Directory(Paths.cache, 'newFolder')); console.log(file.uri); // '${cacheDirectory}/newFolder/example.txt' } catch (error) { console.error(error); }

Using legacy FileSystem API

example.ts

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import * as FileSystem from 'expo-file-system'; import { File, Paths } from 'expo-file-system/next'; try { const file = new File(Paths.cache, 'example.txt'); const content = await FileSystem.readAsStringAsync(file.uri); console.log(content); } catch (error) { console.error(error); }

Listing directory contents recursively

example.ts

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import { Directory, Paths } from 'expo-file-system/next'; function printDirectory(directory: Directory, indent: number = 0) { console.log(`${' '.repeat(indent)} + ${directory.name}`); const contents = directory.list(); for (const item of contents) { if (item instanceof Directory) { printDirectory(item, indent + 2); } else { console.log(`${' '.repeat(indent + 2)} - ${item.name} (${item.size} bytes)`); } } } try { printDirectory(new Directory(Paths.cache)); } catch (error) { console.error(error); }

API

Classes

`Directory`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: Class extends FileSystemDirectory

Represents a directory on the filesystem.

A Directory instance can be created for any path, and does not need to exist on the filesystem during creation.

Directory Properties

`exists`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: boolean

A boolean representing if a directory exists. true if the directory exists, false otherwise. Also false if the application does not have read access to the file.

`uri`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Read Only • Type: string

Represents the directory URI. The field is read-only, but it may change as a result of calling some methods such as move.

`name`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: string

Directory name.

`parentDirectory`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory)

Directory containing the file.

Directory Methods

`copy(destination)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

| Parameter | Type | | --- | --- | | destination | [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) \| [File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) |

Copies a directory.

Returns:

any

`create()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Creates a directory that the current uri points to.

Returns:

void

`delete()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Deletes a directory. Also deletes all files and directories inside the directory.

Returns:

void

`list()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Lists the contents of a directory. Calling this method if the parent directory does not exist will throw an error.

Returns:

([File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) | [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) )[]

An array of Directory and File instances.

`move(destination)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Moves a directory. Updates the uri property that now points to the new location.

Returns:

any

`File`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: Class extends FileSystemFile

File Properties

`exists`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: boolean

A boolean representing if a file exists. true if the file exists, false otherwise. Also false if the application does not have read access to the file.

`md5`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Literal type: union

An md5 hash of the file. Null if the file does not exist or it cannot be read.

Acceptable values are: null | string

`size`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Literal type: union

A size of the file in bytes. Null if the file does not exist or it cannot be read.

Acceptable values are: null | number

`uri`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Read Only • Type: string

Represents the file URI. The field is read-only, but it may change as a result of calling some methods such as move.

`extension`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: string

File extension.

Example

'.png'

`name`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: string

File name. Includes the extension.

`parentDirectory`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory)

Directory containing the file.

File Methods

`base64()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Retrieves content of the file as base64.

Returns:

string

The contents of the file as a base64 string.

`bytes()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Retrieves byte content of the entire file.

Returns:

[Uint8Array](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Uint8Array)

The contents of the file as a Uint8Array.

`copy(destination)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Copies a file.

Returns:

any

`create()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Creates a file.

Returns:

void

`delete()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Deletes a file.

Returns:

void

`downloadFileAsync(url, destination)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

| Parameter | Type | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | url | string | The URL of the file to download. | | destination | [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) \| [File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) | The destination directory or file. If a directory is provided, the resulting filename will be determined based on the response headers. |

A static method that downloads a file from the network.

Returns:

[Promise](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Promise) <[File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) >

A promise that resolves to the downloaded file.

Example

const file = await File.downloadFileAsync("https://example.com/image.png", new Directory(Paths.document));

`move(destination)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Moves a directory. Updates the uri property that now points to the new location.

Returns:

any

`open()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Returns a FileHandle object that can be used to read and write data to the file.

Returns:

[FileHandle](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#filehandle)

`readableStream()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Returns:

[ReadableStream](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/ReadableStream) <[Uint8Array](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Uint8Array) >

`text()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Retrieves text from the file.

Returns:

string

The contents of the file as string.

`writableStream()`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Returns:

[WritableStream](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WritableStream) <[Uint8Array](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Uint8Array) >

`write(content)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

| Parameter | Type | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | content | string \| [Uint8Array](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Uint8Array) | The content to write into the file. |

Writes content to the file.

Returns:

void

`Paths`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: Class extends PathUtilities

Paths Properties

`appleSharedContainers`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: Record<string, [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) >

`cache`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory)

A property containing the cache directory – a place to store files that can be deleted by the system when the device runs low on storage.

`document`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Type: [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory)

A property containing the document directory – a place to store files that are safe from being deleted by the system.

Paths Methods

`basename(path, ext)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

| Parameter | Type | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | path | string \| [File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) \| [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) | The path to get the base name from. | | ext(optional) | string | An optional file extension. |

Returns the base name of a path.

Returns:

string

A string representing the base name.

`dirname(path)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Returns the directory name of a path.

Returns:

string

A string representing the directory name.

`extname(path)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Returns the extension of a path.

Returns:

string

A string representing the extension.

`isAbsolute(path)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Checks if a path is absolute.

Returns:

boolean

true if the path is absolute, false otherwise.

`join(...paths)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

| Parameter | Type | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | ...paths | (string \| [File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) \| [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) )[] | An array of path segments. |

Joins path segments into a single path.

Returns:

string

A string representing the joined path.

`normalize(path)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Normalizes a path.

Returns:

string

A string representing the normalized path.

`parse(path)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

Parses a path into its components.

Returns:

{ base: string, dir: string, ext: string, name: string, root: string }

An object containing the parsed path components.

`relative(from, to)`

Android

iOS

tvOS

| Parameter | Type | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | from | string \| [File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) \| [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) | The base path. | | to | string \| [File](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#file) \| [Directory](https://docs.expo.dev/versions/v52.0.0/sdk/filesystem-next#directory) | The relative path. |

Resolves a relative path to an absolute path.

Returns:

string

A string representing the resolved path.