The Document Browser
When you first launch OmniOutliner you arrive at the document browser, where you can open an existing file or create a new one from scratch.
The document browser provides access to the same file storage locations as the iOS Files app, including the OmniOutliner folder on your device (where files are kept locally), your cloud storage locations (such as iCloud Drive), and any OmniPresence folders you have connected.
Recents View
Tap the clock icon 
to switch to the Recents view of the document browser, which shows a collection of files that you have worked with recently. This list is drawn from every location available on your device, and includes files stored locally as well as those in the cloud.
The Recents view is a flat list of files sorted by date from most recently accessed to oldest. If you don't see a file here that you expect, you can use the Search dialog to look through all the files available, or switch to the Browse view to look through the hierarchy of files on your device along with any connected cloud locations.
Browse View
Tap the folder icon 
to switch to the Browse view of the document browser, which displays the hierarchy of locations and folders you have stored on your device, as well as any connected cloud service providers.
In wide device views, the Locations list offers high level navigation on the left side of the screen, with the contents of a selected location shown on the right; in compact views, Locations sits at the top of the navigation hierarchy with specific locations and their contents nested beneath.
The Locations List
When browsing your files, the Locations list displays the storage destinations that are available on your device. This always includes On My [device], which contains all of your files stored locally. If you have an Apple ID connected, iCloud Drive also appears as an available cloud storage location.
If you have any additional cloud storage providers installed on your device they will appear in this list as well.
Note that OmniPresence, the cloud sync solution operated by the Omni Group, does not appear in the list of service providers here because it doesn't run as a separate application. Instead, you can sync with a dedicated OmniPresence folder inside your On My [Device] > OmniOutliner folder, as described here.
Not all cloud storage providers work equally well with all file formats. We recommend using iCloud Drive or a connected OmniPresence folder to sync your OmniOutliner files; other providers may have trouble depending on the technologies they use.
The final item in the Locations list is Recently Deleted, where iOS temporarily stores files after you have deleted them in case you want them back.
Managing Deleted Files
If you delete an OmniOutliner file, that file is moved to the Recently Deleted folder in the Locations list.
To manage files in the Recently Deleted folder, tap Select in the upper right and tap the thumbnails for each file you would like to manage. Options appear at the bottom of the screen to either Recover the files, returning them to their previous location, or Delete the selected files permanently.
Note that files stored with some cloud storage providers may be permanently deleted immediately instead of moving to Recently Deleted first. Because these recovery standards differ, it's a good idea to always take care when deleting files.
Beneath the list of available locations is a list of Tags. Tap a tag in the list to view all of the items with that tag applied; you can apply tags to individual files using their contextual menu (see File Details below).
Finally, the More button 
at the top of the Locations list provides additional functions for modifying the contents of the list.
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Connect to Server—Choose a server to connect to via SMB, adding it as a location in a separate Shared section of the Locations list.
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Edit—Switch the list to Edit mode, where you can rearrange locations and tags, and choose which locations you want to be visible in the list. Note that changes made here apply to the Locations list everywhere it appears, including the Files app and other apps that use the iOS document browser.
Browsing a Location
Upon selecting a location in the Locations list, its contents appear in a pane to the right (this pane appears on top of the Locations list when in compact views).
A search field at the top of the pane offers options to search recently opened files, the entire current location, or just the current folder for filenames that match the search terms.
Drag down on the browsing pane to access more controls for the location, choose how files are sorted, and switch between thumbnail and list views.
File Details
Each file is represented by a thumbnail image. Once modified, OmniOutliner generates a preview based on the contents of the file; otherwise, the file is represented by a generic document icon.
Along with the thumbnail, each file displays its name, the date it was last opened, and its location on your device.
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Tap a document preview to open the associated file.
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To change the name of a file or folder, tap the name and then enter a new title.
Contextual Menu
Tap and hold a file's thumbnail to open a contextual menu for the file, with the following commands:
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Copy—Copies the selected file and makes it available on the clipboard for pasting.
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Duplicate—Copies and instantly pastes a copy of the selected file at the current location.
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Move—Opens a hierarchical view of your locations where you can choose a new destination for the file.
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Delete—Deletes the selected file (it can still be recovered if necessary).
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Info—Presents a popup with detailed information on the file, including a larger document preview, metadata related to the file's creation and modification, location on your device, and any tags you have assigned.
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Tags—Presents the list of available tags along with the option to create a new one. Tap a tag in the list to assign it to or remove it from the file.
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Rename—Opens the file rename dialog, just as if you had tapped its name in the document browser.
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Share—Opens the iOS share sheet, where you can choose from among the standard array of iOS share destinations as well as additional OmniOutliner-specific share options, as described below.
Sharing and Exporting
From a file's contextual menu or with a file selected, tap the Share button 
and then choose one of the following actions to perform on the file.
Share As... 
Choose a format for sharing the file, and then choose a destination from the standard set of iOS share destinations.
When sharing an OmniOutliner file, you can choose the format to share or send as either an OmniOutliner file, an OPML file, Dynamic HTML, Simple HTML, PDF, Plain Text, CSV, XLSX, DOCX (plain or indented), or PowerPoint PPTX.
Print 
Prints the selected file to an AirPrint printer of your choosing.
To save the file as a PDF rather than printing to paper, choose PDF document when exporting with the Share As... command listed above.
Create Template from Outline 
Creates an OmniOutliner template file from the selected outline document.
Copy 
Copies the selected file to the clipboard.
Learn more about OmniOutliner import and export in Opening and Exporting Files.
OmniOutliner File Types
Several file types are associated with OmniOutliner outlines, templates, and plugins. Files of these types can be opened, edited, and saved within OmniOutliner for iOS.
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.ooutline, .otemplate—The newest standard file formats for OmniOutliner outlines and templates, as created by OmniOutliner 3 for iOS and OmniOutliner 5 for Mac. These formats support all of the new features of these versions of OmniOutliner.
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.oo3, .oo3template—Older formats used by OmniOutliner 2 for iOS and earlier, as well as OmniOutliner 3 and 4 for Mac. These files can be read and edited by OmniOutliner 3 for iOS, but do not support the full feature set of the newer formats.
If warnings are turned on in OmniOutliner Settings, upon opening a file in an older format you are presented with the option to convert it.
- .opml—The Outline Processor Markup Language format, which is not unique to OmniOutliner but can be both read and written by it. Some features such as text and document styles are not supported by this format.
OmniOutliner can import and convert files of other non-native formats; in these cases, the files are copied into the app as outlines and the originals are left behind.
The Location Toolbar
When viewing the contents of a location in the document browser, the toolbar along the top of the screen includes the following buttons:
Back 
On the far left of the toolbar is the Back button, followed by the name of the folder that contains the files being viewed. Tap to go backward in the folder hierarchy or return to the Locations list.
Folder Title 
At the center of the folder toolbar is the name of the current folder (such as On My iPad).
Add New 
Tap to create a new OmniOutliner document. After tapping Add New, the Template Chooser opens and displays a list of available templates for your document (starting with the custom templates you've created, if any).
If you would prefer to create a document based on a template in a language other than the system default, tap the language name in the upper right for a list of available alternatives.
Choosing a template creates a new document pre-populated with the contents of that template, including sample text (if any) and all of the template's default structural and named styles.
To add templates from other locations on your device, tap 
in the template chooser or use Configure Resource Locations in OmniOutliner Settings to connect the folders that contain them.
Automation Menu 
Tap to open a menu with controls related to Omni's JavaScript automation.
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Automation Console—Opens the automation window to the console pane.
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Automation API Reference—Opens the automation window to the API reference pane.
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Configure Plug-Ins—Opens a pane that contains a list of automation Plug-Ins on your device, and controls for linking to a folder that contains Plug-Ins stored elsewhere (such as a cloud storage location).
If any Plug-Ins are installed, they appear in a list titled Actions beneath the Configure Plug-Ins menu item.
Learn more about automating OmniOutliner at the official Omni Automation website.
With OmniOutliner 3.9 and later, you can use shortcuts created with the Shortcuts app to run OmniOutliner's Omni Automation Plug-Ins and scripts. Learn more at the Omni Automation website.
OmniPresence Menu 
With an OmniPresence folder connected, the OmniPresence menu button appears in the toolbar. Tap it to open the OmniPresence menu, where you can download files to a connected OmniPresence folder or navigate directly to them by tapping files in the list.
See this support article for details on using OmniPresence with iOS 13 and later.
App Menu 
Tap to open a menu with tools and settings related to OmniOutliner itself. See The App Menu below for details.
Select
At the far right edge of a folder’s toolbar is the Select button. When tapped, Select makes it possible for you to tap to select documents within a folder. Once a document is selected, use the buttons in the bottom toolbar to share or duplicate the file, move it to another folder, delete it, or copy it.
The App Menu
When viewing the contents of a location in the document browser, tap 
at the top of the screen to open the App Menu:
The App Menu has the following options:
About OmniOutliner 
Tap to see which version of OmniOutliner is installed on your device, and to find Omni’s contact information.
Reference Manual 
Tap to view the in-app reference manual.
Contact Omni 
Tap to send us an email.
Omni Newsletter Signup 
Tap to subscribe to Omni’s quarterly newsletter via email. When tapped, you are taken to the Omni website where you can enter your email address to subscribe.
Replay Intro 
Tap to revisit the introductory experience and tutorial presented the first time you opened OmniOutliner.
Release Notes 
Tap to see what’s new in the current release. The release notes are also available on Omni’s website.
Trial Mode 
Trial Mode is only available prior to purchasing the upgrade to OmniOutliner Essentials or Pro. Tap to switch between Essentials and Pro to see which version is right for you.
Omni Account 
Tap to open the Omni Account sign in sheet. If you are an OmniOutliner subscriber, use this window to sign in to your Omni Account and unlock the full OmniOutliner feature set.
In-App Purchases 
Tap to purchase the upgrade from Trial Mode to either OmniOutliner Essentials or Pro. This is also where you can restore purchases, if you ever need to reinstall OmniOutliner on a device.
Configure OmniPresence Syncing 
Tap to connect an OmniPresence cloud synced folder to your device. Documents in this folder are automatically synced to the cloud whenever a change is made. You can sync with a free Omni Sync Server account, or an OmniPresence-capable WebDAV server of your choice.
See this support article for details on using OmniPresence with iOS 13 and later.
Settings 
Set preferences for working in OmniOutliner. See OmniOutliner Settings for more details.