Where To Download Files To On An iPhone Or iPad
As mentioned above, there is no easily accessible file system on iOS, which means we cant just download files to a default Documents folder or similar on the drive. Apple has made the lack of accessible file system a little easier to swallow over the past couple years, specifically with the expansion of iCloud services but also with the Files app, a front facing app for most files stored in iCloud.
Apple has also opened things up to third-party applications. Dropbox is probably the most familiar name in the space. Google Drive is also a popular option, and for those users who have limited iCloud storage, these two services might be the best options to download files.
No matter what, files will have to be downloaded to a cloud service. It can be iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or other similar services. In this post, well be working with the Files app, also called iCloud Drive, but the principle is the same regardless of the service youll use. All the screenshots will be from an iPhone, but again, the basic principles are identical regardless of the iOS device youre using, be it an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. We are using the Files app because this is a stock application that comes with all iPhones and iPads.
How To Open Files On An iPhone
In general, when you download a file from an app on the iPhone, it’s automatically stored with the app that can handle that file, based on the file type.
For example, if you download a movie in the Netflix app, that movie can only be viewed in the Netflix app, because that’s the only app that can open Netflix files. If you download a WebM file from Safari, you’ll need an app like VLC Player.
Other files require different apps to open. If you download a file to your iPhone that you can’t open, you should Google it to see which app you need.
How To Find Lost iPhone Backup Files On Windows Pc
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June 30, 2021
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Min Reading 4 Min
Summary: You have to restore iPhone data. But you cannot find backup files saved on your Windows PC or the backup files are unreadable. This post guides you to find iPhone backup on Windows PC and methods to restore it on your device.
You may get into a terrible iPhone data loss situation after factory reset, stolen iPhone, jailbreak or physical damage to your device, etc. Backup is your only resort. But another shocker is waiting for you. You are not able to find iPhone backup files once saved on your Windows PC.
Your backup files are not readable and you have no clue how to access them.
In such a situation, keep calm and do not worry. If you ever saved your iPhone backup on Windows computer and now unable to locate or access it, this post guides you to find iPhone backup on PC and how to restore it on your device.
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How To Download Songs On iPhone
If you have been an Android user, you must be recalling that you could download or transfer music in its file format and play using any music player of your wish. Apple does not allow direct transfer of MP3 files onto iPhone or iPad devices and plays using any media players. Therefore, if you want to download songs on the iPhone, you should use any of the streaming platforms like Apple Music or Spotify and save for offline listening.
If you still just want to download the MP3 files on your iPhone and share it with your friends, it is possible too. You can from various web sources ad save them to the Files app. You might not be able to see them in Apple Music or elsewhere. However, it is possible to play the songs from within the Files. Here is how you can download songs on the iPhone.
When the download is finished, you can tap the file name from the Downloads list on Safari to play the music. Also, you can go to Files App > On My iPhone / iCloud Drive > Downloads in order to find the downloaded music and share it with your friends through WhatsApp, AirDrop or other apps.
Learn To Use Tags They’re Super Helpful
One of the Files app’s best organization tools is its tagging system. You can add a tag to any file and then the Files app with automatically group files that share the same tag. This is ideal for grouping pictures, folders or other documents that share something in common.
The easiest way to add a tag to a file is to long-press on the file until you see a pop-up menu, then select “Tags.” From here you can select one of your existing tags or you can create a new tag. Select “Done” to complete the tagging.
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Use Tags For Better File Organization
Now that youve got a folder structure going, use tags or pool in similar files from different folders. Tap and hold on a file and select Tags to get started.
What is your favorite new feature in Files app? How will you be using the app to organize your files and folders? Share with us in the comments below.
Quickly Find Downloads On Your iPhone
There are different ways to find your downloads on iPhone. For images, you probably have to go to the Photos app. For other files, like documents and PDFs, the Files app is where to look.
But if you download movies and TV shows using streaming apps, you’ll have to dig into those individual apps to find your content.
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Add The Files App Widget To Your iPhone’s Today View
If you’re just getting started with the Files app, one way to encourage you to use it more that way you can get more proficient using the app is for you to add it as a widget to your iPhone’s Today View. The Today View is the screen where all your app shortcuts live, and you can by swiping all the way right from your iPhone’s lock screen .
To add the Files app to your Today View widget, swipe right to get to your Today View and scroll all the way down and select the “Edit” button at the button. Find the Files app widget and select the plus icon adjacent to it, and then drag the Files app widget to the top of your Today View . This will allow you to see the most recent accessed files when you’re in the Today View.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts In Files App
Using keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly carry out your tasks if you have paired your device with a physical keyboard. Learn how to use keyboard shortcuts in the Files app on the iPad.
Signing off
Hopefully, this has given you a better idea about everything thats possible with the Files app. I quite enjoy using it and often access it from within third-party apps like WhatsApp too. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Where Do Downloads Go On iPhone
Michael GrothausThis blog post may contain affiliate links
by Michael Grothaus | Jul 21, 2021 | User Guides
Have you downloaded a file from the web on iPhone and cant find it? Heres where it is!
Wondering where do downloads go on iPhone? Youre not alone.
For years the iPhones web browser, Safari, was not capable of downloading files like Safari on the Mac is. When you download a file from a website in Safari on macOS, for example, it is automatically saved to your Macs Downloads folder.
But for years the iPhone had no such folder and it was relatively hard to use Safari to download any kind of file like a ZIP file or an installer. But with the advent of iOS 11, Apple changed all that.
iOS 11 introduced an overhauled Files app. This meant the iOS operating system essentially got a file system as the Mac has had since its inception. Of course, the Files app isnt a true file system you cant find system files or applications in the Files app.
Instead the Files app is specifically for managing documents on your iPhone whether they are PDFs, images, ZIP files, or anything else. So now in iOS when you save a file on your iPhone from an app like Pages, for example, it will be saved in a dedicated Pages folder in the Files app.
But what about files downloaded from Safari? After all, the Files app has no Safari folder. But not to worry heres where Safari downloads are on the iPhone.
- Save
Where Are iPhone Backups Stored On Windows Pc
iPhone backups are a safe copy of your complete device information. iTunes saves iPhone backup in Users folder on Windows computer. These backup files are not in a readable format. You can copy them but should never try to move files to a different drive, edit, rename or extract content. All such activities can ruin the backup files. Although you can make copies of your backup or delete backup that you do not require anymore.
Steps to find iPhone backup files on Windows PC:
- In the Search bar enter %appdata% or %USERPROFILE%
- Press Return
- Double-click these folders: Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup
You can also locate iPhone backup in Windows 7, 8, or 10 by following Users > > AppData > Roaming > Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.
Cannot locate iPhone backup on Windows PC? Find and Restore data with iPhone data recovery software
If you are not able to find your iPhone backup data in PC or unable to access the backup files, take refuge in third-party software Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.
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Look Inside The Files App
The iPhone and the iPads Files appwhich made its debut in iOS 11is a basic file manager that allows you to manage iCloud and third-party cloud-storage services such as Google Drive and Dropbox. It also provides a locationlabeled On My iPhone/iPadthat allows for local file storage in a somewhat limited form.
Both the user and the apps that run on the iPhone and iPad can take advantage of the Files app to save data. Typically, its where you should look when you want to locate a browser-initiated download or a file that you saved manually using the Save to Files Share Sheet option.
For instance, you can find your Safari downloads under the folder inside iCloud Drive. Simply open the Files app and tap iCloud Drive> to get there. Safari downloads also re-upload to iCloud so that you can access them on other Apple devices as well.
If you use a third-party web browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox, youll find file downloads under the offline On My iPhone/iPad location. The download folder generally takes the same name as the browsers, so you shouldnt have any trouble spotting it.
You can also change Safaris download location to On My iPhone/iPad. Go to Settings > Safari and pick On My iPhone as the download location. That keeps the downloads offline, doesnt waste bandwidth, and helps conserve iCloud storage.
Browsers aside, you may also find other appssuch as Apple Pagesstoring file copies offline inside iCloud Drive or On My iPhone/iPad.
Where Airdrop Files Go On Your iPhone
AirDrop files are stored in the app that matches them.
For example, pictures will be saved in your Photos app. A presentation will be saved in Keynote. Contacts will be saved in Contacts. And so on.
After you’ve sent or received an AirDrop file, check the app that matches the file type to ensure it went to the right place and was saved. It should automatically save and open in that app’s files.
If you can’t find it in that app’s files, then try the process again. Make sure you have enough space to accept downloads on your iPhone.
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How To Save iPhone Files App To Homescreen
If youre downloading a lot of content, it might be worth saving the Files app to your homescreen, in a prominent position where it can be easily accessed.
To do this, simply Spotlight Search Files and when the app pops up in the settings, drag it onto your homescreen. You can now quickly access your iPhones files from your homescreen.
How To Download Files To iPhone And iPad
The basic principle to download files to iPhone or iPad is fairly simple, regardless of the file youre trying to download. You can for example download PDFs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, .zip, .txt, .mp3, .M4a, .wav, .mov, and much more. If its a file, it can be downloaded.
While Apple will let you put any file type in your iCloud Drive, the company wont let you easily download any file type from your iOS device to iCloud, which is why using a third-party service such as Dropbox is still the best option, in my opinion anyway. If you dont have a Dropbox account, you should , or look into using Google Drive, which also offers a free tier.
1. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Safari and open the file you are trying to download. In this example, we are trying to download a PDF file.
2. Tap on the button, which will bring up the Share sheet.
3. Select Save to Files. If you dont see that option, swipe all the way down and tap on the Edit Actions button. From there, you will be able to enable the Files extension.
4. At this point, you may rename the file and select a specific location before saving it. Personally, I like to save my downloaded files into the Downloads folder, so this is the folder I will select. Now tap the Save button.
Thats it. The file is now in your iCloud Drive and will be available for easy access across all your devices, such as your computer, your iPhone, iPad, etc.
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How To Email Scanned Documents From Notes
All the stuff that you scan with the Notes app remains within it. The good thing is that you can email a scanned document directly from the Notes app to your contacts. This prevents the need to first save the scanned file as a PDF to your iPhones storage or iCloud.
To email your scanned documents from the Notes app on iPhone,
How To Find A File You’ve Downloaded To Your iPhone
Your iPhone includes Files, an app that can locate and open files stored on your phone, sort of like a desktop computer’s file manager. Here’s how to use it.
1. Start the Files app, which looks like a blue folder on a white background.
2. In the Browse section, tap a location where you want to browse.
3. Tap to open subfolders as needed to find the file you want.
4. Tap the file you want to open. Your iPhone will open the file using the appropriate app.
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Do More With Files On iPados
If you’re on iPadOS, you can access files on a USB flash drive, SD card, or hard drive through the Files app on iPadOS. Just connect the storage device, and then you can select it under Locations. You can also connect to unencrypted storage on a file server, if that storage is using the APFS, Mac OS Extended, MS-DOS , or ExFAT format. You also have the option to view your files in Column View, which is helpful if you have files nested in multiple folders. Column View lets you see previews of files and offers access to tools like markup and rotate without even opening a file.
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The iMessage audio saves in your iPhone, but you find it tough to locate them. To keep track of where your messages go, use this method.
You can turn on iCloud auto-save to back up your files, so you dont completely lose files in case of any damage.
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Recapping: How To Open Files Folder On iPhone
Opening your iPhones Files app is simple. Once you have the Files app open, you can quickly find all of your most recent downloaded files. To quickly access your iPhones Files app, follow these steps:
- On the homescreen, drag down with one finger
- This will open Spotlight Search
- Inside Spotlight Search, Type Files
- The Files app will appear > Tap on it
- Inside Files, Tap Locations > On My Device
Once youve selected the On My Device option, youll see a list of folders. Inside this setting, most users will have a Downloads folder this is where youll find all of your latest downloaded content.
Youre not free to view, edit, and rename your downloaded content. You can also do quick previews of the content by long-pressing on it, load it inside other supported applications, and move it to another location on your iPhone.