Our iPhone and iPad have become tools everyday essentials. After all, we can not only use them as sources of entertainment and communication, but also for complement our workflow and study. For this reason, it is very important that both devices are capable of downloading content from the internet; but how do we find these files once we have them?
The answer is quite simple, in fact; only in the first place can be a bit tricky to adjust to to file management on iPhone or iPad. However, once mastered, it is quite easy. For this, you just have to follow this procedure to learn how to find your downloads on iPhone and iPad.
Knowing how to take advantage of this feature is not just for viewing downloaded documents. As well we can free up a lot of space if we find out where those files are located that we didn’t know we could delete; basically because we didn’t know its location in the first place.
How to find your downloads on iPhone and iPad
To start, your iPhone and iPad must have iOS version 12 or higher. This requirement is essential, since it is the version in which Apple included the Files application. This integration has been essential for the growth of iOS and iPadOS, and with each new version of both operating systems, those from Cupertino focus on improving this section.
How can you use this app to find your downloaded documents? Just follow these steps on your iPhone or iPad. The procedure is relatively similar in both devices; so you will have no problem using what you have learned in both versions of the app.
- On your iPhone or iPad, enter the app Records built into your device.
- Go to the tab To explore, in case you’re not in it. To do so, he taps on the folder icon at the bottom.
- Here, you will see several options under the section locations.
Each of these options corresponds to a different section of your iPhone.
- iPhone/ iPad: This will be the local storage of your device. Everything that is downloaded here will be stored directly on your terminal.
- iCloudDrive: Of course, this section corresponds to cloud storage. Anything you download and store in this folder will be uploaded to the Apple cloud. However, if you don’t have space in iCloud, it will work as an extension of local storage.
- Other options: In case you have more associated cloud services on your iPhone, you will be able to see them here as well. Among them we have Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Drive and more.
- downloads: Here you can find the downloaded files directly from the browser of your iPhone or iPad.
This last section can be used to direct access to your downloads. However, you can also do it by going to iCloud Drive and then to the folder downloads. Note that you can create your own folders here, and use them to download content to any of them whenever you want.
In case you know the name of what you want to search for, you can use the search bar at the top of the screen.
How to use the Files app correctly
Once you have your downloaded files in view, you can perform various actions with them.
- One touch: With a single touch, you can preview the content of said document.
- long press: Holding down on the file will open a context menu that allows you to copy, cut, and paste documents across all of iOS and iPadOS. You also have other options like renaming, compressing, duplicating and tagging your files.
- Reorder the view of your files: If you have iOS or iPadOS 14 and higher, you can do this by tapping on the three dots in a circle located at the top right of the screen. Here, you can change the document preview for lists or icons; as well as order them according to parameters such as date, name, size and more. If you have iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 or earlier, you can change the display using the icon in the upper right corner, and organize them using “Sort By…” at the top of the screen.