Import files to third-party apps. Safari can download almost any kind of file to your iPhone, this includes PDF documents, Office documents, audio files, simple text files, and compressed files like.zip or.rar. For example, you can download and open a PDF document in a Safari tab. Jun 15, 2018 On all platforms I've used Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. Same results on iOS, no issues on macOS. IPad is on 11.4. I'll see if I can try to upload on some other sites under iOS and if I notice the same gray-out issue where files aren't selectable in the file chooser.
Where do downloads go on iPhone & iPad?Actually, Safari can download files and documents but it only allows you to view supported files temporarily in a tab after downloading. If you close the tab opening the file, it will not be saved. To store the file for long-term use, you will need to export it to other apps.So if you’re wondering where are your downloads, the short answer is they are stored in Safari’s temporary memory. Using this method, you will have to use other third-party apps to handle the file after it’s downloaded.Another option when it comes to downloading files on iOS is to use a web browser app that is capable of saving files to its own local storage. With this method, you can save any file type you want without having to import to other apps.In a nutshell, there are two primary options to save files from the Internet to your iPhone & iPad. I’ll cover both of them below.
Read on to know more.1. Import files to third-party appsSafari can download almost any kind of file to your iPhone, this includes PDF documents, Office documents, audio files, simple text files, and compressed files like.zip or.rar. For example, you can download and open a PDF document in a Safari tab. It will load the file like a web page. After the PDF is loaded, to save it locally, just tap on the Share button, which will bring up the Share sheet. You’ll find an option named “Save PDF to iBooks” there (If you still keep iBooks installed on your device).Select this option then the PDF file will be imported to iBooks. Now you can close Safari and read the file offline.So, basically, if it’s a file (except for video files as Safari will automatically stream and play videos), it can be downloaded just by using Safari.
But you need to choose the proper app to handle the file after it’s downloaded.In my opinion, Dropbox is the best option to save files downloaded from Safari as when you open the Share sheet after downloading, no matter what format the file is, the “Save to Dropbox” option will most likely show up. This option will be available in the Share sheet by default after installing the Dropbox app. But if you don’t see it, swipe all the way to the right, tap “More”. From there, you can enable “Save to Dropbox”.To save your file to Dropbox, select “Save to Dropbox”, select the destination of choice. Then tap “Save”, the file will start to import and upload in the cloud.
File formats natively supported by Apple can be displayed within the Dropbox app. You can check out the complete list of file formats that Dropbox currently supports.Once your files have been saved in Dropbox, you can tap the (ellipsis) icon next to the file name, which will bring up the file menu, then select “Export”. Now select “Open In” to copy the file to other apps.Note that Dropbox also allows you to save files or folder for offline use. Just find the files or folders you’d like to save in the list view. Then tap the ellipsis icon next to the item, then select “Make Available Offline”.
Regular users are able to save files, however, offline folders require upgrading to Dropbox Plus. See also: 2. Use third-party apps to download filesSafari is not capable of saving files but there are still plenty of options to choose from the App Store. In my experience, Documents by Readle is one of the best apps to do the job.
It’s completely free, reliable, and no ads included.The Documents app is primarily a file manager that can handle multiple file formats. In addition, it also includes a built-in web browser that allows users to download files and documents from the Internet. These features combine making the app one of the must-have apps on iOS devices.Documents can download any kind of file to your iPhone and iPad by using the built-in web browser.
Just give it a live download link, it will let you save the file like on the web browser of your computer. Even if it’s a redirect link or the file you want to download is from a password-protected site, Documents can handle it all.If you’ve installed Documents on your device, the following instructions will guide you through the process of downloading files.1. Launch the Documents app.
Open the built-in web browser by tapping the icon that looks similar to Safari in the bottom right corner.2. Navigate to your desired download page, tap on the download link or click on the download button. If you have the direct download URL of the file, paste it in the address bar and access it directly.3. Documents will prompt you to save the file locally. You can change the file name and select where you want to download it to before downloading. By default, downloaded files will be saved to the Documents/Downloads folder. There is also an option to download the file to iCloud as well.4.
Tap Done and the file will download to the desired folder. Once the file is downloaded, it’s available in the app’s local storage and you can open it anytime, anywhere.alert-noteTIP: If you’re opening the direct link to download a file in Safari, you can change the URL in the address bar from to rand tap Go. Documents will launch automatically and download the file for you./alert-noteDocuments can handle multiple file formats so you don’t need to install other apps to read your files. The app can read Office files, read and annotate PDF files, create and extract compressed files, play music and video.If your downloaded file can’t be opened using Documents, you can export it to other apps easily through the Share function. For example, you need to send MKV files to to be able to watch them.To make file managing as simple as it would be on a computer, Documents also lets you seamlessly move files between folders by using a drag and drop gesture. The app even allows you to open two Readle apps in Split View on iPad and drag and drop files across the views.If you’ve downloaded MP4 video files, you can move them from the Documents app to the Camera Roll by moving the files to the Photos folder in the app.
Once moved, your videos can be watched from the Photos app even if the Documents app is removed.Personally, I think Documents is the best option to download and manage files locally.The Files appWith the iOS 11 release, the new Files app has finally been introduced by Apple. Files doesn’t have its own storage for saving files.
Instead, it lets you browse and organize all of your files from third-party apps, cloud services, and even on your other iOS devices.So whether you use Documents or Dropbox to download files, you can make use of this native app to manage all your files in one place. Files lets you browse files and folders in the grid or list view, tag files, create new folders, sort items by name/date/size/tags, copy/move items by a drag and drop gesture, and a lot more.You will be able to move files or folders across apps easily. For me, I often move files downloaded from the Documents to cloud storages like Google Drive and Dropbox. The app’s interface looks similar to Finder on my Mac and I have to say I really like it.Eventually, all we need are the downloader, the drive for storing files and the file manager. And these apps complementing each other have been doing a great job by bringing the natural solution to all of its users.How did you download files to your iPhone and iPad?
Does this article help you out? Let’s share your experience with us in the comments section below.
Downloading and saving files or documents to a computer is something we don’t think about. Click, click, done.
It’s saved on the hard drive and ready to be accessed when needed. On iOS though, it’s a little more complicated than that. The lack of a proper file system can be confusing, and something as simple as downloading a file can all the sudden become a daunting task.How do I download a file to my iPhone? Where do I download it to? These are questions I’ve recently been asked, but also problems I have faced myself. In this post, I’ll try to share different options for you to download files to iPhone or iPad. Where to download files to on an iPhone or iPadAs mentioned above, there is no easily accessible file system on iOS, which means we can’t 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.By default, these files won’t be on the device. They will be stored in the cloud and accessible from the device, and in some cases, users will be able to download them for offline access. In which case, they will be on the device itself as well.
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, we’ll be working with Dropbox, but the principle is the same regardless of the service used. All the screenshots will be from an iPhone, but again, the basic principles are identical regardless of the iOS device you’re using, be it an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. How to download files to iPhone and iPadThe basic principle to download files to iPhone or iPad is fairly simple, regardless of the file you’re trying to download. You can for example download PDFs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint,.zip,.txt,.mp3,.M4a,.wav,.mov, and much more. If it’s a file, it can be downloaded.While Apple will let you put any file type in your iCloud Drive, the company won’t 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 don’t have a Dropbox account, you should, or look into using Google Drive, which also offers a free tier. Downloading files from a password-protected websiteThe steps mentioned above work great if the file you are trying to download is available publicly from a website.
But things can get a little tricky if you are trying to download a file or document that is stored on a password-protected website.If that’s the case, we’ll need to use another third-party application to do the job. That applications is called Documents 5, and it’s.Documents 5 is an amazing application that is primarily a file manager, but it’s more powerful than it sounds. Here is how to use it to download a file from a password-protected site. Launch Documents 5 and open the app’s browser.2. Login to whatever website you need to use to download a file or document.3.
Locate the file you want to download, and tap on it to load it.4. In the top right corner of the screen, tap on the upload button. From there you can change the name of the document and select its destination, either locally to the Documents/Download folder of Documents 5, or to iCloud.5.
Documents 5 will then let you change the file name, if necessary, and select where you want to download the file to. By default, it will save it to the Downloads folder of the Documents 5 application, but by tapping on Documents/Downloads, you can also select to download the file to iCloud. If you choose to download the file to the Documents/Download folder, then the file will be stored locally on your device.
From Documents 5, you will then be able to move it to iCloud or Dropbox, or Google Drive, for example. You will also be able to share it via email. Why Documents 5 is a must-have applicationDespite the fact that it is completely free, Documents 5 is a great application to have if you’re handling files on your iPhone or iPad. It makes downloading and moving files around a breeze. Because it can tie in to various cloud services, and let you access and move files between them, Documents 5 can be the central location for all your file handling needs. Although not as simple as a drag and drop gesture would be on a computer, As pointed out by ProllyWild in the comments section, Documents 5 can even let you move files around folders and cloud services by using a drag and drop gesture, making file handling almost as simple as it would be on a desktop computer. To move a file, simply tap and hold your finger on it, then drag it to your destination of choice.
It can be a folder, or a cloud service such as iCloud, Dropbox, etc. Downloading files on iPhone or iPad is a painNo matter how good you are at getting this workflow down, it still feels like downloading files and documents from an iPhone or iPad is a giant pain in the butt. It’s not complex per say, but it’s an inelegant process that needs some work.Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy to be able to download files this way, but I wish Apple would let me access part of the drive of my iPhone or iPad so I can painlessly download stuff to my liking. Maybe this will be part of a future software update, especially now that Apple is trying hard to pitch iPad as a work machine.
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March 2023
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