Finding downloads can be a little confusing on iPhones, especially if you’ve just switched to an iPhone. You may be wondering where a downloaded file is located. If you’re having trouble finding the downloaded file, you’re not alone. The best part is that you can find downloads on iPhone with a few simple steps.
Whether you’re looking for a downloaded photo, music, or app, this article will help you find it. We also provide you with a handy shortcut to add the Downloads folder to your home screen.
How to Find Downloaded Files on iPhone
Let’s start with how to find downloaded files on your iPhone. The default file manager app on the iPhone is the Files app. It comes preinstalled on every iPhone. You can use the Files app to find downloads on your iPhone. The following steps will help you with this process.
1. Open the Files app. You can find it in the App Library on your iPhone.
2. By default, you should be on the Browse tab. If not, go to the Browse tab.
3. Under Locations, select “On my iPhone”.
4. Now you should see a Downloads folder. Open it.
You should see all the downloaded files on your iPhone in the Downloads folder.
In addition to the Downloads folder, which resides on your iPhone’s local storage, iCloud Drive also has a Downloads folder. Occasionally, you may save some files in iCloud Drive’s Downloads folder. So if a downloaded file doesn’t show up in your iPhone’s local storage, it’s worth looking for it in iCloud Drive. Follow the steps below for a step-by-step guide.
1. Open the Files app on your iPhone and tap Browse.
2. Under Locations, tap iCloud Drive.
3. You should see a Downloads folder there. Open it.
All the files you downloaded to the iCloud Drive should be there.
Create a shortcut to your Downloads folder
The above way should help you find downloads on your iPhone. However, when you download a lot of files to your iPhone, it becomes tedious to go through the same steps every time. We have a handy workaround that creates a shortcut to the Downloads folder on your iPhone home screen.
This will make the Downloads folder available on the home screen, allowing you to go to the Downloads folder with a single tap. Sounds good? How to create a shortcut to the Downloads folder on your iPhone.
1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and tap the + icon in the top right corner.
2. Click the + Add Action button and go to the Apps tab.
3. Select the Files app and under File storage, tap Folders.
4. In the search field, tap Folders.
5. Select your Downloads folder and tap Open.
6. Now click on the cross icon at the bottom right corner of the screen. A new search box for apps and actions should appear.
7. Search for Open file and tap on it.
8. Then tap on “Default App” and select “Files”.
9. Now tap Open File at the top of the screen.
10. Now select Add to Home Screen option.
11. Finally, click Add at the top right.
A shortcut to the Downloads folder should appear on your iPhone’s home screen. You can click on it and the download folder will open directly.
How to Find Downloaded Photos on iPhone
It’s not just the files we download to our iPhones. We also often download photos from the Mail app or an instant messaging app. These photos are then usually stored in the Photos app on the iPhone. So if you have downloaded photos on your iPhone, here is how you can find them.
1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
2. By default you should be on the Library tab. If not, go to the Library tab.
If you recently downloaded the photos, they will appear under All Photos. Let’s say you downloaded a photo a few weeks ago and it’s a hassle to scroll through all the photos you’ve taken since then. In this case, there is a handy tip that will help you find the downloaded photos quickly.
1. Go to the “Search” tab in the Photos app.
2. A search box will appear at the top of the screen.
3. If you downloaded a photo using the Safari browser, search for Safari. The search result will show all the photos you saved using Safari only.
4. Similar when you save a photo in Chrome. Search for it and you will see all photos stored in Chrome.
How to Find Downloaded Music on iPhone
Most of us listen to music on our iPhones. To access our favorite songs offline, we usually download them. However, some new iPhone users are confused on how to access downloaded music. So if you have downloaded music on your iPhone and now you have trouble to find them, the following steps will help you out of this situation.
1. Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone.
2. Go to the Library tab.
3. In the library you should see a downloaded folder.
4. If not, tap on the Edit option in the top right corner and check the circle next to Downloaded.
The steps above are for the Apple Music app. If you have downloaded music from a third-party app like Spotify, the process of finding the downloaded music is different.
How to Find Downloaded Apps on iPhone
We’ve explained how to find downloads on iPhone or iPad, be they files, photos or music. In addition, we also download apps to our iPhones. If you recently downloaded a new app but can’t find it, no problem. The following steps will help you find the downloaded apps on your iPhone.
1. Swipe left on your iPhone’s home screen to open the App Library.
2. In the App Library, you will see a large search box labeled “App Library” at the top.
3. Now look for the app you just downloaded on your iPhone.
The downloaded app will appear as a search result.
How to change the default download location for Files app
To change the default Files app download location, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Now scroll down and tap on Safari.
Step 2: As you will see, the download location is set to iCloud Drive. To change this, just tap Downloads.
Step 3: You can now select On my iPhone. After that, you can exit the Settings app.
Step 4: Open the Files app by swiping down on the middle of the phone and typing “files” in the search bar.
Step 5: Click on Browse option and open Downloads folder.
Step 6: Hold your finger on the desired file and then choose one of the available options – copy, delete, share, rename, etc.
Step 7: To change the Safari download location, open the Settings app and tap on Safari.
Step 8: Select the “Downloads” option under the “General” section and then choose between “iCloud Drive”, “On my iPhone” and “Other”.
Easily find downloads on iPhone
Almost all of us download files, photos, music and apps to our iPhones. Finding downloads on iPhone or iPad is very easy for an experienced user, but for those who are new to the world of iOS or iPadOS, accessing the downloads can be difficult at first. If you currently have an iPhone/iPad and can’t find your downloads, the steps above in the article should help you find them.
FAQs on finding downloads on iPhone
The PDF downloads are usually saved in the Downloads folder on your iPhone. You can use the files to access the downloads folder and find your PDF downloads.
If you downloaded a file using the Safari browser, it should be in the Files app. However, if you have a photo, it should be in the Photos app. You can search Safari in the Photos app to find the photos downloaded from Safari.
The reason downloads might not show up on your iPhone is because of the different ways to find them. Images must be found in the Photos app while documents and PDFs must be found in the Files app. Also, streaming content such as movies and shows (TV) can only be found in the individual apps from which it was downloaded. In order for your downloads to show up correctly, you need to look in the right app that matches the file type.
To find a download you made from an app, follow these steps:
Open the Files app on your iPhone or iPad. Select the Browse tab. Navigate to iCloud Drive > Downloads. Look for the downloaded file. If you can’t remember the exact name, you can type the first few letters, which will have the app suggest likely candidates. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, you can open the app you downloaded in and look for the file there.
Yes, you can move files from the Downloads folder to another folder. To do this, simply open the Files app, navigate to the Downloads folder, and then select the file you want to move. Then press and hold the file and select “Move” from the list of options. From here you can select the destination folder where you want to move the file.
Finding downloads from email on your iPhone is easy. Follow these steps to find attachments and other files you’ve received via email:
Open the Mail app on your iPhone. Select the message that contains the download. Tap the attachment icon to open the download. The attachment will open in a new window. Tap the Share icon at the bottom of the window. Select the Files option from the list of sharing options. Select the On My iPhone folder. Select the Downloads folder. The download should now be saved in the Downloads folder on your iPhone. To view the download, open the Files app and select the Downloads folder. The download is displayed there.
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