How to download files onto your iPhone, and where to find and open those files later

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iPhone X 13Hollis Johnson

  • You rarely need to worry about where downloads go on your iPhone, since most files are stored with and opened by the specific app that can open them.
  • When you download files directly from a web page in Safari, you can often choose which location on your iPhone to store them.
  • You can also use the Files app to find and open downloaded files.  
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Your iPhone is a powerful computer, though most of the time, Apple tries to hide most of that complexity from you. But sometimes, you need your phone to behave more like an ordinary computer, and show you where all its files are located. 

If you download a file from the internet, for example, you need to know where it is so you can find it again later. On a computer, you would use a file manager like Windows Explorer. On an iPhone, things work slightly differently. 

Here’s how to download and find files on your iPhone. 

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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 download photos and videos on the iPhone

If you receive a photo or video in the Mail or Messages app, there are two ways to save it. Your choice determines where and how it’s stored on your iPhone. 

1. Open a photo in Messages or the app you’re viewing it in by tapping it.

2. Tap the Share button (which looks like an arrow pointing up out of a cup). 

3. You should see two save options in the bottom row of the pop-up window: Save Image and Save to File. 

downloads 1Dave Johnson/Business Insider

  • If you tap "Save Image," the photo will be stored in your Photos app, and you can find it in your Photo library. 
  • If you tap "Save to Files," you’ll be asked to choose a destination. You can pick a folder to store it in on iCloud, in your iPhone’s set of folders, or in a folder like Dropbox, if you use that app.

How to download files from web pages in Safari

You probably don’t need to do this often, but it is possible to download files from a web page in Safari. 

1. Start the Safari app and go to a web page that has the file you want to download. 

2. Tap the file to download it, whether through a link or download button.

3. Depending on the type of file, it might open on the iPhone screen, a new tab in Safari, or display a prompt for you to choose a location to download it. If so, you can pick a folder to store it in on iCloud, in your iPhone’s set of folders, or in a folder like Dropbox, if you use that app

downloads 2Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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. 

downloads 3Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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. 

downloads 4Dave Johnson/Business Insider

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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Dave Johnson)

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