Easily Move/Download Documents from iCloud to Your MacBook
iCloud helps you transfer or back up data and files between iOS devices and your MacBook. However, how can you download documents from iCloud to your Mac? It's not like how to download photos from iCloud to Mac, for documents are challenging to locate on iCloud on your MacBook browser or iPhone. Sometimes, they are not classified into a specific group. How can you find them all? Don't worry; this article will show you how to move documents from iCloud to a Mac.
PAGE CONTENT:
Part 1: Move Documents from iCloud to Mac
How do I move documents from iCloud to my Mac?
Before answering this question, we want to know if you have ever used iCloud Drive? Both iCloud Drive and iCloud can sync and store all kinds of files on iOS devices, but iCloud Drive mainly focuses on file management and classification. Therefore, it will be effortless to move documents from iCloud Drive to your Mac. Also, iCloud Drive is a built-in service on your MacBook.
Follow the steps below to learn how to move the documents folder from iCloud to Mac:
Step 1. Open iCloud Drive
Click the Go button on the top menu bar, then click the iCloud Drive button to open iCloud Drive.
Step 2. Locate the Documents Folder
Sometimes, the Documents folder is within another folder, and you can open those folders to search for it. After that, you can click the Documents button.
Step 3. Then, you can move the whole Documents folder to your Mac or choose your desired folders and files and copy them to your Mac.
Tips:
Why is there no Documents folder in my iCloud Drive?
You should enable iCloud Drive to Desktop & Documents in System Preferences, and then you can see the Documents folder in iCloud Drive. However, this is only the sync switch, and you can only view documents synced from your MacBook at the moment. You can’t access documents on other iOS devices.
Part 2: Download Documents from iCloud to Mac
Documents could be the default folder on a Mac, as well as some written materials, such as Microsoft Word and Excel files. Those files can be backed up to iCloud from iPhone/iPad/Mac logged into the same Apple ID. How can you download those documents from iCloud to your Mac? You can access iCloud directly on a browser, not only on an iPhone.
Follow the steps below to explore how to download documents from iCloud to Mac:
Step 1. Go to iCloud's website on your Mac and sign in with your Apple ID.
Step 2. Document files are usually saved in the Drive section; you can also view other sections to check if there are other documents. Click on the document files you want.
Step 3. You can directly download the document file from iCloud to your Mac or view it in Drive. Then, right-click on it and click the Download a Copy button to transfer it to your MacBook.
Tips:
Why can’t I locate documents on my website iCloud?
Ensure your document files are saved on iCloud Drive or other built-in apps on any iOS device. Also, you should ensure that you log into the same Apple ID, or the documents won’t appear on your Mac. Please check the Apple ID on your Mac and other iOS devices before you want to transfer documents from iCloud to the Mac.
Part 3: Importance of Moving Documents from iCloud to Mac
• Offline access: An Internet connection is required to access files in iCloud. Moving files from iCloud to Mac allows you to access and edit them offline.
• Save iCloud Storage: iCloud only has a limited free space of 5 GB by default. Moving documents to your Mac can help free up iCloud space, especially if you don’t want to pay for extra space.
• Better Performance: Opening files (especially large files) in iCloud takes time. Open files stored locally on Mac can be faster.
Bonus Tip: Transfer Files from iOS Devices to Mac Without iCloud
As is known to all, iCloud is mainly used for synchronizing and backing up data between Apple devices. It enables users to automatically save photos, files, contacts, calendars, and other content in the cloud and sync them in real time across all devices. However, it is web-based and does not perform so well on Windows. Therefore, you can try third-party software like Apeaksoft iPhone Transfer to move files from iOS devices to Mac instead of iCloud.
Move Documents from iOS Devices to Mac
- Transfer files from iOS devices to Mac without any data loss.
- Support all kinds of data types like contacts, photos, music, etc.
- Sync data among iOS devices, Windows/Mac, and iTunes in one click.
Secure Download
Secure Download
Conclusion
You have learned how to download documents from iCloud to Mac. Remember that the websites iCloud and iCloud Drive on your Mac can sync local files, and you can transfer files from them quickly with the guides above. Also, you can use Apeaksoft iPhone Transfer to replace iCloud to sync files between iOS devices and Mac/Windows.
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