Show documents in iCloud

Michael Graubart · Mar 5, 2016

I have iPhone 5s and a desktop Mac with OS 10.8.5 (Mountain Lion).

I have just enabled iCloud on both the phone and the Mac. If I create a document on the Mac and move it into iCloud, how can I view and/or edit it on the phone? I am afraid I am mystified!

Because my Mac is on Mountain Lion and not a later OS, I presume I cannot use iCloud Drive.

Any help most gratefully received.

J. A. · Mar 5, 2016

For iCloud Drive, you need OS Yosemite and later.

iCloud can be accessed online, via browser. If you login and use iCloud Drive on your iPhone, you'll also find an iCloud Drive folder in iCloud (via browser). In case you also use Pages, Numbers and Keynotes, you'll find them in iCloud as well. It's possible to edit files saved to these apps online.

Michael Graubart · Mar 5, 2016

Thank you, J.A., but I am still mystified. I cannot use iCloud Drive because (as I said in my initial post) my Mac has Mountain Lion, not Yosemite or above. And I cannot see how to access iCloud via Safari on my iPhone.

J. A. · Mar 5, 2016

On your iPhone, you can use the iCloud Drive app. You don't have to login through Safari. If you enable iCloud Drive in iCloud, the app should be somewhere on your device.

Accessing iCloud Drive online (browser) was my suggestion to be able to edit files on your Mac.

Michael Graubart · Mar 5, 2016

I have now enabled iCloud Drive in Settings > iCloud, but the app. cannot be found. And I do not understand how to access iCloud in the browser on my phone, I am afraid. I am sorry to be so obtuse!

Michael Graubart · Mar 5, 2016

Apologies! I did not see 'Show on home screen' in Settings > iCloud. I now have the app. visible. But I still cannot understand how to edit documents from my phone, because that seems not to be possible in iCloud Drive, and I cannot see how to access iCloud in the phone's browser.

J. A. · Mar 5, 2016

It's possible to access iCloud via Safari on your iPhone, but you'd have to require the desktop site, and it's often slow and glitchy. Enter www.icloud.com, and tap and hold the refresh icon in the address/search bar, until you see this:

Select "Request Desktop Site", then wait until it has finished loading, and login.

On the other hand:
When you open the iCloud Drive app on the iPhone, you'll see the icons of the apps that are storing their files to iCloud Drive, as well as files you saved to iCloud Drive directly. Tapping one of the files in iCloud Drive's Pages, e.g., will open the Pages app on your iPhone (if it's installed), so that you can edit that file there.

To access iCloud Drive on your Mac, go to www.icloud.com in a browser and login. The iCloud Drive folder will be there too, with the files you've saved to it.

Michael Graubart · Mar 5, 2016

I think all is clear now! I never thought of using the refresh icon, and could not get past the page you illustrate above. Thank you once more for taking so much time and trouble.