How To Upload And Edit Documents On iCloud

Mountain Lion Update!

30th July 2012

Mountain Lion the latest O.S update from Apple now makes it a little easier to use documents in iCloud. Documents are still only iWork, Numbers, Pages and Keynote. However now you can edit the documents on your computer and the changes will save.

When you go to open iWork apps now, it opens with an iCloud Window, you can then choose a document from iCloud to work on, and when saved it is saved in iCloud.

You can still drag and drop your docs onto your iCloud browser at www.icloud.com, but you can now upload any of your iWork documents directly from the app on your computer. Just click next to your document name top middle of your document (see pic) drop down menu to “Move to iCloud”

This is great if you are using templates and you need to alter them, or you wish to save some of your documents always in the Cloud.

As before to be sure your docs are synced you need to first open them on your device to see them on all devices. And to get your computer iWork app to first open in iCloud, you need to have uploaded a document to iCloud and have had it sync first.

 

See below for other instructions…
 

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Original Post 15th Nov 2011

You may have started using iCloud for syncing your calendar, email and contacts but as far as storage and file sharing…iCloud won’t be replacing Dropbox anytime soon!

iCloud for Documents is really nothing like the convenience of Drop box, there are restrictions on what you can store and upload. Setting up iCloud on your devices is much more complex than Dropbox, and not as easy. But if you want to use iCloud for access to your Documents whilst away from your computer on your iOS devices, (iPhone, iPod, iPad) below are instructions on how to do this.

How to use iCloud for document storage and cross device access with editing.

iCloud documents sync, only works for iWork apps, (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) Microsoft Word 09 upwards and plain text Files. iCloud doesn’t sync with the same files stored on your computer. You can edit your docs from an iOS5 device, but then you have to download them from the iCloud internet browser to use them on your computer.

You will also need to buy the corresponding app for your documents for each device you want to edit and view them on, your iPhone or iPod or iPad. Buy and download these apps from the iTunes store.

1. First Step

Be sure you have your iCloud account set up and enabled on your mobile device and on your computer.

To set up iCloud account from a browser Go to www.iCloud.com and create a log in.

From your Computer:

On your computer click on the apple logo top left scroll down to System Preferences and find iCloud icon, click Then enable iCloud and tick all the apps you want to sync. Note: You can’t sync mail unless you have a mac.com email, or want to create one.

 

On your mobile Device:

Go to settings and then to iCloud under General and sign into or create an iCloud Account. Click all the apps you want to sync across your mobile devices, including “Documents & Data”.

Before going further back up your mobile device to iCloud.

 

 

 

To back up to iCloud.

Open iCloud your device, settings, iCloud, and scroll right down to the bottom of the apps, Click Storage & Backup and switch iCloud backup to on. Your phone or mobile device will now back up to iCloud all your applications you have previously switched on in iCloud settings. Be sure you are connected to Wi Fi and have your phone on your charger with the screen locked and black, but not switched off to back up once a day.

You can also back up immediately without charging by scrolling down under the iCloud Backup switch and clicking “Back Up Now”, depending on how much data you have on your mobile device it might take some time to back up. You can always check back to this point in the future to make sure your backups are working and current.

Please Note: Your phone and iPad will not allow you back up on a 3G or 4G signal, you must be connected to a Wi Fi internet signal. If you don’t have access to Wi Fi access, you need to backup your phone still by connecting it to your main computer through a USB connection with iTunes.

Double Check:

Once you have done an initial backup you should go to www.iCloud.com log in and make sure all your information did go through for contacts calendar etc….

To Upload Your Documents: Also see update Mountain Lion above:

Go to the main page for www.iCloud.com from your computers browser, and click the little iCloud icon top left side of the internet browser. Then click on the iWork icon and then choose the application for the document you would like to upload. For Pages, Word or Text docs choose Pages. Then you can either drag and drop the document you want uploaded onto the open iCloud browser from your desktop or click the cog icon top right and browse your computer to locate the document you wish to upload.

For spreadsheets use Numbers tab and Keynote etc…

Once you have uploaded the document, you will not see a preview of the document in your web browser until you have actually opened the same document on one of your mobile devices first, it is then properly uploaded and synced.

To open the document on your mobile device

Go to the installed app, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and click on use iCloud, wait a short moment and you should see the document you uploaded in your mobile device app once it has loaded. Click on the document you have just uploaded, (this won’t show the preview of the doc yet) and you will see the Doc start to load with a blue progress line. Once the document is loaded you will then see a thumbnail preview of the document. And you can open it and read it on your device. Note: It seems you can’t read the documents In landscape view on your phone.

Once you have opened the document on your mobile device, you should now be able to see it as a preview thumbnail, online on your computer browser also in www.icloud.com

You can now edit the document on your phone or your iPad and when you want to have the edited version on your computer you can download the document to your computer from your browser as a document or PDF. There is no local version of the iCloud document on your computer. You must download it to see the latest version on your computer or view it on the iCloud website. You cannot edit it on the iCloud website.

Creating Folders for your documents on iCloud

You can create folders on your mobile device and in the iCloud web browser the same way as you do with any apps and docs on your mobile device, drag documents on top of each other to create a folder which you can then rename.

Once you have your documents up on iCloud they will open up easily on each device you have with you. And if you edit the documents on your mobile devices they will update on all your devices but NOT on your computer. You would have to download a copy from the iCloud website to have an updated document on your computer.

Have you discovered any little tips or tricks on iCloud for documents we should know about? And if you are using drop box I’d love to know what you think if iCloud Documents and what you might use it for?
 

Follow Me on Twitter! Click here → @_LeonieGSmith