Files app in iPadOS and iOS 18: No more problems with local cache
In addition to the ability to format external media, users now have more control over their mobile storage. iCloud finally obeys at the click of a button.
Home screen of iPadOS 18.
(Image: Apple)
Beta testers of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 have discovered a new function in the Files app that could make life easier for mobile people in the future: For the first time, Apple will allow users to manage the storage used in connection with iCloud themselves.
Offloading will no longer be possible if you want it to be
Instead of hoping that the desired files from Apple's servers will remain on the iPhone or iPad (or that they will be reloaded if necessary with mobile reception / WLAN), you can now specify that files always remain on the device. There is a new context menu called "Keep Downloaded" for this purpose. This is possible for both individual files and entire folders.
Anyone who has ever sat offline on an airplane or in a subway tunnel will really appreciate this function. Currently, iOS and iPadOS use some kind of "intelligence" to ensure that files are stored as required ("offloading"). To ensure that files from iCloud are really available, you have to download them shortly before you start your trip. If this was several weeks or even months ago, the file may have already disappeared from the device.
iCloud can also be better controlled on the Mac
Anyone who has activated automatic management of their iCloud data on their Mac - for example because there is not enough SSD space - will be pleased to hear that macOS 15 alias Sequoia also has a similar feature. Here, you can now select "Keep Downloaded" by right-clicking in the Finder to ensure that no offloading takes place. In addition to individual files, entire folders can also be selected here, which are then always kept locally and offline.
Apple has also recently improved its Files app on the iPhone and iPad in other areas. It has recently become possible to format SSDs, hard disks and SD cards directly via USB-C. This makes the Files app much more powerful as a file manager and you no longer need a Mac or Windows PC to set up external media if they are not already formatted.
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