This wikiHow teaches you how to save and view documents on your iPhone using iCloud Drive, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. With these cloud storage services, you can safely store documents in the cloud and send them to your iPhone for offline reading.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using iCloud Drive
Step #1. Open the iCloud Drive app
This is the white app with an image of blue clouds.
Follow the onscreen instructions to sign in to or set up iCloud if prompted
Step 2. Open a document
If you've received a PDF, Word, or other document via email, text, or other sharing method, or if you're viewing it on the web, tap the document on your iPhone to open a preview.
Step 3. Tap on the 'Share' icon
This is the rectangle with an upward-pointing arrow, which is usually in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step #4. Tap on Add to iCloud Drive
It's a gray cloud icon with an upward pointing arrow.
Step 5. Select a folder
Tap the folder where you want to save the document.
Step 6. Open the iCloud Drive app
Step 7. Tap the folder where you saved the document
Step 8. Tap on the document you just saved
You can now view the document on your iPhone.
Method 2 of 3: Using Google Drive
Step 1. Download Google Drive from the App Store
If Google Drive isn't already on your iPhone, search for it in the App store and tap RECEIVE and tap INSTALL to download it.
Step 2. Open a document
When you've received a document, such as a PDF, Word, or RTF file via email, text, or other sharing method, or if you're viewing it on the web, tap the document on your iPhone to open a preview.
Step 3. Tap on the 'Share' icon
This is the rectangle with an upward-pointing arrow, which is usually in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step #4. Scroll to the left and tap on Copy to Drive
This is the blue, green and yellow triangle.
Sign in to Drive with your Google account if prompted
Step 5. Tap on SAVE
Step 6. Open Google Drive
This is the white app with a blue, green and yellow triangle.
Step 7. Tap the file you just saved
It's probably in the top-left corner of the screen in the "Quick Access" section.
Step 8. Tap on ⋮
It's in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 9. Slide 'Available Offline' to the 'On' (blue) position
It's next to a round icon with a white checkmark (✔️).
Step 10. Tap on the file name at the top of the screen
The file is now downloaded and available offline on your iPhone, as well as on Google Drive's cloud-based server.
You can view and edit documents offline without an internet connection
Method 3 of 3: Using Microsoft OneDrive for iPhone
Step 1. Download Google Drive from the App Store
If Google Drive isn't already on your iPhone, search for it in the App store and tap RECEIVE and tap INSTALL to download it.
Step 2. Open a document
If you've received a PDF, Word, or other document via email, text, or other sharing method, or if you're viewing it on the web, tap the document on your iPhone to open a preview.
Step 3. Tap on the 'Share' icon
This is the rectangle with an upward-pointing arrow, which is usually in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step #4. Scroll to the left and tap Import with OneDrive
This is the blue icon with the image of white clouds.
Step 5. Tap Upload to OneDrive
This is at the bottom of the screen.
Follow the onscreen instructions to sign in or create a Microsoft account if prompted
Step 6. Select a folder
Tap the folder where you want to save the document.
Step 7. Tap on Select this location
This is at the bottom of the screen.
Step 8. Open the OneDrive app
Step 9. Tap the folder where you saved the document
Step 10. Tap the document you just saved
Step 11. Tap on ⋮
It's in the top right corner of the screen.
Step 12. Tap Make Available Offline
It's next to a parachute icon. The document is now stored locally on your iPhone, as well as in cloud storage, where you can view and edit it without an internet connection.