Sparky5700 wrote:
I am trying to store files/folders in iCloud that are not created by Apple apps (photos, .doc(x), pdf, etc.). It seems that iCloud will only store files created by using their apps.
I’m skeptical. Considerations:
- I have various files unrelated to Apple apps uploaded into iCloud Drive.
- Files entirely unrelated to Apple platforms, too.
- I can find no documentation of any similar limit.
- We’re not buried in complaints about this.
For this to work, the same Apple Account will have to be used everywhere.
For example, I have a large file folder with many sub-folders of photos that are not in the Apple Photos app, which I store separately for ease of filing, categorizing, and access.
Aside: I’d look for a photography-related app for this, as there re some common mistakes made. Probably the most common being problematic or mistaken assumptions of how the file system metadata works, and cases where the embedded EXIF or related metadata should be used and not the file system metadata. Related: exiftools, etc.
Even though this photo folder is located in my "Documents" folder, and shows the iCloud icon in Finder (supposedly indicating the file(s) are in iCloud), they do not show up in the iCloud drive on my MacBook, nor do they show up in the iCloud website.
This would seem to conflict with earlier references, as common photo formats are fully supported by Apple.
The Mac will need to have Documents and Desktop support enabled here, though:
Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support
There can be reasons to have that feature enabled, and other reasons not to.
Alternatively, the files or folders can be specifically placed in iCloud Drive folder accessible by Finder and by pretty much any other app that can read or write files on macOS. (Though any random app may not have any chance of reading a file format unrelated to its particular expectations. Accordingly, many apps will simply refuse to open files with unrecognized formats. You will need an app to access the data in those files, whether that’s a dump tool, or something else.)
I have read through the Apple instructions for using the iCloud drive, but there appears to be no way to save things to the iDrive other than files created by Apple apps. Am I missing something?
You’ll need an app compatible with the file contents to show those file contents, but that app does not need to be from Apple.
I hoped to share access to ALL my files across my Apple products, as touted in iCloud sales information. I want to access ALL my iMac files using my MacBook Air. Having file access via my iPad would be nice, too. Seemingly, I cannot do that. Any suggestions for solving this problem would be appreciated.
