Why is an extra copy of the file created when I upload files to Apple Files?

Every time I upload files to Apple Files from my iPhone or from my iPad, an extra file associated with my uploaded file is made. Please see attached attachments. Note that the extra file created by uploading from the iPhone does not appear on the iPad, and vice versa.


I cannot delete the extra file without the uploaded being deleted or broken as well. This only happens when I upload to my OneDrive (Microsoft) account. But not when I upload to my box.com account. Does anyone understand why? Can I do something about this?


iPhone 13 mini, iOS 18

Posted on Mar 28, 2025 12:28 PM

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Mar 28, 2025 4:30 PM in response to ourkid81

How is OneDrive configured?


It sounds like you're trying to sync multiple devices to the same OneDrive account, in addition, those devices are also synching via iCloud Files, in which case it sounds like you have a race condition...


On Device 1 (let's say this is the iPad), you save a File to iCloud Files

iOS uploads the file.

While it's being uploaded, OneDrive kicks in and copies the file

While OneDrive is uploading the file, iCloud synching kicks in and the second device (say, the iPhone) sees the file.

OneDrive on the iPhone now sees the file and starts to synch it... but! uh oh! there's already another file there with that name, so let's create a duplicate.


It's only speculation, and it requires a specific set of circumstances (multiple devices synching to both iCloud and OneDrive at the same time), but its about all I can think of off-hand.


The solution? Don't have OneDrive synch your entire device. I don't use OneDrive, so I don't know how to tell it to do that.

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Why is an extra copy of the file created when I upload files to Apple Files?

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