iCloud Drive as a Common Data Location, More Like Dropbox?

December 17, 2018 1:29 PM

I used to keep common data folders on Dropbox. I'd put all my PDFs, docs, epubs, audio files and plain text notes there to access from my iPad, iPhone, and MacBook Pro. (I'm just one person, so I don't have to worry about managing versions.) I can't seem to do this with iCloud Drive. When I create a Project folder at iCloud Drive's root level, my iOS apps can't see the data there. The iOS apps all want their files to be inside their own app-specific folders. Is there a way around this?
posted by Jesse the K to Technology (2 answers total)

Can you make your folders in the Files app? Theoretically, you can then share any file in there with any other app.
posted by soelo at 2:20 PM on December 17, 2018

Best answer: Your apps will pretty much dictate what workflow you can do-- most apps which have some iCloud Drive integration will essentially let you:

- Copy the file from iCloud Drive into the Apps storage area (or share the file via `Files` to the app)
- Edit the file in the App.

So now you've got the original sitting in one folder in iCloud, and a copy in your App-- which you might then, at best, export from the app back the original location-- kinda clunky.

A better way would be to get an App that supports 'in place' editing-- (I'm pretty sure iA Writer is an example of that, but I'm sure there's dozens). You can open a supported file from your iCloud Drive and it'll just create a shortcut to that original file, so editing it, edits it in the original location.

There's a guy, Federico Viticci from MacStories who's kinda known for being iPad/iOS only-- and has spent more time then anyone really should learning how to make all that kinda stuff work. Might be worth digging through the archives there for hints and tips to make your ideal workflow possible.
posted by Static Vagabond at 2:41 PM on December 17, 2018