Where Do I Find Downloads on My iPhone?

Finding Downloads on Your iPhone: A Complete Guide

Safari Downloads: The Main Method

Ever downloaded something and can’t find it? Here’s exactly where to look:

Finding the Files App:

1. Go to your home screen
2. Look for an app with a blue folder icon called “Files”
3. Can’t find it? Swipe down from the middle of your screen and type “Files” in the search bar

Opening Your Downloads:

1. Once Files is open, look at the bottom of your screen
2. Tap “Browse” (it’s usually on the right side)
3. You’ll see a list of locations – look for “On My iPhone” or “iCloud Drive”
4. Tap on either one
5. Find and tap the “Downloads” folder

Photos & Videos Guide

When you download photos or videos, they actually go to a different place:

Finding Downloaded Media:

1. Go to your home screen

1. Open the “Photos” app
2. Tap “Albums” at the bottom
3. Scroll down to “Media Types”
4. Here you’ll find special albums like:
   • “Videos” for downloaded videos
   • “Screenshots” if you took screenshots
   • “Downloads” for items saved from the internet

Music Downloads

For Apple Music:

1. Open the Music app
2. Tap “Library” at the bottom
3. Tap “Downloaded” – this shows only music stored on your phone
4. If you can’t find “Downloaded”:
   • Tap “Edit” in the top right
   • Turn on “Downloaded Music”

For Spotify:

1. Open Spotify
2. Tap “Your Library” (bottom right)
3. Tap the “Downloads” filter at the top
4. All your downloaded songs, albums, and playlists will appear here

Document Downloads (PDFs, Word files, etc.)

Here’s where to look:

1. Using the Files App:

1. Open Files
2. Tap “Browse”
3. Look under “On My iPhone”
4. Check these folders:
   • Downloads
   • Documents
   • If you use iCloud Drive, check there too

2. Recent Downloads:

1. In Files, tap the three dots (…) in the top right
2. Select “View Options”
3. Choose “Date” to sort by newest downloads

Changing Where Downloads Go

Want to change your default download location? Here’s how:

1. Open Settings
2. Scroll down until you find “Safari”
3. Tap on “Downloads”
4. You’ll see three options:
   • “iCloud Drive” (saves to your cloud storage)
   • “On My iPhone” (saves directly to your phone)
   • “Other…” (lets you pick a specific folder)
5. Tap your preferred option
6. If you chose “Other”, navigate to where you want files saved and tap “Done”

Storage Management Tips

If your downloads are taking up too much space:

1. Check Storage:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap “General”
3. Tap “iPhone Storage”
4. Wait for the list to load
5. Look at which apps are using the most space

2. Clearing Downloads:

1. Open Files
2. Go to Downloads
3. Press and hold any file
4. Tap “Select” in the pop-up
5. Tap multiple files to select them
6. Tap the trash icon to delete
7. Confirm deletion

Each time you download something new, it’s good to remember which app you used – this makes it much easier to find later.

Source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102440