How to get the iCloud Drive or Files app on iPhone and iPad

You can see iCloud Drive files right on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Here's how!

The iCloud Drive in iOS 10 lets you see all of the files you have stored on iCloud Drive right in one place. Coming in iOS 11, the Files app will do the same thing, while also letting you access files from other sources like Dropbox and Google Drive.

Here's how you can turn on the iCloud Drive app in iOS 10 and get the Files app in iOS 11.

How to turn on the iCloud Drive app on your iPhone or iPad in iOS 10

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Tap the Apple ID banner.

    Open Settings, tap Apple ID banner

  3. Tap iCloud.

  4. Flip the switch next to iCloud Drive to get the iCloud Drive app to appear on your Home screen.

    Tap iCloud, flip switch

The iCloud Drive app will be available on your Home screen. You can hide the app either by deleting it like other Apple apps, or follow the steps above again, but flipping the iCloud Drive switch to the 'off' position.

How to get the Files app on your iPhone or iPad in iOS 11

Files app

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac (sadly, no public beta for the Apple Watch). While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

The Files app will replace the iCloud Drive app in iOS 11, but unlike iCloud Drive, Files has no special switch to hide or reveal it, and you'll have it on your device running iOS 11 as soon as you update. If you want to get rid of it, you can just delete the app, and restore it later by downloading it from the App Store.

Questions

If you've got any questions about using the iCloud Drive or Files apps, go ahead and ask in the comments.

[custom:icloud]