iCloud: Use Documents in the Cloud with OS X v10.8

Use Documents in the Cloud with OS X v10.8

When you use OS X apps that work with Documents in the Cloud, iCloud can store your documents and keep them up to date on all your devices. After you save or move documents to iCloud, you can open those documents by using the same apps on another Mac or iOS device.

The iWork apps for Mac—Keynote 5.2 or later, Pages 4.2 or later, and Numbers 2.2 or later, which are available from the Mac App Store—work with Documents in the Cloud. So do the TextEdit and Preview apps included with OS X v10.8 or later. Check with the developers of your other Mac apps to find out which ones they have updated to work with iCloud.

Mail in OS X v10.8 and iOS 6 uses Documents in the Cloud to keep your rules, signatures, flag names, and Smart Mailboxes up to date on your other Mac computers with OS X v10.8 or later, your iOS 6 devices, and the Mail web app at icloud.com. Mail in OS X v10.8 and iOS 6 also uses Documents in the Cloud to keep your VIP senders and recent recipients list up to date if your iOS 6 devices use iCloud for Mail and Contacts.

Safari uses Documents in the Cloud to keep your bookmarks, Reading List, and iCloud Tabs list up to date. iCloud Tabs lists the Safari windows and tabs currently open on your Mac computers with OS X v10.8 and your iOS 6 devices. For more information about iCloud Tabs, open Safari on your Mac, then use the Help menu.

To use Documents in the Cloud with your Mac apps, Documents & Data must be turned on in iCloud preferences.

Turn on Documents in the Cloud

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud.

  2. If you are not already signed in, sign in with the Apple ID you use with iCloud.

  3. Turn on Documents & Data.

Save a new document to iCloud

  1. Choose File > Save, then enter a name for the document.

    If you’re not asked to enter a name, then instead of saving your document to iCloud, you must move it as described under “Move a document to or from iCloud” below.

    Dialog for saving a new document in iCloud

  2. Choose iCloud from the Where pop-up menu.

  3. Set any other available options, such as the file format or whether to show the filename extension.

  4. Click Save.

If you can’t save a document to iCloud, your iCloud storage space might be full. The saved document will stay on your Mac and be sent to iCloud when space becomes available.

To free up space, delete documents from iCloud. Or, you can buy more storage space. For more information, read Manage or buy more iCloud storage.

Open a document in iCloud

  1. Open the app that works with the document you want to open.

  2. Choose File > Open, click iCloud at the top of the Open dialog, then double-click the document.

    Dialog for opening a document stored in iCloud

Move a document to or from iCloud

  1. With the document open, choose File > Move To.

  2. Choose iCloud from the pop-up menu, or choose a folder on your Mac, then click Move.

Moving a document from iCloud to your Mac deletes the document from iCloud.

For additional information, see these Apple Support articles: