How to Change Where Safari Downloads Are Saved on iPhone

Safari downloads on iPhone can be saved to On My iPhone, iCloud Drive, or another folder. Open Settings > Apps > Safari > Downloads on newer iOS versions, or Settings > Safari > Downloads on older versions. Select On My iPhone to save downloads locally instead of using iCloud.

Steps

Open Settings and select Apps > Safari. On older iOS versions, open Settings > Safari directly.
Tap Downloads to open the iPhone Safari downloads folder setting.
Select On My iPhone to save downloaded files to local iPhone storage.
Select iCloud Drive to sync Safari downloads across Apple devices using the same Apple Account.
Choose Other to select or create a specific folder in the Files app.

Common Issues and Fixes

The Downloads option is missing: The iPhone may use an older iOS layout. Search Settings for Safari, then open Downloads from the Safari settings page.
Files still appear in iCloud Drive: The download location remains set to iCloud Drive. Change the setting to On My iPhone and download the file again.
Downloads cannot be found: Safari may use a different folder under On My iPhone or iCloud Drive. Open the Files app and check Browse > Downloads in both locations.
The selected folder does not appear: The folder may not exist or may lack accessible storage. Select Other, open the preferred location, and create a new folder if needed.
Local storage is unavailable: iPhone storage may be nearly full. Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage and remove unnecessary files or apps.

Quick Tips

On My iPhone prevents normal Safari downloads from counting against iCloud storage, but local iPhone storage still decreases.
Changing the download location affects new downloads. Existing files remain in the original folder until moved through the Files app.
Images saved with Save Image may appear in the Photos app instead of the Safari Downloads folder.
iCloud Drive requires an active Apple Account and sufficient iCloud storage for synchronized downloads.
Safari downloads can be moved later by opening the Files app, pressing and holding a file, and selecting Move.

Can Safari downloads be saved on my iPhone instead of iCloud?

Yes. Select On My iPhone under Settings > Safari > Downloads. New Safari files will save locally unless a different folder is selected during download.

Where is the Safari Downloads folder on iPhone?

Open the Files app and select Browse. Check On My iPhone > Downloads or iCloud Drive > Downloads, depending on the selected Safari download location.

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