iPhone Files downloaded back to cloud

[Boris24467724pttb]

Hi, while it is convenient to use iPhone files to manage Adobe Scan's, I wonder how to make files available only in the cloud again.

When I click on a file using iPhone files, it does download the file to the phone. The cloud symbol disappears next to it disappears. Is it possible to make the file disappear from the phone, and just be available in the cloud again? Like it was before? So that the cloud symbol appears again?

I want to do this, to save space on the phone. Right now it seems that when download it to the phone, there's no way to just make it available  on the cloud again. It will occupy space on the phone. Or you have to delete it. But then it's also deleted from the cloud. 

[S. S]

Hello Boris,

I hope you are doing well. You can disable the option to save original files to your phone storage.

To do so, follow the steps:

1. Open Adobe Scan

2. Click on your profile icon;

3. Click on preferences;

4. Disable the option that says save original to photos.

Disabling the option will keep the files to clouds only and not save a copy directly to your device until enabled manually again.

Hope this answers your question.

Thanks.

Souvik.

[Boris24467724pttb]

Hi, thanks for the quick reply!

I was referring to the iPhone files application. Please see attached screenshot. I used the file application to copy some scans to another location. The file application of the iPhone connects also to Adobe Scan and accessories the cloud files. After copying the cloud symbol disappeared. It seems that to be able to copy the file to another location, the files application downloaded the file from adobe scan cloud and then copied it to the other location.  So now they are also saved locally on my phone, The cloud symbol has disappeared. I can't revert this. Unless I delete the entire file, which also deletes it from the cloud. As you can see other files, which I have not copied, still have the cloud symbol. 

[S. S]

So here, what the cloud symbol means is that the files are not saved on the phone but your cloud storage. Clicking on them will save another copy of the files on your local storage. Once that is done, the symbols disappear from their side.

It's pretty much the same when you once uninstall any application from your phone and then search for the application again on the app store; it shows the cloud icon instead of saying get.

[Boris24467724pttb]

Hi, yes this is clear to me. But now, how do I execute the next step
deleting the file locally on the iPhone. Bringing it back ONLY to cloud
availability. Supposedly showing the cloud symbol again?

[S. S]

You can check the location of the duplicated files on your device and then delete them if you already have them on the cloud. 

Deleting the files should sync up to the cloud automatically, showing up the cloud symbol again.

[Boris24467724pttb]

Hi, thanks again. I think this is exactly what I tried. Where would I
locate the file locally? I did this with the file app on the iPhone. And
it deletes the entire file, also in the cloud.

[S. S]

When you click on the top left browse feature on the Files app, you will get the option to browse through the Document cloud. 

If the files are available on the document cloud folder, you may delete them from your device, and they should still open fine. Here is a screenshot for reference:

[Boris24467724pttb]

Thanks, in my case there is no adobe document cloud. I assume you refer to
that one? Please see my screenshot.

[S. S]

You will be able to add Document Cloud there too. 

Please refer to the link: Open files — Acrobat for iOS Help (adobe.com)

[Boris24467724pttb]

Hi, it seems that adobe document cloud is not a separate app. It is
included in Adobe PDF. Which I have installed now. And I can see now adobe
document cloud in the iPhone file app.

Their behavior unfortunately is almost the same. Only difference is that
when I download a file in adobe document cloud the little blue cloud I can
is exchanged to a gray dashed cloud I can.

However, when I now delete a downloaded file in adobe document cloud, it
also gets deleted on the cloud. Exactly as it did when I accessed Adobe
scan via the iPhone file app.

So the question still remains. How do I free up the space on my phone
again, meaning that the phone on the phone is deleted but not on the cloud.
So practically that blue cloud I can is restored, the iPhone storage is
freed up. I out how to do this without deleting the So the question still
remains. How do I free up the space on my phone again, meaning that the
phone on the phone is deleted but not on the cloud. So practically that
blue cloud I can is restored, the iPhone storage is freed up. I can’t
figure out how to do this without deleting the file also on the cloud.
There should be something like “free up space make available in cloud
only”.

Other providers have that feature. OneDrive for example lets you select
files on windows which you don’t want to have permanently on your hard
drive. It will only download them if you click on them and free up the
space afterwards.

Also Google Drive has the same feature.

[S. S]

You can do the same here too. The document cloud icon that you see now on your Files app is the same Adobe Cloud that you are accessing. So any files you delete from there will also delete from the online portal. You can move the files to Document Cloud and delete them from your phone storage. Moving the files will save you storage space and get all your files on the cloud.

[Boris24467724pttb]

Hi again. I appreciate the effort. But somehow we don’t talk about the same
thing. And I really don’t understand what you want me to do.

I just checked and Adobe Scan occupied almost 1 gb on the phone. I know
simply deleted the app and reinstalled it and now it’s back to 130mb.

All the cloud icons are back and blue, no files downloaded to the phone now.

I wish I wouldn’t have to do the uninstall action every time I want to save
space.

So question remains. As shown in the screenshots and explained before. When
I download a file in the phone file app It does occupy space on the iPhone.
How do I revert back to have it on cloud only. If you believe it can be
done, can you please step-by-step explain how to do it. I haven’t been able
to figure it out or follow you.

[S. S]

So what you can do here is, open the scans using Adobe Scan rather than using the Files app.

I tried the same on my end, and the cloud icon remained on the Files app, and there were no duplicates.

Also, When you notice that a lot of storage space is being occupied by any application, rather than uninstall, you can use the option that says offload app. Offloading will remove all the additional storage used by that particular application and free up space.

To offload data from any application, go to Settings-> General-> iPhone storage and then scroll down to the application you need to clear data from-> after clicking on the application name, you will get the button on the bottom right to offload the app.

Hope this helps.

[Boris24467724pttb · Accepted solution]

Thanks. I realize that as well. However using the iPhone file app has some
advantages. For example when I want to copy files fast and easy from Adobe
Scan to Google drive. Selection is easier in the iPhone files app. But yes,
doing this in the Adobe scan app doesn’t download the files and occupy
space.

So I understand that with the iPhone 5c and there’s no way that you can
free up that space again?