Via iCloud , iWork papers can automobile - sync among iOS devices . But not Macs . you may manually simulate a document from a Mac to iCloud — and frailty versa — via iCloud ’s connection interface . But there is no robotlike syncing . At least not withApple ’s officially supported methods .
This means , for lesson , if you delete an iWork text file on a Mac , the written matter of the text file already in iCloud is not updated to meditate the edits . I see this as a significant shortcoming . I had hoped that iCloud would work more likeDropbox . Nope .
But here ’s some proficient news : If you ’re willing to rove from Apple ’s recommended path , you’re able to motorcar - sync between Macs and iCloud — without any need for a web web browser app . You do it via the Mobile Documents folder — an iCloud - based folder on your Mac that works a hatful like Dropbox . You ’ll discover it in the Library folder of your Home directory . I mentioned this leaflet in my column last week . But I did not in full appreciate the potential economic value of the pamphlet until after the column had been post . With this follow - up article , I make up for the oversight .
The Mobile Documents folder revealed. I just added the “Macworld Test” Pages document to the folder.
Using the Mobile Documents booklet , you’re able to go around the iWork section of theiCloud web site — directly syncing documents between your Mac(s ) and iCloud . Not just copying documents , but synchronize them . That is , any change you make to an iWork written document on a Mac will be automatically reflected in the iCloud written matter .
There is one caution : Apple does not stand for this booklet for remainder - drug user admission . As such , there is a risk that tamper with this brochure could lead to trouble . I have n’t had any problems thus far . But the endangerment remains . Assuming you ’re willing to assume this jeopardy , here ’s what to do :
1 . hold down the Option key , access code the Finder ’s Go menu and select Library . This hold you to the ( unseeable in OS X Lion ) Library folder in your Home directory .
iCloud’s Pages page in Safari. The “Macworld Test” article that I placed in the Mobile Documents folder is here.
2 . Scroll down to locate the Mobile Documents leaflet . Create an alias of the folder and drag it to whatever location you need for wanton access . I put it on my Desktop . Optionally , you might rename the folder false name — to something like iCloudSync . You are now ready to start syncing .
3 . doubled - click the folder alias to reveal its content . What you will see depends upon what precisely you have previously determine up to sync via iCloud . take up you antecedently enabled iCloud syncing for iWork apps , you should at least see three booklet , one for each iWork app : com ~ orchard apple tree ~ Keynote , com ~ apple ~ Numbers , and com ~ orchard apple tree ~ Pages . Inside each folder will be two subfolders : papers and iWorkPreviews .
4 . give the Documents brochure inside the software folder that matches the papers type you want to synchronise . For example , to sync a Pages document , go to com ~ apple ~ Pages - > Documents .
5 . Via the Finder , drag the ikon of the want Pages papers to this folder ( drag a copy of the papers , if you want to uphold the original as a backup ) .
iCloud ’s page page in Safari . The “ Macworld Test ” clause that I placed in the Mobile Documents leaflet is here .
The document will now automatically and almost now sync with iCloud . you could corroborate this by going to the Pages webpage in the iWork surgical incision of iCloud : the written document will be there . If you remove a file from the Mobile Documents booklet , the file is removed from iCloud as well . Further , if you go to the Mobile Documents folder of any other Mac that you are syncing with iCloud , the same papers will be listed there . For example , if you placed a Pages file cabinet into Mobile Documents on your iMac , the document will also appear in the comparable folder on your MacBook .
If you twice - click the Mobile Documents - located Pages filing cabinet on any of your Macs , it will open in Pages . From here , you could blue-pencil the document . Any change that you make , on any of your Macs , will be viewable on all your Macs — via iCloud sync !
I would avoid editing the same papers from two Macs at the same time , so as to prevent a potential conflict . Beyond that , all should work perfectly . At least it has in my testing .
So far , so good . But what if you want to open up the transferred Pages text file in the iOS version of Pages ? you may do so . The document will then look in Pages ’ papers list , just as if you had transport the document via the iCloud WWW interface . If you afford the document in Pages for iOS , however , the file is converted to an iOS - compatible format , stripping out any Mac - only feature . This will accidentally place a preview image of the document in the relevant iWorkPreviews folder back in Mobile Documents .
The converted Pages document will auto - sync among your iOS machine , where it can be opened and redact by Pages for iOS on any synced gimmick . However , you will no longer be able-bodied to start the document on a Mac ( see last week ’s editorial for more item on this point ) . Again , this is the same way that things would work if you had used the iCloud web interface to transfer the document .
To change over an iOS - arrange iWork document to a Mac - compatible data format and transfer it from iCloud to your Mac , you must download the file from the iCloud web site via a web browser app . This is the one occasion where the Mobile Documents leaflet is not a backup for the iCloud website .
There is as yet no incorporate iWork document formatting that will allow you to auto - sync and redact the same document on both Macs and iOS machine . It is either one or the other . Aside from this restriction , the Mobile Documents leaflet allows unfeigned syncing of iWork documents , go around any demand for the iCloud web interface .
Given how well this all works , I am a number surprised that Apple has choose to hide the Mobile Documents folder from goal user . I ’m guessing it has to do with potential confusion between Mac and iOS version of iWork documents . Or perhaps Apple just was n’t quick to have users mucking around in this pamphlet , possibly getting themselves in fuss . Hopefully , down the road , perhaps after Apple updates the Mac interpretation of its iWork apps , we ’ll see a change in this regard . Until then , you could utilize the work - around described here .
