Access Downloads on iPhone is easiest when you use the iPhone feature that directly controls the task instead of changing several unrelated settings.
- Open the Files app.
- Tap Browse.
- Open iCloud Drive or On My iPhone and look for the Downloads folder.
- Tap the file to open it, or touch and hold it for file actions.
- If you downloaded the item in Safari and cannot find it, check Safari's download location in Settings.
Photos and videos saved directly to the photo library appear in Photos rather than Files. Downloads from third-party apps may also be stored inside the app.
You can change Safari’s download destination so future files go to iCloud Drive or a local folder. Sorting the Downloads folder by date can make a recently downloaded file easier to locate when its filename is unfamiliar.
When finished, verify the result in the app or setting you changed before making additional adjustments.