iPhone and iPad · Research guidance. Instructions are based on publisher guidance; a UK IPTV account was not tested on this platform.
Start from Browse rather than a familiar name
Apple’s Files guidance distinguishes On My iPhone or On My iPad, iCloud Drive and connected external storage. Look at the actual location before moving or removing an item. Two files with the same name in different locations can have different availability and synchronisation consequences.
Match the location to the intended task
For an app import, identify which copy the app’s file picker is selecting and whether it is fully available. On My iPhone indicates local device storage, while iCloud Drive is a synchronised location. A visible cloud file and a locally available file should not be assumed to behave identically when the device has no connection.
Read deletion and download controls carefully
Apple documents Remove Download for downloaded iCloud Drive files when the aim is device space without deleting the cloud file. Deleting from iCloud Drive instead removes the file across devices using the same Apple Account. Choose the action for the intended outcome rather than interpreting both as equivalent ways to tidy a list.
Preserve a safe recovery description
Apple describes Recently Deleted and a limited recovery period for the documented Files deletion flow. Do not use that as a substitute for keeping an important original safely. For support, provide the location category and error, while masking private filenames or configuration values that are unnecessary to explain the problem.
Questions, answered
Does iCloud Drive mean the file is purely local?
No. It is a synchronised location.
Is Remove Download the same as deleting an iCloud Drive file?
No. Apple documents different consequences.