Save documents

Save a document at any time. Many apps save your documents automatically as you work (Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and TextEdit all autosave documents). If your app doesn’t save documents automatically, it’s a good idea to save frequently.

If you don’t want to edit the original version of a document, or if you want to save a version in a different format, you can create and save a copy of the document.

Save a document

In apps that have Auto Save, documents are saved automatically as you make changes. However, you can choose File > Save at any time to save a specific version or to name the document.

In some apps, such as Preview and TextEdit, you can save documents directly to iCloud Drive. Documents in iCloud Drive are available on your computers and iOS devices set up with iCloud Drive.

  1. Choose File > Save, then name the document.

  2. Add any tags to help you find the document later.

  3. Choose where to save the document from the Where menu.

    You can choose the app’s iCloud folder, somewhere else in iCloud Drive, or a location on your Mac. If you don’t see the location you want, click the downward-pointing triangle.

  4. Set any other options, then click Save.

Save a copy of a document

In most apps, the File menu has either a Save As or Duplicate command. Do one of the following:

  • Choose File > Save As, then name the new document. If you don’t see Save As in the File menu, hold down the Option key, then choose File > Save As.

  • Choose File > Duplicate to copy the document, make any changes, then choose File > Save to name the copy.

    If you want to change the format, click the File Format pop-up menu, then choose an option.