Onedrive is not allowing Affinity Designer or iOS to save files in it on an iPad

Hi Kas_eno

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I realize that you've encountered a problem with " OneDrive is not allowing Affinity Designer or iOS to save files in it on an iPad ", and I understand how you feel. Don't worry, I'll do my best to help you.

According to your description, the problem that OneDrive cannot save files with Affinity Designer on iPad may be related to the following reasons:

1. Permission Restrictions or Device Management Policies

Enterprise Device Management Restrictions:

If your iPad is a company-managed device, it might have an application-level data isolation policy that prevents third-party apps (like Affinity Designer) from accessing corporate data (like company OneDrive files). In this case, even if OneDrive is visible in the Files app, Affinity Designer may not be able to read or write to it directly.

Solutions:

• Use a personal OneDrive account or switch to other cloud storage (like iCloud, Google Drive) as an intermediary.
• Contact your company's IT department to confirm if permission settings allow third-party apps to access OneDrive.

OneDrive Not Enabled Properly in the Files App:

OneDrive needs to be enabled through the "Locations" feature of the iOS Files app to appear as a storage option in third-party apps. If not enabled, Affinity Designer won't recognize OneDrive.

Solutions:

• Click on OneDrive in the Files app, log in, and "Enable" the storage location.
• If enabled but ineffective, try uninstalling and reinstalling both OneDrive and Affinity Designer, ensuring they are the latest versions.

2. File System or Sync Issues:

Residual Files or Sync Conflicts:

Files appearing on the iPad but not accessible (e.g., unable to delete or read) might be due to interrupted sync, leading to residual files or corrupted metadata.

Solutions:

• Manage files directly through the OneDrive web interface on a computer to force sync.
• Try deleting files one by one in the Files app (batch operations might fail).

Storage Path Error or Permission Conflict:

The iOS Files app may mark OneDrive as "read-only" due to permission issues (especially after updates), preventing you from saving changes.

Solutions:

• Edit files directly via the OneDrive official app instead of the Files app.
• Check the permissions settings of OneDrive in the Files app to ensure write access is not restricted.

3. Known Issues with Affinity Designer

Unreliable In-App Save Function:

Affinity Designer on the iPad has long-standing unresolved save bugs, possibly causing it to appear as if it has saved successfully but actually hasn’t written to the file.

Solutions:

• Always save through the Gallery view (not the in-document save button) to ensure local write before syncing to the cloud.
• Frequently use the "Save As" function to create new versions of files to avoid overwrite failures.

Cross-Device Sync Delays

OneDrive files modified on the iPad may take longer to sync to the computer or require manual sync triggering.

Solutions:

• Open the OneDrive client on the computer and click the "Sync Now" button.
• Avoid editing the same file simultaneously on both iPad and computer to prevent version conflicts.

4. Other Potential Causes:

• iOS System or OneDrive Version Compatibility Issues: Update to the latest iPadOS and OneDrive app to ensure compatibility.
• Insufficient Storage Space: Check the remaining space on both the iPad and OneDrive, and clean up redundant files.
• Network Issues: Use a stable Wi-Fi connection to avoid sync interruptions.

If the problem persists, please let me know in your reply**.**it is recommended to contact Microsoft Support (for OneDrive) or Affinity Customer Service (for application compatibility) for further assistance.

I hope these suggestions have been helpful to you!

Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions or need any further help.

Best regards

Adrian.C-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist