do I have to save files on my iCloud storage?
I am trying to save files onto my iPad (500gb) but the files exceed my 5 GB storage limit. Do I have to save them into my iCloud or can I save them locally onto my iPad storage?
iPad Pro, iPadOS 17
You can save them locally. You don't need to sync the to iCloud if you don't want to.
Make sure you are selecting the "On My iPad" location in the Files App on the iPad rather than the "iCloud Drive" location.