Sharing iWork (Numbers, Pages) files on iCloud between different MacOS versions

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Level 1

27 points

Sharing iWork (Numbers, Pages) files on iCloud between different MacOS versions

I just learned that we can no more collaborate on our files in my family since one mac can't update from Monterey to Sonoma.

Actually we don't need the collaboration features, we just need share and sync our files, like we do with Excel, Word and any other non iWork files without any issues.

Is there no option to share & sync but not collaborate?

Do I need to downgrade the newer Mac back to Monterey just so we can share our Numbers, Pages and Keynote files? Is that actually possible?

Or is there a better solution than this or to start working with Microsoft office?

Yes, I have read the following support article, but unfortunately after I upgraded my other mac…

Collaborate on documents in Pages, Numbers and Keynote on iPhone, iPad and Mac – Apple Support (UK)

"If you use Pages, Numbers or Keynote and collaboration isn't available, you may need to update your apps on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Turn on automatic updates so that your apps always stay up to date. If your device is too old to update your apps, you can still collaborate online on iCloud.com using a Mac or PC."

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Oct 4, 2023 11:51 PM

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Answer 1

Ditoni

Level 1

9 points

Oct 18, 2023 12:18 AM in response to EasyKoni

It happened to me, too. The good thing is that until two days ago everything was working, without warning or an update the service stopped working de facto turning my perfectly working machine into an antique.

Thank you Apple

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Answer 2

EasyKoni Author

Level 1

27 points

Oct 6, 2023 12:19 AM in response to EasyKoni

I found a workaround:

I installed a file syncing app. There are others, but "Sync Folders Pro" worked for me: https://apps.apple.com/id/app/sync-folders-pro/id522706442

Now we copy and sync the shared folders to anywhere outside of iCloud drive and work with those files. They sync to iCloud drive and from there they're shared with the rest of the family.

Well, it takes hard drive storage since this needs all shared files twice.

It's just a workaround till Apple finally enables sharing without collaborating.

I prefer this rather than switching to another cloud storage provider, work with Microsoft or other non-Apple apps or even buy a new mac.

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Answer 3

Mar 17, 2024 9:47 AM in response to EasyKoni

I'm surprised this is not an issue with more people. I do not use iCloud to "collaborate" but to simply share / sync files with others. I feel like I am being punished for keeping my MacOS up-to-date as others are using older version of the OS and have no issues. I don't want to collaborate, I have never used that feature and frankly, it can be problematic with users who are not familiar with how that works. Its a great feature but if I'm not using it then I don't feel like I should have restricted functionality in the iCloud subscription I pay for. I am concerned that my files are not being stored in iCloud since it tells me they are not syncing. We should be able to turn off collaboration as a feature if we don't need / want it.

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Answer 4

muguy

Level 10

90,440 points

Mar 17, 2024 1:42 PM in response to farmerchuck

Apple isn't here, just fellow users. I'm not sure that I understand the difference between collaborate and share and sync? Those are effectively the same thing; unless you're considering share and sync nothing more than saving the file in an accessible location.

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Answer 5

Mar 17, 2024 9:49 AM in response to farmerchuck

Why isn't Apple support commenting on this thread?

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Sharing iWork (Numbers, Pages) files on iCloud between different MacOS versions

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