Arrows have long been used as symbols that indicate direction. They are very useful in pointing the way to places that are difficult to get to or for other purposes, such as directing a client to the nearest store. These arrows are also often used in physics, to represent force directions. There are different types of arrows that can be represented by various character encodings and each has its own meaning.
The cloud with a down arrow on iPad means that the app is connected to iCloud. This allows the app to store data, such as preferences and settings, in the cloud so that it can be accessed on multiple devices. This makes it easier to switch between devices and ensures that all your data is backed up in case something goes wrong with one of your devices.
If you see this symbol next to a file or folder in Finder, it means that the item is online-only and requires an Internet connection to open. It will not move to offline mode, regardless of the amount of free storage space on your computer.
This symbol may also appear next to purchased apps in the App Store. This indicates that the app was previously downloaded or installed on another device that is signed in with the same Apple ID as you are now. If you click the icon, it will prompt you to download the app again. This can be confusing, especially if you don’t understand what the icon actually does.
