Yarn Squirrel has two ways of telling you it can’t show a PDF right this second, and they mean quite different things. The icon is the giveaway.
“PDF (needs download)”
A cloud with a downward arrow.
This one is easy. The file is yours and Yarn Squirrel can reach it — iCloud has just tidied the contents away to save space on your device, keeping only a placeholder. It does this automatically when space gets tight, and it’s normal.
Tap the row and Yarn Squirrel fetches it. You’ll see Downloading… while it works, and then the pattern opens as usual. You’ll need an internet connection for this, so it’s worth opening any pattern you’ll want on a long train journey before you set off.
“PDF not available on this device”
A cloud with an exclamation mark.
This means permission, not storage. The file exists, but this device hasn’t been given access to it — most often because you set the device up recently and your PDFs are stored outside the app.
Downloading won’t help here. Tap the row to point at the file, or fix them all together with Reconnect PDFs. Why won’t my PDF open on this device? covers it properly.
In short
- Cloud with a down arrow — the file is only in iCloud right now. Tap it to download.
- Cloud with an exclamation mark — this device doesn’t have permission yet. Point at the file, or use Reconnect PDFs.