icloudmacos
What does this "dotted-line" cloud icon next to a file in the iCloud file browser mean?
This is a plain-text file saved to iCloud from Byword, and it refuses to sync to my iPhone. But I'm having the same problem with subsequently-created files in Byword, and they don't feature this icon.
I was concerned I'd have to save these documents to my local filesystem, delete them from iCloud, and then perhaps save them to iCloud over again, but it turned out that simply re-opening the "Waiting" documents, making a trivial change to them (such as deleting a character and then adding it in again), and then saving the file caused them to be synced successfully.
This link can be helpful for you to understand what's going on. Please refer also to the following pics, to see what's exactly your case.
In general, a dotted-lined iCloud icon means that it is waiting to be uploaded.
In order to force the sync, you can try to open the document that you are trying to upload, make whatever modification to the file (even just a point or a comma somewhere) and then save. In this way, you should make the file sync.
Best Answer
A dotted-lined iCloud icon means that it is waiting to be uploaded (or it is currently uploading). Although this KB article applies to iTunes Match, it might help you understand this icon better: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4124
As for Byword's syncing issues, if it is not finished uploading, it won't be accessible by your iPhone. Are the subsequent documents also plain-text? This Byword support FAQ says that Byword's iOS app currently does not support RTF files (rich-text).