Click on the Store in iCloud button, and you’ll have the option to shift all your high-resolution photos and videos to the cloud, leaving only smaller, optimized versions on your Mac. You can also move all your messages to the cloud rather than storing them locally.

Similarly, How do I save to my iCloud but not my Mac?

The way to do this is to turn off “Desktop & Documents” in System Preferences>iCloud>iCloud Drive>Options, turn it off. Before you do that, however, move the Documents that are in iCloud to a local file on your Mac – (name it anything but just plain Documents). Then you can decide which of these will go back on iCloud.

Additionally, How do I move files from Mac to iCloud only?
How to Move Files Into iCloud the Easy Way from Mac OS X Finder

  1. Open a Finder window in Mac OS.
  2. Select “iCloud Drive” from the sidebar.
  3. Drag and drop a file into the appropriate iCloud Drive folder to move it (again, this does not copy, it moves it from local storage to iCloud)

How do I remove photos from Mac but keep in iCloud?

The only way to remove the photos from your Mac is to sign-out of iCloud. This will keep the photos in iCloud but remove them, and all other iCloud-synced data, from the Mac. iCloud is a syncing solution not an offline storage solution.

What is the difference between iCloud and iCloud Drive?

Think of iCloud as a filing cabinet and iCloud drive as one of the cabinet’s drawers you can use to store things. It is designed to store files that don’t fit in any of the other drawers. iCloud Drive is a space for documents that don’t fit anywhere else on iCloud.

Does iCloud Drive keep a local copy?

“If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, you have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive,” it continues. “Whether you decide to keep a local copy or not, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder.”

How do I unlink iCloud from desktop?

Click “Apple ID” at the top right of the System Preferences window. 3. In the pane on the left, scroll down and click the device you want to remove. Then click “Remove from Account…” You’ll need to confirm you want to remove it.

Why is my Mac storage full when I have iCloud?

As long as you’re running High Sierra, you can have your Mac take care of this automatically. Go into the iCloud Drive system preferences and check the box for “Optimize Mac Storage“. Your Mac will then remove local copies of old files when more storage space is needed, while keeping them on iCloud Drive.

How do I move files to iCloud Drive?

In iCloud Drive on iCloud.com, drag the item to the folder icon. You can also select several items, then drag one of the items to the folder icon. All selected items move to the folder.

How do I delete photos only from my Mac?


How to delete photos from the Photo app on a Mac

  1. Launch the Photos app.
  2. Select the pictures you want to delete. …
  3. Alternatively, hold Shift to select a range of photos or Cmd to select multiple individual photos.
  4. Right-click on the selected images and select Delete from the drop-down menu, or press the Delete key.

How do I delete photos from my Mac to free up space?

If you want to delete the original Photos Library to save storage space on your Mac, you can drag it from its original location (the Pictures folder of your home folder) to the Trash. Then empty the Trash.

How do I store photos on iCloud only on Mac?

In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences > iCloud. Check the iCloud Photos box and then select Optimize Mac Storage. If iCloud Photos was already enabled, macOS will only for sure retain thumbnails of images and videos. However, if you’re turning it on for the first time, Photos will upload all locally stored images.

Is iCloud Drive worth using?

The iCloud Drive file-syncing and storage service is worth using, especially if you’re committed to Apple’s ecosystem, but it doesn’t quite measure up to the competition from Google and Microsoft.

Can I delete iCloud Drive?

You can upgrade your iCloud subscription, but it’s cheaper to clear out space in your iCloud account. You can delete files, photos, app backups, voice memos, and more from your iCloud Drive directly on your Apple device or through the iCloud website.

What is the iCloud Drive used for?

iCloud Drive lets you securely access all of your documents from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and Windows PC. When you create an iCloud account, you have access to iCloud Drive.

Where are iCloud files stored locally on Mac?

iCloud files are stored in the folder ~/Library/Mobile Documents. (The tilde symbol is a shortcut for your user folder.) Go to this folder (Finder > Go > Go to Folder), and you’ll see a number of sub-folders, one for each app. Some of these are OS X or iOS apps.

Where are iCloud documents stored?

You can see your files on iCloud.com, in the Files app on iOS 11 and later, in the Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps, or in the iCloud Drive app on iOS 10 and iOS 9. If you don’t see your files in any of those locations, set up iCloud Drive on all of your devices.

Where are local documents stored Mac?

The Desktop & Documents Folders setting can be accessed on the Mac via System Preferences > iCloud, then click the Options button for iCloud Drive. Never fear. They remain in place, but in iCloud Drive.

How do I remove iCloud from my Mac desktop?


How to Disable iCloud Drive on Mac

  1. Go to the  Apple menu and choose ‘System Preferences’
  2. Select ‘Apple ID’ or ‘iCloud’ settings (depending on MacOS version)
  3. Uncheck the box next to “iCloud Drive”

How do I turn off iCloud on my Mac without deleting everything?

On a Mac: Open the System Preferences and click Apple ID. Select iCloud from the sidebar and uncheck the iCloud Drive option.

What happens if I delete iCloud from my computer?

When you sign out of iCloud for Windows, the information you store in iCloud is removed from your PC. You can still access it on your other devices and on iCloud.com. See Where else can you access the data you store in iCloud?

How do I sync my Mac with iCloud?


Turn on Desktop and Documents on every Mac that you want to use with iCloud Drive.

  1. From your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences. Click Apple ID, then click iCloud. …
  2. Make sure that iCloud Drive is turned on.
  3. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
  4. Choose Desktop & Documents Folders.
  5. Click Done.

Is iCloud drive stored on computer?

You can access iCloud Drive in Finder on your Mac. When you add your Desktop and Documents to iCloud Drive, all of your files move to iCloud. On your Mac, you can find the files on your Desktop and in your Documents folder in Finder under iCloud.

Why does my Mac say there is not enough disk space?

If you are running out of available disk space, it’s time to delete some files or install a new hard drive. … Because these files are easy to remove or move to another location. Any external drive or cloud storage will do the trick and your Mac’s going to thank you for leaving it space to breathe.