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Trying to switch from OneDrive to iCloud drive and I see on my 128GB MacBook that iCloud is taking up storage on the device. Why is this the case? ... it is basically an external drive. I want to store on it like I did on OneDrive, just have files kept off the computer that I might need later. But I want to maintain space on the MacBook for other projects that come and go. Don't understand why it is showing in blue as on my drive.
Best Answered by Vera September 21, 2023
Professional Editor | With many years immersed in the world of writing, I bring a wealth of experience to every project I undertake. My dedication lies not only in crafting compelling content but also in sharing invaluable insights on cloud transfer, synchronization, and backup strategies.
It's a common misconception, but iCloud Drive does take up space on your Mac for a few reasons:
1. Syncing: iCloud Drive syncs your files across all your devices, including your Mac. So, any files you have in iCloud Drive will be downloaded and stored locally on your Mac to ensure you can access them offline.
2. Optimize Mac Storage: When your Mac is running low on storage, it can use the "Optimize Mac Storage" feature. This means that older and larger files from iCloud Drive will be replaced with smaller versions or placeholders on your Mac to free up space.
3. Cached Data: iCloud Drive keeps some files cached on your Mac to speed up access and reduce the need for frequent downloads.
4. File Versioning: iCloud Drive maintains versions of your files, allowing you to revert to previous states. These versions can take up space on both iCloud and your Mac.
To manage iCloud Drive's impact on your Mac's storage:
1. You can manually delete files from iCloud Drive if you don't need them locally on your Mac.
If you really mind your iCloud Drive occupying your Mac space, you can also use MultCloud to upload some important files to other cloud accounts, such as Google Drive.
Step 1. Sign up for MultCloud.
Step 2. Add your Google Drive account to MultCloud.
Step 3. Enter Google Drive, and tap "Upload File" to choose important files from your Mac to upload to Google Drive quickly.
Here are some common reasons: Syncing: By default, everything you save in iCloud Drive is mirrored on your Mac. That means that files
files
Files allows users to browse local files stored within apps, as well as files stored on cloud storage services including iCloud, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and more. Users are able to save, open, and organize files, including placing files into structured folders and sub-folders.
Your iCloud storage is full because you have exceeded the 5 GB of free storage or reached the limit of your paid plan. This happens when you store too many photos, files, backups, and other data in iCloud.
The key takeaway: iCloud stores your data, but it doesn't remove it from your device by default. Downloaded movies, music you haven't streamed in ages, and those "just-in-case" apps can silently gobble up space.
Please note that turning off iCloud Drive will affect the synchronization and accessibility of your files across your devices. Make sure to consider the implications and backup your important files before disabling iCloud Drive.
iCloud Drive shares your iCloud storage with iCloud Photos, iOS and iPadOS device backups, messages and attachments in iCloud Mail, and more. To get more space, do the following: Upgrade your storage. See Manage iCloud storage.
You'll see what takes space in iCloud Drive. If you click each category, you'll see either the Delete from iCloud option or a recommendation on what to do to free up this space.
On your Mac, use iCloud settings to turn iCloud and iCloud+ features on or off and manage iCloud storage. To change these settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click [your name] at the top of the sidebar, then click iCloud.
You can delete files you no longer want to store in iCloud Drive. Important: When you delete a file from iCloud Drive on iCloud.com, it's also deleted from all your devices that have iCloud Drive turned on.
Click Apple ID, then click Overview. Click Sign Out. If you want to a keep a copy of your iCloud data on your Mac before you sign out, make sure that you select the appropriate checkboxes. Then click Keep a Copy.
The original, full versions will still be available on other devices using iCloud Photos. If you choose Download and Keep Originals, then turning off iCloud Photos will do nothing for the downloaded photos and videos on your iPhone, it only stops uploading photos and videos to iCloud.
Your Mac can optimize storage by using iCloud to automatically make more storage space available when needed. * And you can use built-in utilities to quickly find and delete files, apps, books, movies, and other items that are taking up space, then delete items you no longer need.
While iCloud focuses on syncing and storing data across Apple devices, iCloud Drive is primarily a file storage and synchronization service. It offers similar features to iCloud but with a greater emphasis on file organization and management.
How to Delete iCloud Drive Files on iPhone, Mac, Windows. You have to disable iCloud Drive first to stop syncing files to iCloud Drive, then you can delete files from iCloud Drive. Because iCloud Drive will still sync files to the cloud if you did not turn off iCloud Drive first, and you can't empty iCloud Drive.
Even if you delete photos, the backup might include other data that takes up space. Other iCloud Data: Apart from photos, iCloud may be storing other data such as documents, app data, emails, and more. These files can also contribute to the overall storage usage.
You probably have apps on your Mac that you no longer use, but haven't deleted. These apps take up precious hard drive space and use RAM at startup. You can find and uninstall unused apps in a few different ways — one of the easiest is through Finder.
It claims that “Your iCloud storage might be full,” and tries to convince the reader to upgrade to 50 GB of storage. However, the e-mail isn't actually from Apple. The e-mail contains links that could potentially lead to phishing sites or other scams, malware, or other potentially harmful sites.
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