{"id":"cloud-accounts.free-space-used-by-google-drive-for-desktop","url":"/faq/cloud-accounts/free-space-used-by-google-drive-for-desktop","category":{"id":"cloud-accounts","title":"Cloud accounts"},"subcategory":{"id":"google-drive","title":"Google Drive"},"question":"Can Storage Studio free the space Google Drive for desktop uses on my Mac?","alt_questions":["My Google Drive cache is huge on Mac","Make Google Drive files online-only","Google Drive taking up space on Mac","Remove downloaded Google Drive files to save space","Why can't Storage Studio evict Google Drive files?"],"short_answer":"Not directly — macOS only lets an app free its own cloud service's downloads. In Finder, right-click Google Drive files and choose Remove Download, or switch Google Drive for desktop to stream files. Your files stay in the cloud.","answer_markdown":"Not directly. macOS only lets an app free the downloaded copies of its own cloud service, so Storage Studio can't make Google Drive for desktop's files online-only for you. You can do it yourself in seconds.\n\n- In Finder, right-click a file or folder inside Google Drive and choose **Remove Download**.\n- Or, in Google Drive for desktop's preferences, choose to **stream** files rather than mirror them, so it stops keeping local copies.\n\nEither way the files stay safe in your Drive and download again when you open them — freeing them is never a delete. Storage Studio can do this in one click for iCloud Drive; see [iCloud](/faq/icloud/).","answer_html":"

Not directly. macOS only lets an app free the downloaded copies of its own cloud service, so Storage Studio can't make Google Drive for desktop's files online-only for you. You can do it yourself in seconds.

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Either way the files stay safe in your Drive and download again when you open them — freeing them is never a delete. Storage Studio can do this in one click for iCloud Drive; see iCloud.

","answer_text":"Not directly. macOS only lets an app free the downloaded copies of its own cloud service, so Storage Studio can't make Google Drive for desktop's files online-only for you. You can do it yourself in seconds.\n\n- In Finder, right-click a file or folder inside Google Drive and choose Remove Download.\n- Or, in Google Drive for desktop's preferences, choose to stream files rather than mirror them, so it stops keeping local copies.\n\nEither way the files stay safe in your Drive and download again when you open them — freeing them is never a delete. Storage Studio can do this in one click for iCloud Drive; see iCloud.","tags":["google drive","free space","online-only"],"related":[{"id":"cloud-accounts.can-i-use-google-drive-for-desktop-and-storage-studio-together","question":"Can I use Google Drive for desktop and Storage Studio at the same time?","url":"/faq/cloud-accounts/can-i-use-google-drive-for-desktop-and-storage-studio-together"},{"id":"cloud-accounts.does-connecting-an-account-free-space-on-my-mac","question":"Does connecting a cloud account free up space on my Mac?","url":"/faq/cloud-accounts/does-connecting-an-account-free-space-on-my-mac"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Can Storage Studio free the space Google Drive for desktop uses on my Mac? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Not directly — macOS only lets an app free its own cloud service's downloads. In Finder, right-click Google Drive files and choose Remove Download, or switch Google Drive for desktop to stream files. Your files stay in the cloud.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Cloud accounts","path":"/faq/cloud-accounts/"},{"name":"Can Storage Studio free the space Google Drive for desktop uses on my Mac?","path":"/faq/cloud-accounts/free-space-used-by-google-drive-for-desktop"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/free-space-used-by-google-drive-for-desktop","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can Storage Studio free the space Google Drive for desktop uses on my Mac?","alternateName":["My Google Drive cache is huge on Mac","Make Google Drive files online-only","Google Drive taking up space on Mac","Remove downloaded Google Drive files to save space","Why can't Storage Studio evict Google Drive files?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not directly. macOS only lets an app free the downloaded copies of its own cloud service, so Storage Studio can't make Google Drive for desktop's files online-only for you. You can do it yourself in seconds.\n\n- In Finder, right-click a file or folder inside Google Drive and choose Remove Download.\n- Or, in Google Drive for desktop's preferences, choose to stream files rather than mirror them, so it stops keeping local copies.\n\nEither way the files stay safe in your Drive and download again when you open them — freeing them is never a delete. Storage Studio can do this in one click for iCloud Drive; see iCloud.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/free-space-used-by-google-drive-for-desktop"}}]},"fragment":"
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Cloud accounts · Google Drive

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Can Storage Studio free the space Google Drive for desktop uses on my Mac?

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Short answer: Not directly — macOS only lets an app free its own cloud service's downloads. In Finder, right-click Google Drive files and choose Remove Download, or switch Google Drive for desktop to stream files. Your files stay in the cloud.

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Not directly. macOS only lets an app free the downloaded copies of its own cloud service, so Storage Studio can't make Google Drive for desktop's files online-only for you. You can do it yourself in seconds.

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  • In Finder, right-click a file or folder inside Google Drive and choose Remove Download.
  • Or, in Google Drive for desktop's preferences, choose to stream files rather than mirror them, so it stops keeping local copies.
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Either way the files stay safe in your Drive and download again when you open them — freeing them is never a delete. Storage Studio can do this in one click for iCloud Drive; see iCloud.

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