{"id":"cloud-accounts.where-do-cloud-apps-keep-files-on-a-mac","url":"/faq/cloud-accounts/where-do-cloud-apps-keep-files-on-a-mac","category":{"id":"cloud-accounts","title":"Cloud accounts"},"subcategory":{"id":"cloud-apps-on-your-mac","title":"Cloud apps on your Mac"},"question":"Where do Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive keep their files on my Mac?","alt_questions":["where is my Dropbox folder on Mac","where does Google Drive for desktop store files on a Mac","OneDrive folder location Mac","Why are my cloud folders under Locations in Finder?","where are cloud app files saved on macOS"],"short_answer":"Recent versions keep them in a CloudStorage folder inside your user Library, shown in Finder's sidebar under Locations. Storage Studio finds these folders on its own.","answer_markdown":"Recent versions of these apps use Apple's built-in system for cloud providers, so their folders live in a **CloudStorage** folder inside your user Library and appear in Finder's sidebar under **Locations**, each with the provider's name. Older setups may still keep a folder directly in your home folder. Don't move or delete that folder by hand — the cloud app may treat it as you deleting your files.\n\nYou don't need to go looking for them in Storage Studio: it finds the cloud folders that exist on your Mac by itself. They show up as **Folders on this Mac** when you pick a destination in Data Parking, and in **Preferences → Rules → Free Up Space includes**, where each provider is listed with how much space its downloaded files take on this Mac.\n\nSee [how much space your cloud apps use](/faq/cloud-accounts/how-much-space-do-cloud-apps-use-on-my-mac) and [moving the folder to an external drive](/faq/cloud-accounts/can-i-keep-my-cloud-app-folder-on-an-external-drive).","answer_html":"

Recent versions of these apps use Apple's built-in system for cloud providers, so their folders live in a CloudStorage folder inside your user Library and appear in Finder's sidebar under Locations, each with the provider's name. Older setups may still keep a folder directly in your home folder. Don't move or delete that folder by hand — the cloud app may treat it as you deleting your files.

\n

You don't need to go looking for them in Storage Studio: it finds the cloud folders that exist on your Mac by itself. They show up as Folders on this Mac when you pick a destination in Data Parking, and in Preferences → Rules → Free Up Space includes, where each provider is listed with how much space its downloaded files take on this Mac.

\n

See how much space your cloud apps use and moving the folder to an external drive.

","answer_text":"Recent versions of these apps use Apple's built-in system for cloud providers, so their folders live in a CloudStorage folder inside your user Library and appear in Finder's sidebar under Locations, each with the provider's name. Older setups may still keep a folder directly in your home folder. Don't move or delete that folder by hand — the cloud app may treat it as you deleting your files.\n\nYou don't need to go looking for them in Storage Studio: it finds the cloud folders that exist on your Mac by itself. They show up as Folders on this Mac when you pick a destination in Data Parking, and in Preferences → Rules → Free Up Space includes, where each provider is listed with how much space its downloaded files take on this Mac.\n\nSee how much space your cloud apps use and moving the folder to an external drive.","tags":["google drive","dropbox","onedrive","finder"],"related":[{"id":"cloud-accounts.how-much-space-do-cloud-apps-use-on-my-mac","question":"How can I see how much space Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive take up on my Mac?","url":"/faq/cloud-accounts/how-much-space-do-cloud-apps-use-on-my-mac"},{"id":"cloud-accounts.why-did-my-cloud-folder-move-after-an-update","question":"Why did my Dropbox or OneDrive folder move after the app updated?","url":"/faq/cloud-accounts/why-did-my-cloud-folder-move-after-an-update"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Where do Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive keep their files on my Mac? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Recent versions keep them in a CloudStorage folder inside your user Library, shown in Finder's sidebar under Locations. Storage Studio finds these folders on its own.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Cloud accounts","path":"/faq/cloud-accounts/"},{"name":"Where do Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive keep their files on my Mac?","path":"/faq/cloud-accounts/where-do-cloud-apps-keep-files-on-a-mac"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/where-do-cloud-apps-keep-files-on-a-mac","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Where do Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive keep their files on my Mac?","alternateName":["where is my Dropbox folder on Mac","where does Google Drive for desktop store files on a Mac","OneDrive folder location Mac","Why are my cloud folders under Locations in Finder?","where are cloud app files saved on macOS"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Recent versions of these apps use Apple's built-in system for cloud providers, so their folders live in a CloudStorage folder inside your user Library and appear in Finder's sidebar under Locations, each with the provider's name. Older setups may still keep a folder directly in your home folder. Don't move or delete that folder by hand — the cloud app may treat it as you deleting your files.\n\nYou don't need to go looking for them in Storage Studio: it finds the cloud folders that exist on your Mac by itself. They show up as Folders on this Mac when you pick a destination in Data Parking, and in Preferences → Rules → Free Up Space includes, where each provider is listed with how much space its downloaded files take on this Mac.\n\nSee how much space your cloud apps use and moving the folder to an external drive.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/where-do-cloud-apps-keep-files-on-a-mac"}}]},"fragment":"
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Cloud accounts · Cloud apps on your Mac

\n

Where do Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive keep their files on my Mac?

\n

Short answer: Recent versions keep them in a CloudStorage folder inside your user Library, shown in Finder's sidebar under Locations. Storage Studio finds these folders on its own.

\n

Recent versions of these apps use Apple's built-in system for cloud providers, so their folders live in a CloudStorage folder inside your user Library and appear in Finder's sidebar under Locations, each with the provider's name. Older setups may still keep a folder directly in your home folder. Don't move or delete that folder by hand — the cloud app may treat it as you deleting your files.

\n

You don't need to go looking for them in Storage Studio: it finds the cloud folders that exist on your Mac by itself. They show up as Folders on this Mac when you pick a destination in Data Parking, and in Preferences → Rules → Free Up Space includes, where each provider is listed with how much space its downloaded files take on this Mac.

\n

See how much space your cloud apps use and moving the folder to an external drive.

\n\n

Last reviewed

\n\n

Related questions

\n

Also available as Markdown and JSON.

\n
"}