{"id":"delta-drive.how-much-of-delta-drive-is-stored-on-my-mac","url":"/faq/delta-drive/how-much-of-delta-drive-is-stored-on-my-mac","category":{"id":"delta-drive","title":"Delta Drive, Delta Trust & My Drive"},"subcategory":{"id":"on-your-mac","title":"Delta Drive on your Mac"},"question":"How much of Delta Drive is stored on my Mac?","alt_questions":["Does Delta Drive use space on my Mac?","Delta Drive local cache settings","Keep a copy while I'm using it Delta Drive","Delta Drive online only mode","Delta Drive taking up disk space"],"short_answer":"You choose from the gear menu: Always keep on this Mac (per folder, works offline), Keep a copy while I'm using it (files you open stay a day up to ninety days and reopen at once), or Online only (no disk used).","answer_markdown":"As much or as little as you choose. Delta Drive gives three answers, changed any time from the gear button in the Delta Drive window:\n\n- **Always keep on this Mac** — chosen per folder; a full copy is kept up to date so it opens with no network. It uses disk, and goes on your fast drive when you have one.\n- **Keep a copy while I'm using it** — a file you open stays on your Mac and shows **Ready to read**, so it opens straight away next time if it hasn't changed. It's removed after the number of days you choose (a day up to ninety, counted from when you last opened it). A file that's open in its app is never removed.\n- **Online only** — nothing is kept; every file is fetched when you open it. Slower, but uses no disk.\n\nThe last two apply to the whole drive; the first is per folder. See [clearing kept copies](/faq/delta-drive/how-do-i-clear-delta-drive-copies-from-my-mac).","answer_html":"

As much or as little as you choose. Delta Drive gives three answers, changed any time from the gear button in the Delta Drive window:

\n\n

The last two apply to the whole drive; the first is per folder. See clearing kept copies.

","answer_text":"As much or as little as you choose. Delta Drive gives three answers, changed any time from the gear button in the Delta Drive window:\n\n- Always keep on this Mac — chosen per folder; a full copy is kept up to date so it opens with no network. It uses disk, and goes on your fast drive when you have one.\n- Keep a copy while I'm using it — a file you open stays on your Mac and shows Ready to read, so it opens straight away next time if it hasn't changed. It's removed after the number of days you choose (a day up to ninety, counted from when you last opened it). A file that's open in its app is never removed.\n- Online only — nothing is kept; every file is fetched when you open it. Slower, but uses no disk.\n\nThe last two apply to the whole drive; the first is per folder. See clearing kept copies.","tags":["local copies","disk space","delta drive"],"related":[{"id":"delta-drive.how-do-i-keep-a-delta-drive-folder-available-offline","question":"How do I keep a Delta Drive folder available offline?","url":"/faq/delta-drive/how-do-i-keep-a-delta-drive-folder-available-offline"},{"id":"delta-drive.how-do-i-clear-delta-drive-copies-from-my-mac","question":"How do I clear Delta Drive's copies from my Mac?","url":"/faq/delta-drive/how-do-i-clear-delta-drive-copies-from-my-mac"},{"id":"delta-drive.what-do-the-marks-next-to-files-in-delta-drive-mean","question":"What do the little marks next to files in Delta Drive mean?","url":"/faq/delta-drive/what-do-the-marks-next-to-files-in-delta-drive-mean"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-27","title":"How much of Delta Drive is stored on my Mac? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"You choose from the gear menu: Always keep on this Mac (per folder, works offline), Keep a copy while I'm using it (files you open stay a day up to ninety days and reopen at once), or Online only (no disk used).","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Delta Drive, Delta Trust & My Drive","path":"/faq/delta-drive/"},{"name":"How much of Delta Drive is stored on my Mac?","path":"/faq/delta-drive/how-much-of-delta-drive-is-stored-on-my-mac"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/how-much-of-delta-drive-is-stored-on-my-mac","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-27","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How much of Delta Drive is stored on my Mac?","alternateName":["Does Delta Drive use space on my Mac?","Delta Drive local cache settings","Keep a copy while I'm using it Delta Drive","Delta Drive online only mode","Delta Drive taking up disk space"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"As much or as little as you choose. Delta Drive gives three answers, changed any time from the gear button in the Delta Drive window:\n\n- Always keep on this Mac — chosen per folder; a full copy is kept up to date so it opens with no network. It uses disk, and goes on your fast drive when you have one.\n- Keep a copy while I'm using it — a file you open stays on your Mac and shows Ready to read, so it opens straight away next time if it hasn't changed. It's removed after the number of days you choose (a day up to ninety, counted from when you last opened it). A file that's open in its app is never removed.\n- Online only — nothing is kept; every file is fetched when you open it. Slower, but uses no disk.\n\nThe last two apply to the whole drive; the first is per folder. See clearing kept copies.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/delta-drive/how-much-of-delta-drive-is-stored-on-my-mac"}}]},"fragment":"
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Delta Drive, Delta Trust & My Drive · Delta Drive on your Mac

\n

How much of Delta Drive is stored on my Mac?

\n

Short answer: You choose from the gear menu: Always keep on this Mac (per folder, works offline), Keep a copy while I'm using it (files you open stay a day up to ninety days and reopen at once), or Online only (no disk used).

\n

As much or as little as you choose. Delta Drive gives three answers, changed any time from the gear button in the Delta Drive window:

\n
  • Always keep on this Mac — chosen per folder; a full copy is kept up to date so it opens with no network. It uses disk, and goes on your fast drive when you have one.
  • Keep a copy while I'm using it — a file you open stays on your Mac and shows Ready to read, so it opens straight away next time if it hasn't changed. It's removed after the number of days you choose (a day up to ninety, counted from when you last opened it). A file that's open in its app is never removed.
  • Online only — nothing is kept; every file is fetched when you open it. Slower, but uses no disk.
\n

The last two apply to the whole drive; the first is per folder. See clearing kept copies.

\n\n

Last reviewed

\n\n

Related questions

\n

Also available as Markdown and JSON.

\n
"}