---
id: duplicates.why-are-online-only-icloud-files-skipped-in-duplicates
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/why-are-online-only-icloud-files-skipped-in-duplicates
category: "Duplicate files"
subcategory: "Duplicates in iCloud Drive"
question: "Why are online-only iCloud files skipped when finding duplicates?"
alt_questions:
  - "No downloaded duplicates in iCloud Drive"
  - "Why doesn't it find duplicates in my iCloud files?"
  - "Will the duplicate scan download my iCloud files?"
  - "iCloud Optimise Mac Storage and duplicates"
  - "Duplicates in iCloud not shown"
short_answer: "Comparing a file means reading it, and reading an online-only iCloud file would make macOS download it. So Storage Studio only compares iCloud Drive files already on your Mac; online-only files stay online-only and aren't checked."
tags: ["duplicates", "icloud drive", "online-only"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/can-storage-studio-find-duplicates-in-icloud-drive", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/duplicates/does-duplicate-scanning-download-my-cloud-files"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Why are online-only iCloud files skipped when finding duplicates?

Comparing a file means reading its content, and an online-only iCloud file has no content on your Mac — reading it would make macOS download it, using space and bandwidth you were trying to save. So Storage Studio only compares iCloud Drive files that are already downloaded, and online-only files stay online-only.

That's why you may see *"No downloaded duplicates in iCloud Drive"* even if copies exist in iCloud. Duplicates that are only in the cloud don't take space on your Mac, though they do count against your iCloud storage plan.