{"id":"freeing-space.what-is-step-3-cloud-eviction","url":"/faq/freeing-space/what-is-step-3-cloud-eviction","category":{"id":"freeing-space","title":"Freeing up space"},"subcategory":{"id":"free-up-space-wizard","title":"Free Up Space wizard and button"},"question":"What is the optional cloud step in Free Up Space?","alt_questions":["Free Up Space step 3 cloud eviction","Does Free Up Space delete my cloud files?","Make cloud files online-only with Free Up Space","What does cloud eviction mean?","Free Up Space iCloud Dropbox OneDrive step"],"short_answer":"It's an opt-in, per-provider step that makes downloaded cloud files online-only again. Files stay in the cloud and re-download when opened. iCloud is freed directly; other providers via their Remove Download command.","answer_markdown":"Step 3 turns downloaded copies of your cloud files back into online-only files, so the local space returns while the files stay safely in the cloud. It's opt-in, and you choose it per provider. It's never a delete — open a file and it downloads again.\n\nFor **iCloud Drive** it happens in one step. For **Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive**, current versions of macOS don't let one app free another provider's downloads, so Storage Studio reveals the files in Finder and points you to that provider's own **Remove Download** command.\n\nMore on online-only files is in the [iCloud FAQ](/faq/icloud/).","answer_html":"

Step 3 turns downloaded copies of your cloud files back into online-only files, so the local space returns while the files stay safely in the cloud. It's opt-in, and you choose it per provider. It's never a delete — open a file and it downloads again.

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For iCloud Drive it happens in one step. For Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, current versions of macOS don't let one app free another provider's downloads, so Storage Studio reveals the files in Finder and points you to that provider's own Remove Download command.

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More on online-only files is in the iCloud FAQ.

","answer_text":"Step 3 turns downloaded copies of your cloud files back into online-only files, so the local space returns while the files stay safely in the cloud. It's opt-in, and you choose it per provider. It's never a delete — open a file and it downloads again.\n\nFor iCloud Drive it happens in one step. For Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, current versions of macOS don't let one app free another provider's downloads, so Storage Studio reveals the files in Finder and points you to that provider's own Remove Download command.\n\nMore on online-only files is in the iCloud FAQ.","tags":["cloud","online only","free up space","icloud"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-include-icloud-in-free-up-space","question":"How do I make Free Up Space also free my iCloud Drive files?","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-include-icloud-in-free-up-space"},{"id":"freeing-space.what-is-the-free-up-space-wizard","question":"What is the Free Up Space wizard in Storage Studio?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/what-is-the-free-up-space-wizard"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What is the optional cloud step in Free Up Space? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"It's an opt-in, per-provider step that makes downloaded cloud files online-only again. Files stay in the cloud and re-download when opened. iCloud is freed directly; other providers via their Remove Download command.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Freeing up space","path":"/faq/freeing-space/"},{"name":"What is the optional cloud step in Free Up Space?","path":"/faq/freeing-space/what-is-step-3-cloud-eviction"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-is-step-3-cloud-eviction","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the optional cloud step in Free Up Space?","alternateName":["Free Up Space step 3 cloud eviction","Does Free Up Space delete my cloud files?","Make cloud files online-only with Free Up Space","What does cloud eviction mean?","Free Up Space iCloud Dropbox OneDrive step"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Step 3 turns downloaded copies of your cloud files back into online-only files, so the local space returns while the files stay safely in the cloud. It's opt-in, and you choose it per provider. It's never a delete — open a file and it downloads again.\n\nFor iCloud Drive it happens in one step. For Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, current versions of macOS don't let one app free another provider's downloads, so Storage Studio reveals the files in Finder and points you to that provider's own Remove Download command.\n\nMore on online-only files is in the iCloud FAQ.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-is-step-3-cloud-eviction"}}]},"fragment":"
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Freeing up space · Free Up Space wizard and button

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What is the optional cloud step in Free Up Space?

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Short answer: It's an opt-in, per-provider step that makes downloaded cloud files online-only again. Files stay in the cloud and re-download when opened. iCloud is freed directly; other providers via their Remove Download command.

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Step 3 turns downloaded copies of your cloud files back into online-only files, so the local space returns while the files stay safely in the cloud. It's opt-in, and you choose it per provider. It's never a delete — open a file and it downloads again.

\n

For iCloud Drive it happens in one step. For Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, current versions of macOS don't let one app free another provider's downloads, so Storage Studio reveals the files in Finder and points you to that provider's own Remove Download command.

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More on online-only files is in the iCloud FAQ.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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Also available as Markdown and JSON.

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