---
id: freeing-space.what-is-step-3-cloud-eviction
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-is-step-3-cloud-eviction
category: "Freeing up space"
subcategory: "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."
tags: ["cloud", "online only", "free up space", "icloud"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-include-icloud-in-free-up-space", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-is-the-free-up-space-wizard"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# What is the optional cloud step in Free Up Space?

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.

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.

More on online-only files is in the [iCloud FAQ](https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/).