iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud Drive basics

Can I remove files from iCloud Drive but keep them on my Mac?

Short answer: Yes. Download the files, then move them from iCloud Drive to a local folder that isn't synced. They leave iCloud, freeing iCloud space, but stay on your Mac — or move them to an external drive if space is tight.

Yes — move them out of iCloud Drive to a folder that isn't synced. Once a file is outside iCloud Drive, it's removed from iCloud (freeing iCloud storage) but stays on your Mac.

  1. In Finder, make sure the files are downloaded (no cloud icon) — use Download Now if needed.
  2. Drag them to a local folder, such as a folder in your home folder that isn't Desktop or Documents when those sync to iCloud.
  3. Check they open from the new place before you clear anything else.

Moving big files back to your Mac uses local space. If that's tight, put them on an external drive instead, or let Storage Studio relocate the folder to your fast drive afterwards. See moving iCloud files to an external drive.

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