iCloud & iCloud Photos · Online-only files and Optimize Mac Storage
Can I open online-only iCloud files without an internet connection?
Short answer: No. An online-only file must download from iCloud before it opens. Before going offline, open the files you need or right-click a folder in Finder and choose Keep Downloaded so macOS keeps it on your Mac.
No. An online-only file has to download before it opens, so it needs a connection to iCloud. Files that are already downloaded open normally offline.
To make sure files are there when you're offline:
- Before you go, open the files or folders you'll need so they download.
- Or right-click a folder in Finder and choose Keep Downloaded (available in recent versions of macOS), so macOS keeps it local.
- Avoid running Run Tuhi just before a trip — its cloud step can make large downloaded files online-only.
When you're back online, anything you edited offline syncs up to iCloud as usual.