{"id":"icloud.does-freeing-icloud-files-on-my-mac-affect-my-other-devices","url":"/faq/icloud/does-freeing-icloud-files-on-my-mac-affect-my-other-devices","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"online-only-files","title":"Online-only files and Optimize Mac Storage"},"question":"Does making files online-only on my Mac affect my iPhone or other Macs?","alt_questions":["Online-only on Mac changes iPhone?","Will Remove Download remove files from my iPad?","Is online-only per device?","Does freeing iCloud space on one Mac affect others?","Run Tuhi online-only other devices"],"short_answer":"No. Online-only is per device: freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com. Only deleting a file from iCloud Drive affects every device.","answer_markdown":"No. Online-only is decided separately on each device. Freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't remove or change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com — they keep whatever they had downloaded.\n\nThat's what makes it a safe way to save space: Storage Studio's **Run Tuhi** cloud step, **Free up** in Storage Profile and Finder's **Remove Download** only affect this Mac.\n\nDeleting is different: a file deleted from iCloud Drive is deleted everywhere. See [delete versus online-only](/faq/icloud/does-deleting-an-online-only-file-delete-it-from-icloud).","answer_html":"

No. Online-only is decided separately on each device. Freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't remove or change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com — they keep whatever they had downloaded.

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That's what makes it a safe way to save space: Storage Studio's Run Tuhi cloud step, Free up in Storage Profile and Finder's Remove Download only affect this Mac.

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Deleting is different: a file deleted from iCloud Drive is deleted everywhere. See delete versus online-only.

","answer_text":"No. Online-only is decided separately on each device. Freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't remove or change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com — they keep whatever they had downloaded.\n\nThat's what makes it a safe way to save space: Storage Studio's Run Tuhi cloud step, Free up in Storage Profile and Finder's Remove Download only affect this Mac.\n\nDeleting is different: a file deleted from iCloud Drive is deleted everywhere. See delete versus online-only.","tags":["online-only","devices","icloud drive"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.does-deleting-an-online-only-file-delete-it-from-icloud","question":"If I delete an online-only file on my Mac, is it deleted from iCloud too?","url":"/faq/icloud/does-deleting-an-online-only-file-delete-it-from-icloud"},{"id":"icloud.will-i-lose-icloud-files-if-i-make-them-online-only","question":"Will I lose my iCloud files if I make them online-only?","url":"/faq/icloud/will-i-lose-icloud-files-if-i-make-them-online-only"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Does making files online-only on my Mac affect my iPhone or other Macs? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"No. Online-only is per device: freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com. Only deleting a file from iCloud Drive affects every device.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"Does making files online-only on my Mac affect my iPhone or other Macs?","path":"/faq/icloud/does-freeing-icloud-files-on-my-mac-affect-my-other-devices"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/does-freeing-icloud-files-on-my-mac-affect-my-other-devices","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Does making files online-only on my Mac affect my iPhone or other Macs?","alternateName":["Online-only on Mac changes iPhone?","Will Remove Download remove files from my iPad?","Is online-only per device?","Does freeing iCloud space on one Mac affect others?","Run Tuhi online-only other devices"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. Online-only is decided separately on each device. Freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't remove or change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com — they keep whatever they had downloaded.\n\nThat's what makes it a safe way to save space: Storage Studio's Run Tuhi cloud step, Free up in Storage Profile and Finder's Remove Download only affect this Mac.\n\nDeleting is different: a file deleted from iCloud Drive is deleted everywhere. See delete versus online-only.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/does-freeing-icloud-files-on-my-mac-affect-my-other-devices"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · Online-only files and Optimize Mac Storage

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Does making files online-only on my Mac affect my iPhone or other Macs?

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Short answer: No. Online-only is per device: freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com. Only deleting a file from iCloud Drive affects every device.

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No. Online-only is decided separately on each device. Freeing a file's local copy on this Mac doesn't remove or change it on your iPhone, iPad, other Macs or iCloud.com — they keep whatever they had downloaded.

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That's what makes it a safe way to save space: Storage Studio's Run Tuhi cloud step, Free up in Storage Profile and Finder's Remove Download only affect this Mac.

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Deleting is different: a file deleted from iCloud Drive is deleted everywhere. See delete versus online-only.

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Last reviewed

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