---
id: icloud.how-do-i-download-everything-in-icloud-drive
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-download-everything-in-icloud-drive
category: "iCloud & iCloud Photos"
subcategory: "iCloud Drive basics"
question: "How do I download all my iCloud Drive files to my Mac?"
alt_questions:
  - "Download Now iCloud Drive folder"
  - "Keep everything in iCloud Drive offline"
  - "Download entire iCloud Drive Mac"
  - "Turn off Optimize Mac Storage download all"
short_answer: "Turn off Optimize Mac Storage for iCloud Drive, then right-click folders in Finder and choose Download Now or Keep Downloaded. Check your free space first — Storage Studio can move other big folders to an external drive to make room."
tags: ["icloud drive", "download", "offline"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-keep-an-icloud-folder-always-downloaded", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/can-i-back-up-icloud-drive-to-an-external-drive"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I download all my iCloud Drive files to my Mac?

Turn off **Optimize Mac Storage** in iCloud Drive's settings, then right-click the folders you want in Finder and choose **Download Now** (or **Keep Downloaded** on recent macOS so they stay local).

Before you do, check you have room: open Storage Studio's **Storage Profile** or macOS's **System Settings → General → Storage** to compare your free space with the size of your iCloud Drive.

If space is short, make room first — for example by relocating big apps or non-synced folders to your fast external drive with Storage Studio — so the download doesn't fill your startup disk.