{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-make-icloud-drive-files-online-only-with-storage-studio","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-make-icloud-drive-files-online-only-with-storage-studio","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"storage-studio-and-icloud","title":"Storage Studio and iCloud"},"question":"How do I make my iCloud Drive files online-only with Storage Studio?","alt_questions":["Free up space from iCloud Drive with Storage Studio","How do I remove downloaded iCloud files from my Mac?","Evict iCloud files to free space","Make all iCloud files cloud-only at once","storage studio optimize cloud storage icloud","Stop iCloud Drive files taking space on my Mac","Remove local copies of iCloud Drive files in one go"],"short_answer":"Tap Run Tuhi: its Keeping cloud files online-only step frees large downloaded iCloud files and reports the space saved. Use Free up in Storage Profile for one file, or Finder's Remove Download for a whole folder.","answer_markdown":"Tap **Run Tuhi** on the Home screen. Its **Keeping cloud files online-only** step finds large downloaded files in iCloud Drive and your other cloud folders, makes them online-only, and reports how much space it freed. For a single big file, use **Free up** in Storage Profile's **Biggest space-users** list.\n\n### Freeing a whole folder\n\n- **Finder** — right-click a folder in iCloud Drive and choose **Remove Download**.\n- **More menu (•••) → Optimize Cloud Storage** — pick **iCloud Drive** for a whole-folder pass with live progress. On macOS 13 it works through the entire folder; on macOS 14 and later, macOS no longer lets apps free a whole folder this way, so Storage Studio points you to Finder's **Remove Download** instead.\n\nWhichever you use, nothing is deleted: every file stays in iCloud and downloads again the moment you open it. See [what online-only means](/faq/icloud/what-does-online-only-mean-for-icloud-files).","answer_html":"

Tap Run Tuhi on the Home screen. Its Keeping cloud files online-only step finds large downloaded files in iCloud Drive and your other cloud folders, makes them online-only, and reports how much space it freed. For a single big file, use Free up in Storage Profile's Biggest space-users list.

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Freeing a whole folder

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Whichever you use, nothing is deleted: every file stays in iCloud and downloads again the moment you open it. See what online-only means.

","answer_text":"Tap Run Tuhi on the Home screen. Its Keeping cloud files online-only step finds large downloaded files in iCloud Drive and your other cloud folders, makes them online-only, and reports how much space it freed. For a single big file, use Free up in Storage Profile's Biggest space-users list.\n\nFreeing a whole folder\n\n- Finder — right-click a folder in iCloud Drive and choose Remove Download.\n- More menu (•••) → Optimize Cloud Storage — pick iCloud Drive for a whole-folder pass with live progress. On macOS 13 it works through the entire folder; on macOS 14 and later, macOS no longer lets apps free a whole folder this way, so Storage Studio points you to Finder's Remove Download instead.\n\nWhichever you use, nothing is deleted: every file stays in iCloud and downloads again the moment you open it. See what online-only means.","tags":["icloud drive","online-only","free up space","optimize cloud storage"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.what-does-online-only-mean-for-icloud-files","question":"What does online-only mean for an iCloud Drive file?","url":"/faq/icloud/what-does-online-only-mean-for-icloud-files"},{"id":"icloud.which-icloud-files-are-skipped-when-making-them-online-only","question":"Why are some iCloud files still downloaded after Storage Studio freed cloud space?","url":"/faq/icloud/which-icloud-files-are-skipped-when-making-them-online-only"},{"id":"icloud.can-i-cancel-optimize-cloud-storage","question":"Can I stop Optimize Cloud Storage while it's working on a cloud folder?","url":"/faq/icloud/can-i-cancel-optimize-cloud-storage"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How do I make my iCloud Drive files online-only with Storage Studio? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Tap Run Tuhi: its Keeping cloud files online-only step frees large downloaded iCloud files and reports the space saved. Use Free up in Storage Profile for one file, or Finder's Remove Download for a whole folder.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"How do I make my iCloud Drive files online-only with Storage Studio?","path":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-make-icloud-drive-files-online-only-with-storage-studio"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-make-icloud-drive-files-online-only-with-storage-studio","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I make my iCloud Drive files online-only with Storage Studio?","alternateName":["Free up space from iCloud Drive with Storage Studio","How do I remove downloaded iCloud files from my Mac?","Evict iCloud files to free space","Make all iCloud files cloud-only at once","storage studio optimize cloud storage icloud","Stop iCloud Drive files taking space on my Mac","Remove local copies of iCloud Drive files in one go"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Tap Run Tuhi on the Home screen. Its Keeping cloud files online-only step finds large downloaded files in iCloud Drive and your other cloud folders, makes them online-only, and reports how much space it freed. For a single big file, use Free up in Storage Profile's Biggest space-users list.\n\nFreeing a whole folder\n\n- Finder — right-click a folder in iCloud Drive and choose Remove Download.\n- More menu (•••) → Optimize Cloud Storage — pick iCloud Drive for a whole-folder pass with live progress. On macOS 13 it works through the entire folder; on macOS 14 and later, macOS no longer lets apps free a whole folder this way, so Storage Studio points you to Finder's Remove Download instead.\n\nWhichever you use, nothing is deleted: every file stays in iCloud and downloads again the moment you open it. See what online-only means.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-make-icloud-drive-files-online-only-with-storage-studio"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · Storage Studio and iCloud

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How do I make my iCloud Drive files online-only with Storage Studio?

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Short answer: Tap Run Tuhi: its Keeping cloud files online-only step frees large downloaded iCloud files and reports the space saved. Use Free up in Storage Profile for one file, or Finder's Remove Download for a whole folder.

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Tap Run Tuhi on the Home screen. Its Keeping cloud files online-only step finds large downloaded files in iCloud Drive and your other cloud folders, makes them online-only, and reports how much space it freed. For a single big file, use Free up in Storage Profile's Biggest space-users list.

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Freeing a whole folder

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  • Finder — right-click a folder in iCloud Drive and choose Remove Download.
  • More menu (•••) → Optimize Cloud Storage — pick iCloud Drive for a whole-folder pass with live progress. On macOS 13 it works through the entire folder; on macOS 14 and later, macOS no longer lets apps free a whole folder this way, so Storage Studio points you to Finder's Remove Download instead.
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Whichever you use, nothing is deleted: every file stays in iCloud and downloads again the moment you open it. See what online-only means.

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Last reviewed

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