iCloud & iCloud Photos · Online-only files and Optimize Mac Storage
How do I remove the downloaded copy of an iCloud file in Finder?
Short answer: Right-click the file or folder in iCloud Drive in Finder and choose Remove Download. It stays in iCloud and downloads again when opened. To free large files across all your cloud folders, tap Run Tuhi in Storage Studio.
Right-click the file or folder in iCloud Drive in Finder and choose Remove Download. macOS frees the local copy and the item shows a cloud icon; it stays in iCloud and downloads again when you open it.
This is the quickest way to free a particular file or folder. To find and free the large downloaded files across all your cloud folders at once, tap Run Tuhi in Storage Studio, which reports what it freed.
If Remove Download is missing, the item is already online-only or still uploading — wait for the upload to finish and try again.