{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-remove-the-download-of-an-icloud-file-in-finder","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-remove-the-download-of-an-icloud-file-in-finder","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"online-only-files","title":"Online-only files and Optimize Mac Storage"},"question":"How do I remove the downloaded copy of an iCloud file in Finder?","alt_questions":["Remove Download iCloud Finder","Make one iCloud file online-only manually","Right-click remove download Mac","Free a single iCloud Drive folder","How to evict an iCloud folder 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.","answer_markdown":"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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nIf **Remove Download** is missing, the item is already online-only or still uploading — wait for the upload to finish and try again.","answer_html":"

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.

\n

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.

\n

If Remove Download is missing, the item is already online-only or still uploading — wait for the upload to finish and try again.

","answer_text":"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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nIf Remove Download is missing, the item is already online-only or still uploading — wait for the upload to finish and try again.","tags":["finder","remove download","icloud drive"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-make-icloud-drive-files-online-only-with-storage-studio","question":"How do I make my iCloud Drive files online-only with Storage Studio?","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-make-icloud-drive-files-online-only-with-storage-studio"},{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-keep-an-icloud-folder-always-downloaded","question":"How do I keep an iCloud Drive folder always downloaded on my Mac?","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-keep-an-icloud-folder-always-downloaded"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How do I remove the downloaded copy of an iCloud file in Finder? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"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.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"How do I remove the downloaded copy of an iCloud file in Finder?","path":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-remove-the-download-of-an-icloud-file-in-finder"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-remove-the-download-of-an-icloud-file-in-finder","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I remove the downloaded copy of an iCloud file in Finder?","alternateName":["Remove Download iCloud Finder","Make one iCloud file online-only manually","Right-click remove download Mac","Free a single iCloud Drive folder","How to evict an iCloud folder in Finder"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"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.\n\nThis 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.\n\nIf Remove Download is missing, the item is already online-only or still uploading — wait for the upload to finish and try again.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-remove-the-download-of-an-icloud-file-in-finder"}}]},"fragment":"
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

iCloud & iCloud Photos · Online-only files and Optimize Mac Storage

\n

How do I remove the downloaded copy of an iCloud file in Finder?

\n

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.

\n

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.

\n

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.

\n

If Remove Download is missing, the item is already online-only or still uploading — wait for the upload to finish and try again.

\n\n

Last reviewed

\n\n

Related questions

\n

Also available as Markdown and JSON.

\n
"}