---
id: icloud.how-do-i-undo-making-a-file-online-only
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-undo-making-a-file-online-only
category: "iCloud & iCloud Photos"
subcategory: "Online-only files and Optimize Mac Storage"
question: "How do I bring an online-only iCloud file back onto my Mac?"
alt_questions:
  - "Undo Remove Download"
  - "Download online-only file again"
  - "Make iCloud file local again"
  - "Reverse Storage Studio online-only"
  - "Get iCloud file back on disk"
short_answer: "Open it and macOS downloads it, or right-click it in Finder and choose Download Now (Keep Downloaded keeps it local afterwards). Storage Studio's online-only steps never move or rename the file, so nothing else needs undoing."
tags: ["online-only", "download", "undo"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/how-do-i-keep-an-icloud-folder-always-downloaded", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-does-online-only-mean-for-icloud-files"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I bring an online-only iCloud file back onto my Mac?

Just open it — macOS downloads it automatically. To download without opening, right-click the file or folder in Finder and choose **Download Now**; on recent macOS, **Keep Downloaded** also keeps it local from then on.

Nothing else needs undoing. Storage Studio's online-only steps don't move, rename or delete the file, so once it's downloaded it's exactly as it was, in the same folder.

Make sure you're online and have enough free space for the download.