iCloud & iCloud Photos · Desktop & Documents in iCloud

What happens to my files if I turn off Desktop & Documents in iCloud?

Short answer: Your files stay in iCloud Drive's Desktop and Documents folders, and macOS creates new empty local ones. Download the files you want and move them back yourself — check you have the free space first.

Your files stay in iCloud Drive, and macOS gives you new, empty Desktop and Documents folders on your Mac. The old contents are in iCloud Drive → Desktop and iCloud Drive → Documents, so nothing is lost — but they're no longer where you're used to finding them.

To bring them back locally:

  1. Open iCloud Drive in Finder and find the Desktop and Documents folders there.
  2. Make sure the files you want are downloaded (no cloud icon).
  3. Move them into your Mac's Desktop and Documents folders.

Check you have enough free space first — downloading everything back can take a lot of room. If space is the problem, Storage Studio can relocate large non-synced folders to your fast drive afterwards.

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