{"id":"icloud.which-icloud-files-are-skipped-when-making-them-online-only","url":"/faq/icloud/which-icloud-files-are-skipped-when-making-them-online-only","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"storage-studio-and-icloud","title":"Storage Studio and iCloud"},"question":"Why are some iCloud files still downloaded after Storage Studio freed cloud space?","alt_questions":["Optimize Cloud Storage skipped files","Some files still downloaded after optimizing iCloud","Skipped (in use) iCloud files","Why didn't every iCloud file go online-only?","Run Tuhi left small iCloud files on my Mac","Files in use not evicted"],"short_answer":"Files open in an app or still uploading are skipped on purpose, and Run Tuhi focuses on large files. Close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then use Remove Download in Finder for the rest.","answer_markdown":"Some files are left local on purpose. The **Run Tuhi** cloud step concentrates on large downloaded files, where the space is, so small files stay as they are; and a file that's open in an app is skipped rather than pulled out from under your work.\n\nOther reasons a file stays local:\n\n- It's still **uploading**, or iCloud hasn't finished syncing it, so there's no safe cloud copy yet.\n- It's in a folder you marked **Keep Downloaded** in Finder.\n- An app opened it again afterwards, which downloads it back.\n\nTo free the rest, save and close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then right-click the folder in Finder and choose **Remove Download**.","answer_html":"

Some files are left local on purpose. The Run Tuhi cloud step concentrates on large downloaded files, where the space is, so small files stay as they are; and a file that's open in an app is skipped rather than pulled out from under your work.

\n

Other reasons a file stays local:

\n\n

To free the rest, save and close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then right-click the folder in Finder and choose Remove Download.

","answer_text":"Some files are left local on purpose. The Run Tuhi cloud step concentrates on large downloaded files, where the space is, so small files stay as they are; and a file that's open in an app is skipped rather than pulled out from under your work.\n\nOther reasons a file stays local:\n\n- It's still uploading, or iCloud hasn't finished syncing it, so there's no safe cloud copy yet.\n- It's in a folder you marked Keep Downloaded in Finder.\n- An app opened it again afterwards, which downloads it back.\n\nTo free the rest, save and close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then right-click the folder in Finder and choose Remove Download.","tags":["optimize cloud storage","icloud drive","skipped files"],"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.optimize-cloud-storage-freed-no-space","question":"Why did Optimize Cloud Storage free no space from iCloud Drive?","url":"/faq/icloud/optimize-cloud-storage-freed-no-space"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Why are some iCloud files still downloaded after Storage Studio freed cloud space? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Files open in an app or still uploading are skipped on purpose, and Run Tuhi focuses on large files. Close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then use Remove Download in Finder for the rest.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"Why are some iCloud files still downloaded after Storage Studio freed cloud space?","path":"/faq/icloud/which-icloud-files-are-skipped-when-making-them-online-only"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/which-icloud-files-are-skipped-when-making-them-online-only","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why are some iCloud files still downloaded after Storage Studio freed cloud space?","alternateName":["Optimize Cloud Storage skipped files","Some files still downloaded after optimizing iCloud","Skipped (in use) iCloud files","Why didn't every iCloud file go online-only?","Run Tuhi left small iCloud files on my Mac","Files in use not evicted"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Some files are left local on purpose. The Run Tuhi cloud step concentrates on large downloaded files, where the space is, so small files stay as they are; and a file that's open in an app is skipped rather than pulled out from under your work.\n\nOther reasons a file stays local:\n\n- It's still uploading, or iCloud hasn't finished syncing it, so there's no safe cloud copy yet.\n- It's in a folder you marked Keep Downloaded in Finder.\n- An app opened it again afterwards, which downloads it back.\n\nTo free the rest, save and close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then right-click the folder in Finder and choose Remove Download.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/which-icloud-files-are-skipped-when-making-them-online-only"}}]},"fragment":"
\n
\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

iCloud & iCloud Photos · Storage Studio and iCloud

\n

Why are some iCloud files still downloaded after Storage Studio freed cloud space?

\n

Short answer: Files open in an app or still uploading are skipped on purpose, and Run Tuhi focuses on large files. Close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then use Remove Download in Finder for the rest.

\n

Some files are left local on purpose. The Run Tuhi cloud step concentrates on large downloaded files, where the space is, so small files stay as they are; and a file that's open in an app is skipped rather than pulled out from under your work.

\n

Other reasons a file stays local:

\n
  • It's still uploading, or iCloud hasn't finished syncing it, so there's no safe cloud copy yet.
  • It's in a folder you marked Keep Downloaded in Finder.
  • An app opened it again afterwards, which downloads it back.
\n

To free the rest, save and close your documents, let iCloud finish syncing, then right-click the folder in Finder and choose Remove Download.

\n\n

Last reviewed

\n\n

Related questions

\n

Also available as Markdown and JSON.

\n
"}