{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Optimise Cloud Storage Locally",
  "slug": "optimise-cloud-storage-locally",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/optimise-cloud-storage-locally",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/optimise-cloud-storage-locally.md",
  "category": "Freeing up space",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/freeing-up-space/",
  "tags": [
    "cloud accounts",
    "online-only",
    "free up space",
    "icloud"
  ],
  "summary": "Optimise Cloud Storage makes cloud files that are already downloaded to your Mac online-only. They stay in your cloud account and download again when you open them, and the space they took on your Mac comes back.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T06:18:04.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:34:56.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Three ways to do it",
      "id": "three-ways-to-do-it"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What stays downloaded",
      "id": "what-stays-downloaded"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Doing it file by file",
      "id": "doing-it-file-by-file"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Good to know",
      "id": "good-to-know"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "glossary-online-only-file",
      "label": "online-only files",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-online-only-file"
    },
    {
      "slug": "smart-care",
      "label": "Smart Care",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/smart-care"
    },
    {
      "slug": "storage-profile",
      "label": "Your Storage Profile",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-profile"
    },
    {
      "slug": "background-activity",
      "label": "Job Insights",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-activity"
    },
    {
      "slug": "keep-opened-files-on-this-mac",
      "label": "Keep opened files on this Mac",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/keep-opened-files-on-this-mac"
    },
    {
      "slug": "compared-with-optimise-mac-storage",
      "label": "Storage Studio and Optimise Mac Storage",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-optimise-mac-storage"
    },
    {
      "slug": "compared-with-remove-download",
      "label": "Keep opened files versus iCloud's Remove Download",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-remove-download"
    },
    {
      "slug": "freeing-up-space-overview",
      "label": "Freeing up space: the options",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/freeing-up-space-overview"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "free-up-space",
      "title": "Free Up Space",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/free-up-space"
    },
    {
      "slug": "freeing-up-space-overview",
      "title": "Freeing up space: the options",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/freeing-up-space-overview"
    },
    {
      "slug": "keep-opened-files-on-this-mac",
      "title": "Keep opened files on this Mac",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/keep-opened-files-on-this-mac"
    },
    {
      "slug": "glossary-online-only-file",
      "title": "Online-only file",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-online-only-file"
    },
    {
      "slug": "smart-care",
      "title": "Smart Care",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/smart-care"
    },
    {
      "slug": "compared-with-optimise-mac-storage",
      "title": "Storage Studio and Optimise Mac Storage",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-optimise-mac-storage"
    },
    {
      "slug": "where-to-start",
      "title": "Where to start: pick your goal",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/where-to-start"
    },
    {
      "slug": "storage-profile",
      "title": "Your Storage Profile",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-profile"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "How each downloaded cloud file is handled",
      "outline": "- A cloud file on your Mac\n  - leads to Already online-only?\n- Already online-only?\n  - Yes: leads to Nothing to do\n  - No: leads to Is an app using it?\n- Is an app using it?\n  - Yes: leads to Left downloaded\n  - No: leads to Will the provider let an app do this?\n- Will the provider let an app do this?\n  - Yes: leads to Made online-only - space comes back\n  - No: leads to Left downloaded - use Remove Download in Finder\n",
      "source": "%% caption: How each downloaded cloud file is handled\nflowchart TD\n  A[A cloud file on your Mac] --> B{Already online-only?}\n  B -->|Yes| C[Nothing to do]\n  B -->|No| D{Is an app using it?}\n  D -->|Yes| E[Left downloaded]\n  D -->|No| F{Will the provider let an app do this?}\n  F -->|Yes| G[Made online-only - space comes back]\n  F -->|No| H[Left downloaded - use Remove Download in Finder]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [
    {
      "alt": "Settings in Demo Mode on the Rules pane, scrolled to \"Free Up Space includes\" with the Optimise cloud storage locally provider list and its All and None buttons",
      "caption": "Choosing which cloud providers Free Up Space optimises"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac?",
      "answer": "Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and…",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    }
  ],
  "text": "Cloud services such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Box keep a downloaded copy of many files on your Mac, and those copies can add up to many gigabytes. Optimise Cloud Storage turns downloaded files back into online-only files . Nothing is deleted: each file stays in your cloud account and downloads again the moment you open it. Three ways to do it Automatically, in Smart Care. When you have cloud storage set up, a Smart Care run includes Keep cloud files online-only . This step works on downloaded iCloud Drive files of 50 MB or more. For one cloud folder, now. Open the More menu (•••) → Optimize Cloud Storage… and pick a cloud folder from the list. Storage Studio goes through that folder and makes each downloaded file online-only. If none are found, the list says No cloud storage detected . As part of Free Up Space. In Settings → Rules , under Free Up Space includes , turn on Optimise cloud storage locally for the providers you choose. It's off for every provider until you turn it on, because it's more thorough than the other steps. The same section shows how much of your Mac's disk is currently holding downloaded cloud files. What stays downloaded How each downloaded cloud file is handled Flowchart outline: How each downloaded cloud file is handled A cloud file on your Mac leads to Already online-only? Already online-only? Yes: leads to Nothing to do No: leads to Is an app using it? Is an app using it? Yes: leads to Left downloaded No: leads to Will the provider let an app do this? Will the provider let an app do this? Yes: leads to Made online-only - space comes back No: leads to Left downloaded - use Remove Download in Finder Files you're using are skipped and stay downloaded. Files that are already online-only take almost no space and are left as they are. Small files are skipped by Smart Care's step, which only goes after files of 50 MB or more. Files from providers that don't allow it. On recent versions of macOS, some providers don't let other apps make their files online-only. Storage Studio can't change that, so it leaves those files downloaded and tells you to use Remove Download in Finder instead: right-click the file or folder and choose Remove Download . Doing it file by file Your Storage Profile lists your Biggest space-users . A downloaded cloud file there has a Free up button that makes just that file online-only. If the provider won't allow it, the button changes to Remove Download… and opens the file in Finder, so you can finish with the provider's own command. See Your Storage Profile . Good to know Opening an online-only file needs an internet connection. If you'll be offline, keep the files you need downloaded. This doesn't change anything in your cloud account. The files, and their sync, are untouched. Results show up in Job Insights under Optimise Cloud Storage . Common questions Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac? Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and… See also: Keep opened files on this Mac · Storage Studio and Optimise Mac Storage · Keep opened files versus iCloud's Remove Download · Freeing up space: the options",
  "markdown": "Cloud services such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and Box keep a downloaded copy of many files on your Mac, and those copies can add up to many gigabytes. **Optimise Cloud Storage** turns downloaded files back into [online-only files](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/glossary-online-only-file). Nothing is deleted: each file stays in your cloud account and downloads again the moment you open it.\n\n## Three ways to do it\n\n- **Automatically, in Smart Care.** When you have cloud storage set up, a [Smart Care](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/smart-care) run includes **Keep cloud files online-only**. This step works on downloaded iCloud Drive files of 50 MB or more.\n- **For one cloud folder, now.** Open the More menu (•••) → **Optimize Cloud Storage…** and pick a cloud folder from the list. Storage Studio goes through that folder and makes each downloaded file online-only. If none are found, the list says **No cloud storage detected**.\n- **As part of Free Up Space.** In **Settings** → **Rules**, under **Free Up Space includes**, turn on **Optimise cloud storage locally** for the providers you choose. It's off for every provider until you turn it on, because it's more thorough than the other steps. The same section shows how much of your Mac's disk is currently holding downloaded cloud files.\n\n## What stays downloaded\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: How each downloaded cloud file is handled\nflowchart TD\n  A[A cloud file on your Mac] --> B{Already online-only?}\n  B -->|Yes| C[Nothing to do]\n  B -->|No| D{Is an app using it?}\n  D -->|Yes| E[Left downloaded]\n  D -->|No| F{Will the provider let an app do this?}\n  F -->|Yes| G[Made online-only - space comes back]\n  F -->|No| H[Left downloaded - use Remove Download in Finder]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — How each downloaded cloud file is handled. Outline:*\n\n- A cloud file on your Mac\n  - leads to Already online-only?\n- Already online-only?\n  - Yes: leads to Nothing to do\n  - No: leads to Is an app using it?\n- Is an app using it?\n  - Yes: leads to Left downloaded\n  - No: leads to Will the provider let an app do this?\n- Will the provider let an app do this?\n  - Yes: leads to Made online-only - space comes back\n  - No: leads to Left downloaded - use Remove Download in Finder\n\n- **Files you're using** are skipped and stay downloaded.\n- **Files that are already online-only** take almost no space and are left as they are.\n- **Small files** are skipped by Smart Care's step, which only goes after files of 50 MB or more.\n- **Files from providers that don't allow it.** On recent versions of macOS, some providers don't let other apps make their files online-only. Storage Studio can't change that, so it leaves those files downloaded and tells you to use **Remove Download** in Finder instead: right-click the file or folder and choose **Remove Download**.\n\n## Doing it file by file\n\nYour **Storage Profile** lists your **Biggest space-users**. A downloaded cloud file there has a **Free up** button that makes just that file online-only. If the provider won't allow it, the button changes to **Remove Download…** and opens the file in Finder, so you can finish with the provider's own command. See [Your Storage Profile](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/storage-profile).\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Opening an online-only file needs an internet connection. If you'll be offline, keep the files you need downloaded.\n- This doesn't change anything in your cloud account. The files, and their sync, are untouched.\n- Results show up in [Job Insights](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/background-activity) under **Optimise Cloud Storage**.\n\n- **Can I see all my cloud accounts in Finder on a Mac?** Yes. Storage Studio adds a \"Storage Studio\" location to Finder's sidebar, with each connected cloud account and paired device as a folder inside, and a Finder button in the app's main window opens it. Files stay in the cloud until you open them. Folders you have visited open straight away and… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n\nSee also: [Keep opened files on this Mac](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/keep-opened-files-on-this-mac) · [Storage Studio and Optimise Mac Storage](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-optimise-mac-storage) · [Keep opened files versus iCloud's Remove Download](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/compared-with-remove-download) · [Freeing up space: the options](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/freeing-up-space-overview)\n"
}