iCloud desktop and documents
If I delete the folders on my desktop, are they only removed locally? Meaning, will those folders still appear on my other devices synced with iCloud?
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Sorry, but I do not understand exactly what it is that you are trying to do and in what order and on what devices -- and I don't want to say anything that could potentially result in loss of data. There is no mention in your original question about turning off syncing but it does ask about deleting folders. The following excerpt from Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support
has detailed information that should help, including the following excerpt:
When you turn off Desktop & Documents Folders, your files stay in iCloud Drive and a new Desktop and Documents folder is created on your Mac in the home folder. You can move files from iCloud Drive to your Mac as you need them, or select all of your files and drag them to the place you want to keep them.
- From your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences. Click Apple ID, then click iCloud. On macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
- Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
- Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
- Click Done.
If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, you have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. Whether you decide to keep a local copy or not, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. If you choose to keep a local copy, your files in iCloud Drive are copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. Then you have the option to move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents, back to your new local Desktop and Documents.
