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User profile for user: ProdChunkkz
ProdChunkkz Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Apple iCloud Makes NO SENSE!!!

i have a mac and had it for about 4 years. i wanted to download a game that can run on my mac but takes up a fair bit of storage. my storage is nearly full as i use music programs and create music taking up over half of my disposable storage. So, i check my iCloud to see if i can move some audio files to my iCloud. my iCloud is ALSO apparently full. i literally have like a few pics and a few audio files in there. nowhere neaarrrrr the standard 5gb. i also look on my mac storage and. oh would u look at that. iCloud is taking up 30gb of my storage

my issues are:

  1. why is 30gb being used of icloud when i only have the standard 5gb
  2. WHY ON EARTH IS ICLOUD USING MY MAC STORAGE?!?!

Its called the CLOUD for a reason. so that i dont use my own storage. if youre going to have a cloud, atleast make it work as intended.

Posted on Jul 31, 2024 6:14 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Mac Jim ID
Mac Jim ID
User level: Level 7
26,801 points

Posted on Jul 31, 2024 6:38 PM

  1. You have 31GB of files stored on iCloud Drive Since you only have 5 GB of iCloud storage the remaining files will not be available on other devices and only stored on your Mac.
  2. You iCloud is using your Mac storage because it is a syncing service to make those same files available on all devices. Using iCloud will optimize your device storage when there is space available in iCloud and the storage space is limited on your device, but you need iCloud space available to do that. When you have space available in iCloud, then only the recently used documents will be stored on your device and for photos, only the smaller thumbnail versions of the photos are stored on your device to save space. When you want to edit a document or a photo, then it will download the full version to your device.


The optimization of saving device storage space when iCloud space is available is all done automatically. It is not a space where you can offload files from your computer manually as you can with an external drive and that was never intended to be the purpose of using iCloud. The purpose is to sync the files across other devices so they are available to all. It is working exactly as it is intended. If you are looking for a service to provide iCloud storage like an external drive, then you should check into DropBox.


You are in a position where your device storage is just about full and your iCloud storage is already full, so your only solution will be to increase you iCloud Storage so it can automatically manage the iCloud Drive files and store the full resolution photos into iCloud instead of your device, or start deleting files.

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3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Mac Jim ID
Mac Jim ID
User level: Level 7
26,801 points

Jul 31, 2024 6:38 PM in response to ProdChunkkz

  1. You have 31GB of files stored on iCloud Drive Since you only have 5 GB of iCloud storage the remaining files will not be available on other devices and only stored on your Mac.
  2. You iCloud is using your Mac storage because it is a syncing service to make those same files available on all devices. Using iCloud will optimize your device storage when there is space available in iCloud and the storage space is limited on your device, but you need iCloud space available to do that. When you have space available in iCloud, then only the recently used documents will be stored on your device and for photos, only the smaller thumbnail versions of the photos are stored on your device to save space. When you want to edit a document or a photo, then it will download the full version to your device.


The optimization of saving device storage space when iCloud space is available is all done automatically. It is not a space where you can offload files from your computer manually as you can with an external drive and that was never intended to be the purpose of using iCloud. The purpose is to sync the files across other devices so they are available to all. It is working exactly as it is intended. If you are looking for a service to provide iCloud storage like an external drive, then you should check into DropBox.


You are in a position where your device storage is just about full and your iCloud storage is already full, so your only solution will be to increase you iCloud Storage so it can automatically manage the iCloud Drive files and store the full resolution photos into iCloud instead of your device, or start deleting files.

Reply

Apple iCloud Makes NO SENSE!!!

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