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Turn off Icloud without losing desktop documents

I want to store my documents on my Macbook Pro and no longer have them stored in the iCloud drive. However, when I try to deselect the desktop documents folder from the iCloud drive, I get a message saying that they will be deleted from the Mac...

"If you continue, items will be removed from the Desktop and the Documents folder on this Mac and will remain available in iCloud Drive."

That result sounds like the opposite of what I want to do.

Can anyone assist with this? Thank you.

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on May 8, 2019 9:30 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 8, 2019 5:29 PM

If you choose to turn off iCloud Drive entirely, ie: not just Desktop and Documents, iCloud will download your files as described below in highlight. Once done, you can deselect desktop & Documents and turn iCloud Drive back on again.


Same result, less effort.

See >>> https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT206985

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2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 8, 2019 5:29 PM in response to sevegeddes

If you choose to turn off iCloud Drive entirely, ie: not just Desktop and Documents, iCloud will download your files as described below in highlight. Once done, you can deselect desktop & Documents and turn iCloud Drive back on again.


Same result, less effort.

See >>> https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT206985

May 8, 2019 9:40 AM in response to sevegeddes

I would temporarily create two new folders on your user home folder - outside the Documents folder.

  • A folder named DesktopLocal
  • A folder named DocumentsLocal

Then drag all files and folders from your Desktop to DesktopLocal and drag all files and folders from dour Documents folder to Documents Local.

Once all files and folders have been moved to your local folders, disable Desktop&Documents for iCloud Drive.


Then move the items from your temporary folders back to the original Desktop and Documents folders, that now should be again back to normal.





Turn off Icloud without losing desktop documents

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