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I need help with my icloud drive, I would like to stop using it but without deleting all of my mac files

Help using iclud drive

MacBook Air 11″, OS X 10.11

Posted on Jul 10, 2021 11:19 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 10, 2021 11:51 AM

If you are just using iCloud Drive, without using the Desktop and Documents option, move the files on your Mac from the iCloud Drive folder to some other folder. You can access the iCloud Drive folder on your Mac via the Finder "Go" menu.


If you have the Desktop and Documents option turned on, see the following from Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support

Be careful to note that there are two options -- just turning off the Desktop and Documents option or completely turning off iCloud Drive, and what happens to your files is different depending on which you choose to do.


Turn off Desktop and Documents

  1. 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.
  2. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
  3. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
  4. Click Done.


What happens when you turn off Desktop and Documents

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.


What happens when you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud

If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. You also have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. If you keep a local copy of your files in iCloud Drive, they're copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. You can move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents to your new local Desktop and Documents.

1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 10, 2021 11:51 AM in response to lucianaavilac

If you are just using iCloud Drive, without using the Desktop and Documents option, move the files on your Mac from the iCloud Drive folder to some other folder. You can access the iCloud Drive folder on your Mac via the Finder "Go" menu.


If you have the Desktop and Documents option turned on, see the following from Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support

Be careful to note that there are two options -- just turning off the Desktop and Documents option or completely turning off iCloud Drive, and what happens to your files is different depending on which you choose to do.


Turn off Desktop and Documents

  1. 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.
  2. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
  3. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
  4. Click Done.


What happens when you turn off Desktop and Documents

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.


What happens when you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud

If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. You also have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. If you keep a local copy of your files in iCloud Drive, they're copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. You can move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents to your new local Desktop and Documents.

I need help with my icloud drive, I would like to stop using it but without deleting all of my mac files

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