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~/Library/Mobile Documents/*Documents* as sole holding location for all local documents?

Would it be without danger or risk to keep all local Document files positioned NOT in a standard Documents folder -- but positioned in the hidden "Documents" folder that is inside the "Mobile Documents" folder in ~/Library


~/Library/Mobile Documents/DOCUMENTS -- (Probably symbolic links involved)


I have tested and found that when the very first file is placed in the ~/Library/"Mobile Documents"/DOCUMENTS folder, this action immediately results in the creation -- in iCLOUD DRIVE -- of a matching DOCUMENTS folder (with a circle or sun on it)...and with that given file located inside it.


It seems that this DOCUMENTS folder is a live local container for documents that are then immediately uploaded into "iCloud Drive"


==> So I am asking if this is an indication that it is continually safe to position all original local document files in this Documents location within "Mobile Documents" -- and thereby resulting in immediate copying (not moving) to iCloud of any newly created or modified Documents.


This does not seem to be a complex question -- and I hope it can receive an answer.


:::


TL;DR -- Based on a back-search of other queries, I hope I am very completely wrong that there is possibly a "Do Not Answer" mandate enforced upon moderators concerning "Mobile Documents" questions.

MacBook Pro 15", OS X 10.11

Posted on Jun 22, 2019 10:19 PM

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Posted on Jun 23, 2019 2:43 AM

The folder ~/Library/Mobile Documents/DOCUMENTS is the same folder you are seeing as "iCloud Drive" in the Finder sidebar. The only difference is, that the Finder is showing less items in this folder than the "ls" command in the Terminal.

If you open iCloud Drive in the Finder sidebar, you can drag any folder there and store it directly on iCloud Drive, outside the predefined folders there. You do not need to use the Terminal to move files there. Most of my iCloud Drive documents are in custom folders on iCloud Drive, outside of the predefined specific application collections folders. It is working very well for syncing documents for any applications between my Macs. But if you want to store and sync documents with an iPad or iPad, I would use the application specific folders created by the iPhone or iPad applications. It will be easier to open the documents on the iPad or iPhone, if they are in the folder where the device is looking for them, at least in the older versions of iOS.



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Jun 23, 2019 2:43 AM in response to Bill from Maryland

The folder ~/Library/Mobile Documents/DOCUMENTS is the same folder you are seeing as "iCloud Drive" in the Finder sidebar. The only difference is, that the Finder is showing less items in this folder than the "ls" command in the Terminal.

If you open iCloud Drive in the Finder sidebar, you can drag any folder there and store it directly on iCloud Drive, outside the predefined folders there. You do not need to use the Terminal to move files there. Most of my iCloud Drive documents are in custom folders on iCloud Drive, outside of the predefined specific application collections folders. It is working very well for syncing documents for any applications between my Macs. But if you want to store and sync documents with an iPad or iPad, I would use the application specific folders created by the iPhone or iPad applications. It will be easier to open the documents on the iPad or iPhone, if they are in the folder where the device is looking for them, at least in the older versions of iOS.



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~/Library/Mobile Documents/*Documents* as sole holding location for all local documents?

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