iCloud Storage Entirely Online -

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iCloud Storage Entirely Online -

It's been bought to my attention that iCloud is primarily a syncing option, which apparently only stores the 'overflow' of older files on the cloud when storage is full. *

This seems like a poorly thought out system, is there any workaround?

Reason: I need a fairly large whack of local storage space available for editing big video files, so being 3gig away from full is not an option for me. I just want none of the stuff I'm putting in iCloud on my local machine. Why is this so hard?! So:

Is there any way to make my files online only? Or,

How can I alter settings so there is more like 20gig of spare storage available and the rest is on iCloud.

*Dropbox had the option of 'online only' but the latest update of Sierra means that it doesn't function as described (shadows of the files are still saved on local disk). I switched to iCloud this week, hoping the native system could better handle archiving stuff. Nope.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Aug 6, 2019 7:05 PM

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Answer 1

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Limnos

Level 10

418,591 points

Aug 6, 2019 7:50 PM in response to JoeMyWord

Why not buy an external hard drive? It will be faster and a more reliable connection than something online.

iCloud is not designed for this because Apple has Time Machine for backups and people buy external hard drives for storage. If you really want something online then look at Google Drive or Dropbox or Box or a similar service.

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Answer 2

JoeMyWord Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 6, 2019 8:03 PM in response to Limnos

External is probably the way to go, I agree. BUT I'd rather not have to cart one around, and sometimes need files at a moment's notice when working remotely.

It sounds like iCloud serves no purpose other than an online worse version Time Machine. I don't think that's why people want it. We want a place to store our stuff in a big online sack in the sky (and not on the limited space of a 120g hard drive)

Dropbox's online only format doesn't have that functionality with Mojave because of the way that files are stored - the shadow remains locally and there is no way around this.

So, no way to make it online only that you know of Limnos?

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Answer 3

Limnos

Level 10

418,591 points

Aug 7, 2019 5:59 AM in response to JoeMyWord

Again, iCloud is not like Time Machine. It is not a backup service, though it may serve as one in a limited capacity for certain items in an emergency.

Its primary function is to act as a central repository to ensure that if you, for example, add a contact on your iPhone, it automatically also appears on you iPad and computer too. If you then delete that contact, it disappears everywhere too. It only acts as a backup if youe iPhone is stolen and you buy a new one ans sign into iCloud all your contacts will appear on that new iPhone again.

There are ways to trick iCloud such as signing out of iCloud Drive and then adding and removing files using a web browser logged into iCloud.com, but this isn't the hard drive in the sky you desire. I don't know what would happen if you did that and did not have iCloud Drive activated on any device anywhere. I simply have not tried.

Oh, I agree about limited internal drives. With newer computers one is kind of forced to pay a lot at the onset for large drives rather than upgrading step by step they way you used to be able to do. Newer computers are perhaps greener in being more energy efficient, but could be even more environmental if designed for repair and upgrading rather than requiring entire replacement, but I digress. Fortunately I only use desktop model computers so I can have multiple external drives.

You do know you can buy really tiny thumb drives of fairly large capacity? I have a 256GB thumb drive that is really more thumb-nail size that only cost about $35. Keep the OS and applications on your internal drive and data on an external.

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iCloud Storage Entirely Online -

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