Creating space on MacBook.
Can I disconnect photos from iCloud on MacBook to free up space on my MacBook? I keep running down to 3gb :( Help
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Unless you want to delete photos off your mac, disconnecting from iCloud won't help.
You have two alternatives - 1 - enable "optimise mac stoage" so that full size photos are only stored in iCloud with smaller previews on the mac. Full size images then downloaded only as needed, eg for edit or export.
2 - Your other option is to completely move the library to external storage with the disadvantage that you must have the external storage connected whenever you want to use photos.
To correctly prepare the external drive:
It must be formatted APFS or MacOS extended (journaled) (preferred for spinning drives)
It Must not be (or have been) used for time machine. (A time machine drive can be used if re-formatted)
It must have the 'ignore ownership" checkbox ticked.
It should not be on a memory stick, SD or similar.
It stands to reason that if you want any sort of reasonable performance it should be a fast drive with a fast connection.
It must also not be a network drive (a direct connection is required - eg USB or Thunderbolt). File sharing services such as iCloud Drive, Drop box, Onedrive etc are not compatible with Photos libraries.
See