Is there a way to optimise storage by electing to store files in iCloud to save space, but to not do this for the Photos app?

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Is there a way to optimise storage by electing to store files in iCloud to save space, but to not do this for the Photos app?

I am trying to manage space on my MacBook Pro, and in order to do this I have been transferring movies from my Photos app to the cloud as a file, then deleting them from the App. But now it takes up space as it is holding them locally available on the iCloud.

Is there any way I can choose to make those files only available on the cloud, rather than locally?

Second - if I select 'Store in iCloud' when I am looking at my storage, will it remove most of the photos from my Photos app? Happy for it to do this for documents, but not for my photos app.

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Jan 13, 2022 8:23 PM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

197,451 points

Jan 13, 2022 10:45 PM in response to kirstyf77

In Photos for Mac you can use the Photos > Preferences > iCloud to store photos in iCloud Photos, but keep the local copies of all photos. And if you do not set the checkmark for "iCloud Photos" your photos will not be uploaded to iCloud at all. (Use iCloud Photos to store photos in iCloud – Apple Support (UK))

You can have several Photos Libraries, and only one of them, your System Photos Library can be synced with iCloud Photos. (System Photo Library overview for Photos on Mac – Apple Support (UK))

The global "Optimize Mac Storage" System Preference applies only to iCloud Drive, not to any local folders on your Mac. You can change the iCloud System Preferences to optimize your Desktop and Documents folder as well, but the other folders in your user home directory (Pictures, Movies, Downloads etc.) will not get optimised. Any folders you move out of Documents will only stay local.

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