The actual definitive answer to "what do the iCloud icons mean please?

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Level 1

71 points

The actual definitive answer to "what do the iCloud icons mean please?

I still don't trust what I'm seeing half the time with iCloud. I just searched for the meanings and I have to say, it was a little bit of a laugh. The old post from 3-4 years ago with over 1000 views has the cloud by itself meaning "you have downloaded the file and you can see it both on your computer and online." The VERY NEXT post says if there is just a cloud "then it is only in the iCloud and if you are disconnected from Wifi you can't open it.

Sigh.

So, please can someone correctly identify:

the cloud by itself

the up arrow cloud

the down arrow cloud

what the phrase Remove Download means next to a document that has no cloud (And when I remove the download there now is a cloud with a down arrow. I assume this means it's back up in the cloud and if I want to put in on the computer I click on it again to download it.

And, do I assume that if I have a file or folder that is identified as being in the iCloud Drive ... ie iCloudDrive>documents>file and there isn't a cloud, that it is in the cloud. I don't have to worry, right? Well, except when I run out of room and get the message to buy more space. LOL

So, final question, can I assume that if a file without an icon appears to be in the iCloud Drive that it actually is in the iCloud Drive? Or, is it in limbo.

Thanks in advance.

Mac mini, macOS 12.6

Posted on May 28, 2023 2:29 PM

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Answer 1

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FoxFifth

Level 10

471,975 points

May 29, 2023 12:52 PM in response to TuckerdogAVL

Open that folder in Finder, go to the Finder View menu and click "Show View Options" and in the "Show Columns" section of that window insure that there is a check mark in front of "iCloud Status" and then scroll the Finder window horizontally if necessary to see the iCloud Status column.

The normal status is that all folders that are in iCloud Drive have a copy in iCloud. That is almost always the case except for files larger than 50GB or recent files that are still waiting to upload or if your iCloud storage plan doesn't have free space.

The "Remove Download" is an option to remove it from the computer and is not meant to suggest that there is not a copy in iCloud.

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Answer 2

TuckerdogAVL Author

Level 1

71 points

May 29, 2023 12:45 PM in response to FoxFifth

All of these files and folders don't have a cloud icon.

At the bottom, along the status bar, I see icloud>desktop

If I right click on one, I get the choice to:

So, what this tells me is that it is "in the iCloud" and also on my computer since there is no cloud and I have apparently downloaded it. See, this is the confusion. I assume since the status shows iCloud/desktop/file name it's in the iCloud. But the "Remove Download" suggests it isn't and it's just downloaded to the computer. And since there is no cloud showing to the right of the file name... where is it for sure? :-) PS These screen captures are from the computer and not from the iCloud Drive finder. Yes, that shows a cloud next to all the folders.

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Answer 3

TuckerdogAVL Author

Level 1

71 points

May 29, 2023 8:30 AM in response to FoxFifth

Thank you. Didn't think to search file, folder and disk information on the Mac. When I search iCloud icons it didn't take me here. This is clear and concise. However, just two other questions: If it's downloaded to the computer, is it still in the iCloud? And if there isn't a cloud, indicating any of these things, but the status bar shows icloud>folders>, then that folder is in the iCloud only, correct? My goal is to have "most" files and folders archived in iCloud only (space permitting), others on Externals, to free up hard drive space so I can upgrade to Ventura and a Mac Mini2 (from 1TB down to 512GB).

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Answer 4

FoxFifth

Level 10

471,975 points

May 29, 2023 9:45 AM in response to TuckerdogAVL

Files with the Downloaded icon are also in iCloud. Also see the following from that same article (and also from my personal experience):

Downloaded: The Downloaded status icon indicates that the folder or file is up to date between your Mac and iCloud and you can view or edit it immediately, with or without an internet connection.

Files that are in iCloud only should have the cloud with down arrow icon. See, from the same support article:

In iCloud: The In iCloud status icon indicates that the folder or file is only in iCloud. You must be connected to the internet to work with the item, unless you download it to your Mac. Control-click the file, then choose Download Now.

I've not seen iCloud > folders with no status icon.

My iCloud > [folder name] folders in the status bar show a cloud icon in the Finder window.

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