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How do I move the iCloud Drive Folder to an external hard drive? My MacBook Pro is running low on storage and if I can move iCloud drive from my desktop to an external HD, it will free up over 50 gig of storage on this laptop. Many Thanks~Mark

This will add more storage to my laptop.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 13.6

Posted on Oct 24, 2023 11:30 PM

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Oct 25, 2023 6:42 PM in response to Photograph1951

Hello Photograph1951,


Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. We understand the importance of being able to manage your storage, and we'd be happy to provide some guidance. Please check this out:


Store your files in iCloud and save space on your device

The files that you keep in iCloud Drive use your iCloud storage. And as long as you have enough space in iCloud, you can store as many files as you like.
If you need more space, you can delete files to free up space in iCloud. When you use iCloud Drive and delete a file on one device, it deletes on every device that you're signed in to with the same Apple ID. You can find deleted files in the Recently Deleted folder in the Files app or on iCloud.com for 30 days. After that, they're removed. 
Learn more about how to manage your iCloud storage


Turn off Desktop and Documents

1. From your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Settings. In macOS Monterey or earlier, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences. 
2. Click Apple ID, then click iCloud.
3. Next to iCloud Drive, click Options.
4. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
5. Click Done.
What happens when you turn off Desktop and Documents
When you turn off Desktop & Documents Folders, your files stay in iCloud Drive and a new Desktop and Documents folder is created on your Mac in the home folder. You can move files from iCloud Drive to your Mac as you need them, or select all of your files and drag them to the place you want to keep them.

What happens when you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud

If you turn off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud, a new Desktop and Documents folder is created in your home folder. You also have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. If you keep a local copy of your files in iCloud Drive, they're copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home folder. You can move any files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents to your new local Desktop and Documents.

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive


Let us know if that helps. Kind regards.

How do I move the iCloud Drive Folder to an external hard drive? My MacBook Pro is running low on storage and if I can move iCloud drive from my desktop to an external HD, it will free up over 50 gig of storage on this laptop. Many Thanks~Mark

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