PICTURES folder on iCloud
Move PICTURES folder to iCloud save HD space
iMac (2017 – 2020)
Question marked as
iCloud Drive and iCloud Photos Library are syncing features which mean the version on iCloud is mirrored on the Mac. It's not an off computer storage facility.
You can do what I do is get an external drive, preferably an SSD depending on budget and formatted APFS, and create a folder there titled Pictures2. Copy the contents of your original Pictures folder to it. Before deleting the contents of your original Pictures folder verity that the files and library in Pictures2 can be opened successfully. This will also give you much faster access to your files than if they are in the iCloud Drive.
You can then drag the Pictures2 folder into the Finder's sidebar so it will be available in all Finder windows.
You can do that with other folders if desired.
Bottom line: using an external drive will free up space on your internal boot drive.
