DavidNBush
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Can I use iCloud Drive like an external drive?

I would like to use iCloud Drive to store my stuff (docs, videos, photos etc) but I don't what these same files occupying storage on my local hard disk.

Is it possible to use iCloud Drive to upload files that I want stored there and then simply download them when needed.   Or...

 

...can I be selective with which files/folders sync and which don't?

Posted on Mar 6, 2015 11:30 AM

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DavidNBush

Q: Can I use iCloud Drive like an external drive?

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Mar 6, 2015 11:35 AM in response to DavidNBush
    Level 10 (271,284 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 6, 2015 11:35 AM in response to DavidNBush

    Yes, but you must pay for space. The first 5 GBs are free. Thereafter, you buy space:


    iCloud Drive FAQ

    iCloud storage pricing

    Manage your iCloud storage

    Get help using iCloud storage

  • by DavidNBush,

    DavidNBush DavidNBush Mar 6, 2015 11:38 AM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 6, 2015 11:38 AM in response to Kappy

    Well, yeah, I know I have to pay for the storage.  That's not my question.

     

    Can you tell me how I set this up?  Because as it is now, I've got files on iCloud Drive but they're also stored on my Mac's hard drive. 

     

    How do set it up so that they are not on my local hard drive and only in the cloud (on the iCloud Drive)?

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Mar 6, 2015 11:59 AM in response to DavidNBush
    Level 10 (271,284 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 6, 2015 11:59 AM in response to DavidNBush

    The files are stored in your iCloud storage space. What's on your computer is a phantom listing. The only space it uses is that needed for the entries.

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Mar 6, 2015 2:43 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 10 (141,223 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 6, 2015 2:43 PM in response to Kappy
    What's on your computer is a phantom listing. The only space it uses is that needed for the entries.

    That's only for files from apps that can save directly to the iCloud drive, Numbers, Pages, etc.  If you add local files/folders to the iCloud Drive folder locally

    Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 2.37.42 PM.jpg

     

    the files just get moved to that folder which is in the ~Library/Mobile Documents folder and remain on the hard drive while also being copied to the iCloud Driver servers for access by other devices.  However, those files must be downloaded to the other devices before they can be viewed or used on that device. They can't be viewed or otherwise accessed at iCloud.com.

     

    So if one were to drag several folders of files into the iCloud Drive window as shown above all it's doing is moving them to a different location and copying them to the iCloud drive.  There's no saving of space on the hard drive.

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