How do i delete old data on iCloud Drive?

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Level 1

8 points

How do i delete old data on iCloud Drive?

For some reason I want to clean up my cloud storage, want to delete all my data on iCloud Drive and start from scratch. I do not care on what device the data was created on, nor what app it was created with -- maybe i do not have access to them any more or don't want to fiddle around with reinstalling apps and play with the settings for each app on each device.

Is there one place -- i know it is not icloud.com -- where i can delete all off them, one by one or all at once?

icloud.com only allows to delete non-app-created folders, for app-created folders the delete option ("trash can"-button) is inactive.

If not. Apple, PLEASE do provide auch a function, because there is a lot of garbage out there.

(currently using OS X 10.10.2 and iOS 8.2)

Posted on Mar 28, 2015 12:24 AM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

200,699 points

Mar 28, 2015 12:45 AM in response to 1rwg

for app-created folders the delete option ("trash can"-button) is inactive.

You can delete all iCloud items on your Mac in the Finder. Only, you cannot delete the application folders, only their content. Open the folders and select the items inside and then trash these items. The folders themselves are created by he system and need to stay.

To hide the application folder, disable iCloud for these apps in the iCloud System Preferences, like described in this document:

Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

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Answer 2

1rwg Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2015 1:06 AM in response to léonie

Thank you for your answer, unfortunately it doesn't answer my question.

If one disables the apps in the iCoud System Preferences, their folders disappear in the finder but are still in the cloud -- and there is a big pile of other garbage.

I want to reliably delete ALL data (including any folders or metadata Apple lets us not see) -- a complete reset for iCloud Drive with keeping all other iCloud data (address book, calendar, notes, reminders, mail) untouched.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,699 points

Mar 28, 2015 1:59 AM in response to 1rwg

AsI said - you have to open the application folders and delete the documents inside - for each folder separately. And wait for these changes to sync.

The folders themselves cannot be deleted, only their content.

The iCloud setting for the applications are device specific. If you enabled an app for iCloud on any device, you will see the application collection in iCloud, even if you disable it on other devices.

If one disables the apps in the iCoud System Preferences, their folders disappear in the finder but are still in the cloud -- and there is a big pile of other garbage.

First delete the documents in the folders, until they are empty on iCloud, then hide the folders on your devices by disabling the app in the "Manage my storage" iCloud preferences.

I want to reliably delete ALL data (including any folders or metadata Apple lets us not see) -- a complete reset for iCloud Drive

You can only delete documents you move to iCloud drive, not Apple's maintenance files.

And you can only reset each device individually, that is using iCloud Drive, by disabling iCloud Drive, rebooting, signing in again. But you cannot reset the central storage in iCloud.

- and there is a big pile of other garbage.

What kind of other garbage, beside the application collections?

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Answer 4

1rwg Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2015 11:24 AM in response to léonie

Thanks again. I know all that. What you describe removes the content from one or all devices (iPhone, iPad or Mac) but I am looking for a way to completely wipe the content from iCloud Drive to leave no residue as if I had never activated iCloud Drive.

Obviously Apple does not provide such a possibility (i.e with a "Yes, I know what I'm doing"-Button) but they should. I have hoped someone knew a way to somehow work around the limitations.

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Answer 5

1rwg Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 29, 2015 1:57 AM in response to léonie

What kind of other garbage, beside the application collections?

Have a look at "~/Library/Mobile Documents" (the actual storage of locally cached iCloud data) and you will find the garbage.

Folders for any app (on OS X or iOS) you have used in the past and which is designed to synchronise data over iCloud. In my case I can find data from apps I didn't use for a couple of months. My iDevices have been reset and restored since and the said apps not installed again.

Most of this data is not visible in the Finder (I called it meta data), but stays in the cloud and fills up storage space. There is no way to get rid of this "dead data" and if deleted (in the local cache) it comes back again.

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Answer 6

léonie

Level 10

200,699 points

Mar 29, 2015 2:54 AM in response to 1rwg

My iDevices have been reset and restored since and the said apps not installed again.

That is the problem. You would have to have deleted the documents in iCloud before uninstalling the apps, since you can only access and remove the iCloud items, if an app is installed and you have enabled it for iCloud.

Apple simply forgot to provide a way to remove all iCloud Drive documents at once, i.e., for apps, that are no longer installed.

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