emptying icloud

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Level 1

8 points

emptying icloud

Help!

I carelessly upgraded to High Sierra 10.13.1 ("carelessly" meaning I didn't read about changes). Computer in use (MacBook Pro, early 2015) began making references to iCloud, but I ignored them, thinking if apps were backing up to iCloud it couldn't hurt anything.

Then I got rid of old i4 phone. Presumed newer iPhone telephone contact list would be empty and would need populating with contents from my old i4. Surprised to see new phone had all of my contact information from Yahoo email account! I DON'T WANT THAT!. However, if I delete a contact from my phone, somehow the iCloud system also deletes it from my Yahoo account. I DON'T WANT THAT!

I don't want iPhone (SE) or apps going online or using anything but my phone number unless I tell them to, and I don't want my computer/apps communicating with iCloud account unless I tell them to. (I want to keep information on the MacBook separate from information on the iPhone.) Also, I want my files and information residing in storage on my devices only, unless I make a conscious decision to send them to iCloud.

How do I stop apps from sending information to iCloud, without losing access to what they've already sent there (since, I presume, that information is not residing on my devices). In other words, I want my information back on my devices before I terminate connection with iCloud.

Am I even understanding accurately how the iCloud system works? I once was leading edge (Imsai 8080 with 2 huge Altair disc drives & dumb terminal), but now I'm 71 and no longer even close to savvy! Someone straighten me out. THANK YOU!

Posted on Dec 14, 2017 3:28 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eric Root

Level 10

684,027 points

Dec 15, 2017 1:36 PM in response to Switherer

All iCloud information resides on your device/computer unless you have enabled Optimization. If you haven't copied any files to iCloud Drive, go to System Preferences/iCloud and uncheck all syncing. If you get asked if you want to keep a local copy, do so. If any data isn't there, you can sync back to iCloud to recover it.

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Answer 2

Switherer Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 15, 2017 1:47 PM in response to Eric Root

Thank you, Eric. To respond: I may have been careless and enabled Optimization, or it was the default setting, but, alas, it was enabled. Your instruction makes me think iCloud Drive is not the same as iCloud. Hmmm. If I copied files to iCloud Drive, it was because of a setting, not my intentional doing. I'm beginning to fear I should retrieve all files onto USB flash drives, uncheck all sync options, divorce myself from iCloud (and iCloud Drive?), and copy files manually to my devices. Then wouldn't I be able to use iCloud (or DropBox) only for backup copies of files retained on my devices?

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