Just double-click it to open it normally. You won’t be able to access the file without an Internet connection. If you see files with a little cloud icon next to their name that means that the file is not stored locally on your computer, just in the cloud.
ICLOUD DRIVE SYNC FOLDERS MAC
If you’re offline, you can work as normal, but your changes won’t sync until your Mac reconnects to the Internet. It’s reasonably quick, depending on the speed of your Internet connection, but avoid working on the same file on different Macs simultaneously, or you could end up with conflicted copies. Using iCloud Driveįrom then on, when you create, edit, or delete a file on the Desktop or in the Documents folder on any of your Macs, macOS syncs that change up to iCloud and then down to all your other Macs. You can manually move the contents of those sub-folders into the main Desktop and Documents folders if you wish, or keep them separate. You’ll find each Mac’s files in sub-folders named along the lines of Desktop – name-of-Mac, which keeps all of your files from merging into one single folder. It may take some time for iCloud to slurp up all your data, so be patient.įor your other Macs, make sure they’re signed in to the same iCloud account, and repeat these steps.
They’re still on your computer and accessible from a Finder window’s sidebar, from the Finder’s Go menu, within iCloud Drive itself, and through Time Machine. When you do this, Sierra moves your Desktop and Documents folders from your home folder to iCloud Drive, which could be disconcerting. Make sure Optimize Mac Storage at the bottom of the dialog is not selected. Once you’re ready, navigate to System Preferences > iCloud > iCloud Drive > Options and select Desktop & Documents Folders.
ICLOUD DRIVE SYNC FOLDERS UPGRADE
A Family Sharing iCloud Drive option for 200 GB and higher tiers is available with iOS 11 and High Sierra. If you need more space than you currently have, your computer will prompt you to upgrade when you turn the feature on.
ICLOUD DRIVE SYNC FOLDERS FREE
(If you have any Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion virtual machines, or any other huge files in your Documents folder, move them to another location because they’ll consume a ton of space.) If the total size is larger than the 5 GB of free space Apple gives all iCloud users, you’ll need to pay for more space : 50 GB ($0.99 per month), 200 GB ($2.99), or 2 TB ($9.99).
To find out how much space you’ll need on iCloud Drive-add up the size of those folders on each Mac you want to sync. It’s easy to enable this feature, but it’s good to know what to expect before you turn it on. Plus, you can access their contents on your iPhone or iPad using the iCloud Drive app, or, in iOS 11, the Files app. Starting in macOS 10.12 Sierra, Apple added optional Desktop and Documents folder syncing, which works with iCloud Drive to give you unified Desktop and Documents folders across all your Macs. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to edit the same files on your iMac and your MacBook without copying them back and forth manually or using a service like Dropbox or Google Drive? That has been possible in Apple’s iCloud Drive for some time, but it could be clumsy to store files in iCloud Drive instead of in your Documents folder or on your Desktop.