Comments on: How to Stop iCloud From Syncing Desktop Folders and Documents

By: Colleen

Colleen — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 02:29:37 +0000

I’m finding it frustrating that I have two folders in iCloud drive, in Finder, documents and real documents. Why two? I fear that if I delete one I would loose the same files in the other. I fear that if I deleted both the folders in iCould drive, in Finder, I will loose the files in my desktop computers hard drive. I have gone into the iCloud drive, under Apple ID in the System Preferences, and the desktop & documents folders is unchecked.
I thought that the iCloud drive wasn’t to be a backup for our files. Why can’t we choose that we want to have in a cloud like Dropbox, MS, or Google’s? I do not like Apple to decide where my files, photos, and music are to be stored. I do miss the filing system that MS has.

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 23:13:42 +0000

After downloading the latest upgrade on Mac OS Big Sur (Version 11.6.5), all of my files on the desktop disappeared. Of course after collecting myself, found that I was able to transfer them back to my desktop from iCloud. The problem happen twice. The problem was reported to Apple.

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 04:01:44 +0000

You might want to include that if you do the .tmp to your folders it’s best you wait until icloud restores everything in those folders Before you add .tmp. Otherwise you’ll only get back what icloud restored at that point. Yes I chose/selected to restore all my folders at once but thought I should check them to be sure since all my folders kept going from plain blue to the custom additions I made to them with emoji and colored fonts. It would be nice if Apple left signing into or up for icloud to us, and not just syncing everything on our computers, like it used to be. Much as I hate to say this it all comes down to $$$ for Apple when you get that message saying your icloud is almost full and if you want to keep using it you have to buy more storage.
I use an external drive for Time Machine which basically does the same thing for no $$$, it’s what saved me when I thought I could just deselect using icloud drive and presto all my files from my desktop went away. So obviously the next move after restoring all of that was to hunt for how to turn icloud off and that brought me here, not exactly up to OS Monterey but close enough.
I really hate it when the so called Mac OS help app doesn’t tell you what will happen if you do this or you get no results because you didn’t word your search correctly. I’m just lucky that I’ve had to figure out so many things regarding any imac computer past to present that I don’t totally freak out, but you still worry that you can’t undo an action you took based on the help app. It also doesn’t help when you do what it says but the results don’t match what you should be seeing.
So I’m waiting until icloud restores all of my files before I try adding the .tmp to my folders. I have nothing to hide but hate the way icloud basically owns my files until I stop it from doing so. My pics and music belong to me and I’m not going to pay Apple to do whatever I want with them, hell a person can just send files to their Chrome email for nothing and rest assured that if anything goes wrong with their computer it will all be in Chrome emails cloud.

By: pablo

pablo — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 17:50:56 +0000

soemething weird is happening after doing this
I have the “desktop and documents” item unchecked as you guided.
But even though then I deleted both folders, after a some minutes it starts sincing again.

Even stranger the Size count is huge despite my desktop being empty.

how can I stop this loop?

thanks for your help

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 17:45:52 +0000

If I understand properly, if set up, iCloud Drive will ALWAYS save your desktop and documents folders. Right? It’s all or nothing, right? That means one can’t save only selected files to iCloud Drive, right?

For most people, this means that the free iCloud space will not be sufficient, and they will need to pay for the additional storage (ie: upgrade to a larger amount of space). This is a way for Apple to monetize the iCloud Drive function, and force people to pay for storage. I guess one can’t blame Apple. They have to somehow have revenue in order to offer and maintain this service.

By: deb baas

deb baas — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 22:47:50 +0000

I am a basic apple computer person and the document syncing thing is ridiculous for the average person to try to stop. I just want to unclick a box saying ‘stay on the Mac’ but no it disappears and you have to recover it.

Surely this is a major fault. One should be able to specify simply where documents should be saved.
There just be an easier way as trying to click a file open to recover just doesn’t happen without some complicated way of doing it.

please help. Over 60 here doing her best.

thanks

By: Chips Reid

Chips Reid — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:27:29 +0000

thanks for this

By: Edgar

Edgar — Sun, 20 Dec 2020 13:23:57 +0000

For the longest time I thought iCloud was an independent cloud storage. Meaning I can delete items/files off my devices and they will remain in iCloud. However that’s not the case. Am I correct?

By: Josef

Josef — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 08:35:50 +0000

Hi,
thanks for article. But it’s not working. Even I use .tmp or .nosync it’s still syncing with my laptops, the folders are only invisible, but they still use the space of my iMac and MacBook PRO.
Do I’m doing something wrong or Apple iCloud change the way how this two words are used?
Thanks for reply. J.

By: John

John — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 05:54:42 +0000

That was very helpful, thank you!

By: Mandy

Mandy — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 20:10:10 +0000

My iCloud Drive stores everything locally, but I don’t want that. What I want, is that I drag files into the cloud, and they just stay there. I can download them to my computer when I need them, but I don’t want them locally on my laptop. My iCloud/iCloud Drive seems to download everything to my MacBook, but I can’t afford to use up that space, as I have the smallest disk size. Can anyone help me make sure the files get stored in the cloud, and not on my laptop.

By: Elizabeth Jones

Elizabeth Jones — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 16:27:21 +0000

In reply to Gaspar.

HI Gaspar,

When you turn off iCloud Desktop and Document syncing, you should get a message letting you know that all the documents remain on your iCloud Drive. You can then download those items and place them in whatever folder you wish.

Also, once you turn off iCloud Desktop and Document syncing, macOS creates a new & local Desktop and Documents folder on your Mac inside your home folder.

Visit your iCloud Drive to download any files stored there to your Mac. You can use iCloud Drive on iCloud.com, select the files you want to download and click the Download button in the iCloud Drive toolbar.

The files are by default saved to your Downloads folder, however, you can specify which folder you want to save to in your web browser’s preference or option settings. For Safari, open Safari > Preferences > General > File download location

By: Gaspar

Gaspar — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 18:52:13 +0000

Thanks for this information!
I still have a doubt: does turning off syncing of iCloud drive mean my files are deleted and I have to download them from the cloud? Or are they still somewhere on my hard drive?

By: HKNC27

HKNC27 — Tue, 21 Apr 2020 17:54:01 +0000

The reason so many people are confused about turning off the synchronization with the Desktop and Documents folders IS BECAUSE APPLE IS DOING THIS WRONG.

The correct way to do it is, NOTHING get synchronized until you have completed the setup.

Then, and only then should the files you put into iCloud Drive be synchronized.

In my case, my Documents folder is larger than what you can sync to the iCloud Drive. iCloud deleting files from your computer is double crazy.

I don’t want to synchronize everything. I just want to have ONE folder for the files that I do want to synchronize. Apple makes this difficult.

With the new 3 device limit from Dropbox, people are looking for alternatives. The problem is, Apple makes it difficult, (but not impossible) to duplicate the terrific / super easy way Dropbox works.

By: Elizabeth Jones

Elizabeth Jones — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 18:58:24 +0000

In reply to Brad Herrick. Your home folder is the folder you find in your Mac's Users folder that uses the account name you are currently logged into. To easily locate it, use Command-Shift-H.

By: Elizabeth Jones

Elizabeth Jones — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 18:49:24 +0000

In reply to Brad Herrick. Hi Brad, If your Mac uses macOS Catalina, find iCloud in your Apple ID settings via System Preferences. You should be able to toggle off all of iCloud services there.

By: Brad Herrick

Brad Herrick — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 18:20:23 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth Jones. Where is "your user's home folder?" When I cut off iCloud, no such folder was created...i even searched. And still when I put stuff in the desktop, it goes to iCloud. Arrrrrrrghhh.

By: Brad Herrick

Brad Herrick — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 18:17:19 +0000

My system preferences do not have an iCloud icon. Now what?

What I want to do is uninstall the piece of crap.

I want my autonomous desktop and documents folders back, letting me choose what I want to back up and what I don’t.

I’m sure others have a legitimate need for it, but I only have the mac, so absolutely NOTHING in iCloud is beneficial.

By: PJ

PJ — Sat, 15 Feb 2020 15:41:04 +0000

What if just turned on iCloud, so now files are in the iCloud folder with the up arrow showing they are still synching, and then turn it off? So all files are NOT in the icloud yet. Where are they? How am I sure that I can get all my files back by moving or copying them to new local folders? Is there a difference between moving or copying?

By: helena

helena — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 14:09:50 +0000

In reply to Elizabeth Jones. Yes, thank you. I apologize...I did see this comment posted prior that answered my question :)