If you accidentally Synced your Documents and Desktop Folders with iCloud

[Rod]

In a recent thread I posted that as part of the recent macOS Sonoma 14.1 update I had accidentally synced my Documents and Desktop Folders with iCloud: Updates to multiple OSes

After due consideration I decided to undo that setting and had a little trouble finding current instructions and more importantly, a description of what would happen when I did.

I wanted current information that would describe the process for Sonoma not years old data for macOS Big Sur, Catalina or older.

Yes, I did check the macOS User Guide; Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive but the focus is mostly on Syncing rather than "unsyncing" and I found it's description a little lacking in details of what to expect.

What I did find was this article; How to Disable iCloud Sync for Desktop and Documents Folders on Mac - TheFastCode

This provides a pictorial guide of the process dated May 2nd 2023 so, for Ventura and even here there are some differences in the actual process eg, there is no popup "Click “Show in Finder” to see the Documents and Desktop folders stored in iCloud Drive."

None the less it is a pretty simple process requiring you to turn off syncing for the D & D Folders in iCloud Drive, as described in both articles.

You will then notice that the regular D & D folders now appear again in the Finder Sidebar, but they are empty.

Go to iCloud Drive in the Sidebar, open, go to Documents, open and Select All files.
Open another Finder Window from the File Menu and open the empty Documents Folder.
Drag the selected documents from the iCloud Drive Folder to the empty Documents Folder and you're done.
NB: You could just move a few selected files leaving some in iCloud Drive and some in your Mac.

They will then disappear from iCloud Drive and be almost instantly available in your regular Documents Folder.

Do exactly the same for the Desktop Folder.

*The Documents and Desktop Folders will remain in iCloud Drive, even if empty, there is no need to remove them.

 

[IWT]

A superb summary, Rod, of how easy it is to activate the process of syncing "Documents and Desktop Folders" with iCloud.

And even more important: how to unsync/disable that process.

Thank you.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

Rod, I think you left out the word "Wait" in that description. It can take a while for the files to be downloaded if they have, in fact, been moved to the cloud.

Drag the selected documents from the iCloud Drive Folder to the empty Documents Folder, WAIT, and you're done.

If not many have been moved, the WAIT can be short, but if most of them are moved, it can take a while, depending on the internet speed for the individual user.

 

[Rod]

I suppose so, but honestly they appeared instantly in my folder and only a couple of moments later I was able to open several large documents.
There are a few things about this process that puzzle me. I read in one of the articles while searching for a description of the process that the files are not actually removed, Just moved to a different directory, at least not in Sonoma which is why I wanted a current description of what to expect.
In support of this my MBP free storage did not change when I turned Sync D & D Folders off. I had 147GB before and I still have 147GB.

 

[MacInWin]

I suppose so, but honestly they appeared instantly in my folder and only a couple of moments later I was able to open several large documents.
There are a few things about this process that puzzle me. I read in one of the articles while searching for a description of the process that the files are not actually removed, Just moved to a different directory, at least not in Sonoma which is why I wanted a current description of what to expect.
In support of this my MBP free storage did not change when I turned Sync D & D Folders off. I had 147GB before and I still have 147GB.

I think it depends on how long the toggle was selected. Eviction of files from the Mac to the cloud is a low-priority task. Here is a good article on what it is doing:

macOS Sonoma has changed iCloud Drive radically

The small stub files used as placeholders for files evicted to iCloud Drive have vanished. Could that be why some Macs had to download the whole contents of their iCloud Drive?

eclecticlight.co

Particularly read the Postscript about dataless files.

 

[Rod]

Thank you so much Jake. I can't say I fully understand the implications of the whole article but as you said, the "dataless files" bit in the postscript makes sense and explains what I observed, I think.