Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive

Acquire how to share your files from your Mac Desktop and your Documents binder to all of your devices with iCloud Bulldoze.

Desktop of a MacBook Air running macOS Big Sur showing iCloud Drive. And an iPhone 12 Pro running iOS 14 showing the iCloud Drive Desktop.

Plough on Desktop and Documents

Turn on Desktop and Documents on every Mac that you desire to use with iCloud Bulldoze.

  1. From your Mac, choose Apple carte du jour  > System Preferences. Click Apple tree ID, and then click iCloud. In macOS Mojave or before, cull Apple carte  > System Preferences, and so click iCloud.
  2. Brand certain that iCloud Drive is turned on.
  3. Next to iCloud Bulldoze, click Options.
  4. Choose Desktop & Documents Folders.
    iCloud Drive Options screen on a Mac that shows the Desktop & Documents Folders option selected.
  5. Click Done.

If you want to shop your files in iCloud Bulldoze and another cloud storage service, you lot tin can keep copies of your files in both, but you can't keep folders from a tertiary-party cloud service in iCloud Drive. You can keep your other cloud service folders in a different place on your Mac, similar the home folder.

If you already use a characteristic from some other deject provider that syncs or manages your Desktop and Documents folders, you need to turn it off to use Desktop and Documents.

Notice your Desktop and Documents files on all of your devices

When yous add your Desktop and Documents to iCloud Bulldoze, all of your files motility to iCloud and any new files you create are automatically stored in iCloud too. Then you lot can find your files on all of your devices.

Your files upload to iCloud each fourth dimension your device connects to the Internet. Depending on your Cyberspace speed, the time information technology takes for yous to run across your files on your other devices might vary.

On your Mac

You can find your Desktop and Documents folders in the iCloud section of the Finder sidebar. If you add a second Mac Desktop, you lot can notice those files in the Desktop binder in iCloud Drive. Look for a folder with the aforementioned proper name as your second Mac. You can also utilize Spotlight to search for specific file names.

On your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

You tin notice the files in the Files app in iOS 11 or later on. You can use any compatible app to access and edit your files directly on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

If yous're using iOS 9 or iOS x, yous can access your files in the iCloud Drive app.

On iCloud.com

  1. Sign in to iCloud.com with your Apple ID on your iPad, Mac, or PC.
  2. Become to iCloud Drive.
  3. Double-click the Desktop or Documents folder.

If yous desire to employ the file or make edits, just click and download information technology to your iPad or reckoner. When you're done making edits, upload the file to iCloud Drive to run into the latest version everywhere.

Store your files in iCloud and save space on your device

The files that you keep in iCloud Drive use your iCloud storage. And as long as you have enough infinite in iCloud, you can store equally many files every bit yous like.

If you need more space, you tin delete files to gratis up space in iCloud. When you employ iCloud Drive and delete a file on one device, it deletes on every device that you're signed in to with the same Apple tree ID. You tin find deleted files in the Recently Deleted folder in the Files app or on iCloud.com for 30 days. After that, they're removed.

Learn more about how to manage your iCloud storage.

Turn off Desktop and Documents

  1. From your Mac, cull Apple bill of fare  > System Preferences. Click Apple tree ID, then click iCloud. On macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple tree menu  > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
  2. Next to iCloud Bulldoze, click Options.
  3. Deselect Desktop & Documents Folders.
  4. Click Done.

What happens when you turn off Desktop and Documents

When you plow off Desktop & Documents Folders, your files stay in iCloud Drive and a new Desktop and Documents folder is created on your Mac in the home folder. Y'all tin can motion files from iCloud Drive to your Mac as you demand them, or select all of your files and drag them to the place you desire to keep them.

What happens when y'all plough off iCloud Drive or sign out of iCloud

If you plough off iCloud Bulldoze or sign out of iCloud, a new Desktop and Documents binder is created in your home folder. You also have the option to keep a local copy of your files that are in iCloud Drive. If y'all keep a local copy of your files in iCloud Drive, they're copied to a folder called iCloud Drive (Archive) in your home binder. Yous tin movement whatsoever files that were in your iCloud Desktop and Documents to your new local Desktop and Documents.

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