Store files in iCloud Drive on Mac
With iCloud Drive, you can safely store all kinds of documents in iCloud, and access them from any of your devices and on the web at iCloud.com.
You can use iCloud Drive on Mac computers (OS X 10.10 or later), iOS devices (iOS 8 or later), iPadOS devices and Windows computers with iCloud for Windows (Windows 7 or later required). You must be signed in to the same Apple Account on all your devices, and they must meet the minimum system requirements. See the Apple Support article System requirements for iCloud.
Note: If you have devices with iCloud Drive turned off, documents and data on those devices aren’t kept up to date with documents and data on your devices with iCloud Drive turned on.
To set up iCloud Drive on the web, an iPhone, an iPad or a Windows computer, see Set up iCloud Drive on all your devices in the iCloud User Guide.
Set up iCloud Drive
If you haven’t yet set up iCloud Drive on this Mac, you can do it now in iCloud settings.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
If you don’t see your name, click “Sign in,” enter your Apple Account email address or phone number, then enter your password.
Click iCloud, click Drive, then turn on “Sync this Mac”.
Click Done.
Store your Desktop and Documents folders in iCloud Drive
You can have all the files in your Desktop and Documents folders stored automatically in iCloud Drive. That way, you can save files right where you usually keep them and they become available on all your devices and iCloud.com.
WARNING: When you turn on iCloud Drive to update your Desktop and Documents folders, you may need to turn off any other third-party app or cloud service that syncs those folders. Syncing by other third-party apps or cloud services can interfere with or stop the updating performed by iCloud Drive. See Store your folders with a third party.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
If you don’t see your name, click “Sign in,” enter your Apple Account email address or phone number, then enter your password.
Click iCloud, click Drive, then make sure iCloud Drive is turned on.
Turn on Desktop & Documents Folders.
Click Done.
After you turn on Desktop & Documents Folders, your Desktop and Documents folders are moved into iCloud Drive. They also appear in the iCloud section of the Finder sidebar on your Mac, and in the Files app on your iPhone or iPad. See the Apple Support article Find files on your iPhone or iPad in the Files app.
Tip: You can quickly view the sync status of iCloud Drive on your Mac. Hold the pointer over iCloud Drive in the Finder sidebar, then click the status or information icon.
Store older documents in iCloud when space is needed
Your Mac can automatically store documents in iCloud when more space is needed. If space is not needed, the full contents of iCloud Drive remain on your Mac.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
If you don’t see your name, click “Sign in,” enter your Apple Account email address or phone number, then enter your password.
Click iCloud, click Drive, then make sure iCloud Drive is turned on.
Turn on Optimise Mac Storage.
Click Done.
If you can’t move or save a document to iCloud Drive
If you can’t move or save a document to iCloud Drive, your iCloud storage space may be full. The document stays on your Mac, and is uploaded to iCloud Drive when space becomes available.
iCloud Drive shares your iCloud storage with iCloud Photos, iPhone and iPad backups, messages and attachments in iCloud Mail, and more.
To get more space, do the following:
Upgrade your storage. See Manage iCloud storage.
Remove items you don’t need to store in iCloud Drive.