How to Manage iCloud Drive

1 Configure your Mac apps

In  > System Preferences > iCloud, click Options next to iCloud Drive in the list on the right. You’ll see a list of apps that store files and other data in iCloud Drive. Clear the box next to apps you don’t want data stored for.

2 Configure your iOS apps

On iOS, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Scroll down to the list of installed apps; toggle off any apps you don’t want data stored for in iCloud Drive. Note though that this might hinder some apps’ functionality.

3 Put your desktop online

You can have the same Desktop and Documents folders across compatible Macs, and access them from iOS devices and the web too. Click Options next to iCloud Drive, then tick Desktop & Documents Folders.

4 On the web

With those folders set to sync to iCloud, you can sign in at iCloud.com in a web browser on other computers. Click iCloud Drive, then open the Desktop or Documents folder to access files saved to those places on your Mac.

5 Low on local storage?

If your Mac is filling up, iCloud Drive can intelligently free up space: in its options, tick Optimise Mac Storage. It will try to keep files locally that it thinks you’ll need. Others are redownloadable by clicking their cloud icon.

6 Create Finder shortcuts

You don’t have to start at the top of iCloud Drive to find something. Just like regular folders on your Mac, you can drag folders from it to Finder’s sidebar or the right end of the Dock to create shortcuts.

7 Prompts when removing

Finder asks for confirmation if you try to move online files to your Mac’s local storage. If that gets annoying, go to Finder > Prefs > Advanced and turn off ‘Show warning before removing from iCloud Drive’.

8 Get more space

The space available on iCloud Drive is the capacity of your iCloud account minus other data stored in it (see tip, top right). To add more, go to iCloud’s prefs and click Manage, then Buy More Storage/Change Storage Plan.