Why Can't I Drag + Drop File From iCloud to Desktop?

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Why Can't I Drag + Drop File From iCloud to Desktop?

I am trying to clean up iCloud folders. I'm using my iMac. I have old files in Pages folders and lots of photos and PDFs etc. I want to grab a bunch and drag get out to my desktop to sort. But it won't let me. These files are on my iPhone, not this computer, so there's no duplicates. What am I missing? Why can't I just drag files from iCloud to clean things up? Having a bad Apple day. Every basic task I want to do has roadblocks. Help!

iMac 27″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Aug 2, 2022 6:30 PM

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Answer 1

Todd0213

Community Specialist

Aug 4, 2022 1:53 PM in response to peter4good

Hello peter4good,

It sounds as though you're wanting to manage your iCloud storage by saving photos and files to your Mac from iCloud. To confirm, do you have iCloud Drive enabled in System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud? If so, click "Options" to see if you have a check mark next to Desktop & Documents Folders. If so, it's possible your files are already in the Desktop or Documents folder you're attempting to drag the files too.

If you're wanting to clear the storage on iCloud but save your files to your Mac, you may find the following article helpful.

Archive or make copies of the information you store in iCloud

If iCloud Drive is enabled on your Mac, you may want to consider disabling that feature to prevent any data loss when attempting to move or save your documents. You can also find great information about managing your iCloud storage via the link below.

Manage your iCloud storage

Take care!

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Why Can't I Drag + Drop File From iCloud to Desktop?

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