Tired of Everything Syncing? Take Control of iCloud Uploads on Your Mac!

iCloud Drive offers seamless syncing across your Apple devices, but sometimes you need to keep certain files or folders exclusively on your Mac. Whether it's for privacy, storage management, or workflow reasons, macOS provides several methods to prevent specific items from uploading to iCloud. Understanding these options gives you granular control over your cloud storage.

Highlights: Key Ways to Stop Specific iCloud Uploads

Use the ".nosync" Trick: Add the .nosync extension to any file or folder name to instantly exclude it from iCloud syncing.
Move Items Locally: Simply drag files or folders out of your iCloud Drive directory (including Desktop and Documents if synced) into a local-only folder on your Mac.
Adjust Folder Sync Settings: Prevent entire categories like "Desktop & Documents Folders" from syncing via your Mac's System Settings.

Method 1: The ".nosync" Extension - A Simple Exclusion Tag

Tell iCloud Exactly What Not to Sync

One of the most direct ways to prevent a specific file or folder from syncing to iCloud Drive is by adding a special extension to its name. This method signals to macOS that the item should remain local.

How It Works

Locate the file or folder in Finder that you want to keep off iCloud.
Right-click (or Control-click) the item and choose "Rename".
Append .nosync to the end of the existing name (e.g., change MyProjectFolder to MyProjectFolder.nosync or Report.docx to Report.docx.nosync).
Press Enter to confirm the name change.

Once renamed, the file or folder will display a small icon with a cloud crossed out, visually confirming that it will no longer sync with iCloud. Its contents will remain solely on your Mac's local storage. To re-enable syncing later, simply remove the .nosync extension by renaming the item again.

Advantages

Highly specific – affects only the item you rename.
Easily reversible by removing the extension.
Works for both individual files and entire folders (including their contents).

Method 2: Relocate Files to Local Storage

Keep Files Off iCloud by Moving Them Out

iCloud Drive only syncs items located within its designated folders. If you move a file or folder outside of these synced locations, it will no longer be uploaded to iCloud.

Steps to Relocate

Open Finder.
Navigate to your iCloud Drive folder, or if you have "Desktop & Documents Folders" syncing enabled, go to your Desktop or Documents folder.
Locate the file(s) or folder(s) you wish to stop syncing.
Create a new folder in a location that is not part of iCloud Drive. Good options include your Home folder (the one with the house icon and your username) or a dedicated "Local Files" folder you create there.
Drag the desired items from the iCloud-synced location (iCloud Drive, Desktop, Documents) into the new local-only folder.

Once moved, these files will exist only on your Mac's hard drive and will not be uploaded to or accessible via iCloud on other devices. Ensure the files have fully downloaded from iCloud (if previously synced) before moving them if you need the latest version locally.

Method 3: Disable Syncing for Desktop & Documents Folders

Stop Broad Categories from Syncing

If the items you want to keep local reside primarily on your Desktop or in your Documents folder, and you don't need these entire locations synced, you can disable this specific feature of iCloud Drive.

Adjusting System Settings

The exact steps vary slightly depending on your macOS version:

For macOS Ventura and Later:

Click the Apple menu () > System Settings.
Click your Apple ID/Name at the top of the sidebar.
Select iCloud.
Click iCloud Drive.
Ensure iCloud Drive is turned on, then click Options... (or manage apps syncing).
Find and uncheck the box for Desktop & Documents Folders.
Confirm your choice. macOS will move the contents of these folders from iCloud Drive back to your local Home folder.

For macOS Monterey and Earlier:

Click the Apple menu () > System Preferences.
Click Apple ID (or iCloud in very old versions).
Select iCloud in the sidebar.
Click the Options... button next to iCloud Drive.
Uncheck the box for Desktop & Documents Folders.
Confirm your choice.

Important: When you disable this feature, macOS creates new, local Desktop and Documents folders in your Home directory. The previously synced files will remain in iCloud Drive under folders named "Desktop" and "Documents". You may need to manually move files from the iCloud Drive versions to your new local folders if you want them accessible directly from the standard Desktop/Documents locations again.

Visualizing Your Options: iCloud Sync Control Methods

To better understand how these primary methods compare, consider the following breakdown. Each approach offers different levels of specificity and impact on your overall iCloud usage.

This chart helps visualize the trade-offs: the .nosync method offers the highest precision with minimal side effects, while disabling Desktop & Documents sync is a broader change affecting many files at once but requires adjusting a system setting.

Understanding the Workflow: iCloud Sync Management Mindmap

Choosing the right method depends on your specific needs. This mindmap outlines the core strategies for controlling iCloud uploads from your Mac.

mindmap root["Stop Specific iCloud Uploads"] ["Targeted Exclusion"] [".nosync Extension"] ["Add to file/folder name"] ["Prevents sync"] ["Reversible"] ["Location-Based Control"] ["Move Out of iCloud Drive"] ["Place in local-only folder"] ["No longer synced"] ["Requires manual organization"] ["Broad Folder Control"] ["Disable Desktop & Docs Sync"] ["System Settings/Preferences"] ["Affects entire D&D folders"] ["Creates local D&D folders"] ["Other Considerations"] ["Third-Party Tools (e.g., MultCloud, TripMode)"] ["Advanced/Temporary Control"] ["Optimize Mac Storage Setting"] ["Can remove local copies"] ["Photos App Sync"] ["Separate controls in Photos settings"]

This visualization provides a quick overview of the decision paths you can take, from highly specific file tagging to broader folder-level settings.

Method Comparison Table

Here's a quick summary table comparing the primary built-in methods:

Method	How it Works	Best For	Specificity	Reversibility
.nosync Extension	Add `.nosync` to file/folder name.	Excluding individual files or specific project folders anywhere within iCloud Drive.	Very High (Single Item)	Easy (Remove extension)
Move to Local Folder	Drag item out of iCloud Drive (or synced Desktop/Documents) to a non-synced location (e.g., Home folder).	Keeping files completely separate from iCloud storage structure.	High (Item moved is excluded)	Easy (Move back if desired)
Disable Desktop & Documents Sync	Turn off the toggle in iCloud Drive settings.	Preventing the entire Desktop and/or Documents folders from syncing. Not suitable for excluding just one file within these folders.	Low (Affects entire folders)	Moderate (Requires turning setting back on and potentially moving files)

Visual Guide: Managing iCloud Drive Settings

Navigating System Settings is key to managing iCloud Drive, especially for disabling Desktop & Documents sync. Below are examples of where you might find these controls (appearance may vary slightly by macOS version).

iCloud Settings Panel in macOS System Preferences/Settings

Option to disable Desktop & Documents Folders sync in iCloud Drive settings

The first image shows the general iCloud settings area within System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS). The second image highlights the specific checkbox or toggle used to control the syncing of the Desktop and Documents folders within the iCloud Drive options.

Video Guide: Understanding Desktop & Documents Sync

Disabling the Desktop & Documents sync feature is a significant change. This video explains the process and what happens to your files when you turn this feature off, helping you understand the implications before making the change.

Watching this guide can clarify how macOS handles the transition, where your files end up (both locally and in iCloud Drive), and how to manage them afterward. It's particularly useful if you're considering Method 3 described above.

Additional Considerations

Optimize Mac Storage

Be aware of the "Optimize Mac Storage" setting within iCloud Drive options. If enabled, macOS may remove local copies of less frequently used files that are safely stored in iCloud to save disk space. If you need certain files to *always* remain locally available (even if they *are* synced to iCloud), ensure this option is either disabled, or right-click the specific file/folder in Finder and choose "Download Now" to keep a local copy.

Photos App

Syncing for the Photos app is managed separately. To control photo uploads, open the Photos app, go to Photos > Settings (or Preferences) > iCloud tab, and adjust the "iCloud Photos" setting. Stopping a single photo from uploading typically involves not adding it to the library if iCloud Photos is enabled, or disabling the feature entirely.

Third-Party Tools

For more complex scenarios or temporary pausing of sync, tools like MultCloud (mentioned in Answer A for selective syncing between clouds, potentially adaptable) or TripMode (mentioned in Answer D for network blocking) exist. However, the built-in macOS methods are usually sufficient for stopping specific items from uploading.

Time Machine Backups

Remember that Time Machine primarily backs up files stored locally on your Mac. Files existing *only* in iCloud (due to "Optimize Mac Storage") might not be included in Time Machine backups. Ensure critical files you prevent from syncing, or those you keep local, are part of your backup strategy.