FAQs
iPhone
- Go to the Files app and tap Browse.
- Under Locations, tap iCloud Drive.
- Tap the More button. , then tap Select.
- Choose the file or folder that you want to remove.
- To delete the file or folder from iCloud Drive and all of your devices, tap the Delete button. . You can find it in Recently Deleted for 30 days.
How to Delete iCloud Drive Files on iPhone, Mac, Windows. You have to disable iCloud Drive first to stop syncing files to iCloud Drive, then you can delete files from iCloud Drive. Because iCloud Drive will still sync files to the cloud if you did not turn off iCloud Drive first, and you can't empty iCloud Drive.
How do I manage files in iCloud Drive? ›
On iCloud.com
- Sign in to iCloud.com.
- Open iCloud Drive.
- Find and select the file.
- Click Download at the top of the page or double-click the file. The document will be downloaded to your default download location.
- After making changes to the file, upload the saved copy back to iCloud Drive on a computer.
On iCloud.com, you can immediately and permanently remove files you deleted from iCloud Drive, iWork apps, or other apps within the last 30 days, whether you deleted them on iCloud.com or another device that has iCloud Drive turned on.
How do I permanently delete photos from iCloud Drive? ›
Delete photos and videos
- In Photos on iCloud.com, select the photos or videos you want to delete, or double-click a single photo or video.
- Click. ...
- To permanently delete photos or videos before they are automatically deleted, go to the Recently Deleted album, select the items you want to delete, then click Delete.
On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window, then click iCloud Drive in the sidebar. Drag the folder or file to the Trash, then click Delete.
How do I delete folders or files in iCloud Drive? ›
Delete files and folders from the iCloud website
- Open iCloud.com in a browser.
- Log in with your Apple ID.
- Click "iCloud Drive."
- To delete a folder, select it and then click the Delete icon.
- To delete files, double-click a folder.
- Hold down CTRL while clicking each file.
- Select the Delete icon.
To delete a shared drive file, the user must have role=organizer on the parent folder. If you're deleting a folder, all descendants owned by the user are also deleted. For more information, see Permissions.
Why can't I delete photos from iCloud Drive? ›
If the iCloud Photos feature is turned on, you can't do this because everything stays in sync. But you can delete photos from iCloud without affecting your devices if you turn off iCloud Photos syncing.
What is difference between iCloud and iCloud Drive? ›
What is iCloud Drive? While iCloud focuses on syncing and storing data across Apple devices, iCloud Drive is primarily a file storage and synchronization service. It offers similar features to iCloud but with a greater emphasis on file organization and management.
iCloud Drive shares your iCloud storage with iCloud Photos, iOS and iPadOS device backups, messages and attachments in iCloud Mail, and more. To get more space, do the following: Upgrade your storage. See Manage iCloud storage.
Are files in iCloud Drive save locally? ›
They are all stored locally and you can't alter that. iCloud is a syncing system, not an external storage system. If you delete them from the device/computer they will be deleted from iCloud.
Why is my iCloud storage full after deleting everything? ›
Backups of your devices are often the culprits behind a full iCloud storage space. It's entirely possible you had your old iPhone set to upload backups to the cloud automatically, and then never removed those files.
Why is it not letting me delete a folder? ›
Why you can't delete your folder? The most common cause for being unable to delete a folder is that it is a Windows system folder. In this scenario, the system blocks you from eliminating the folder since doing so may cause your PC to become unstable.
How do you delete a folder that won't let you delete it? ›
Use Shift + Delete to Force Delete File/Folder. You can select the target file or folder and press Shift + Delete keyboard shortcut to delete the file/folder permanently.
How do I delete a folder that won't delete Mac? ›
Delete an item from your Mac or iCloud Drive
If an item is locked, you need to confirm you want to move it to the Trash, or unlock the item before putting it in the Trash. To unlock the item first, select it, choose File > Get Info (or press Command-I), then deselect the Locked checkbox.
in the iCloudDrive toolbar.
in the iCloudDrive toolbar.