Can I use iCloud Drive like an external drive?

I would like to use iCloud Drive to store my stuff (docs, videos, photos etc) but I don't what these same files occupying storage on my local hard disk.
Is it possible to use iCloud Drive to upload files that I want stored there and then simply download them when needed. Or...
...can I be selective with which files/folders sync and which don't?

What's on your computer is a phantom listing. The only space it uses is that needed for the entries.
That's only for files from apps that can save directly to the iCloud drive, Numbers, Pages, etc. If you add local files/folders to the iCloud Drive folder locally
the files just get moved to that folder which is in the ~Library/Mobile Documents folder and remain on the hard drive while also being copied to the iCloud Driver servers for access by other devices. However, those files must be downloaded to the other devices before they can be viewed or used on that device. They can't be viewed or otherwise accessed at iCloud.com.
So if one were to drag several folders of files into the iCloud Drive window as shown above all it's doing is moving them to a different location and copying them to the iCloud drive. There's no saving of space on the hard drive.

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Can I use iCloud Drive online only?

Can I use iCloud Drive online only? I don't want to store everything on my macbook pro. I only have 128 GB SSD and I don't want to fill it up with photos, music, etc. I still want to see everything in finder in the iCloud Drive folder, but I don't want it to be saved on my macbook.

Yes I know, but I want it to be used as external storage, not something where I store copies of stuff that I have already on my macbook
But iCloud Drive is not an external storage. It is a common storage that is synced and shared between all connected devices, and it is always available, even when you are not connected to the internet.
What you want to do is not possible with iCloud Drive.

I am using Windows Vista running ver 9 of Internet Explorer. Can I use iCloud drive with my PC?

I am running Windows Vista Business on my PC. I have ver 9 of Internet Explorer. Can I use iCloud drive on my machine?

Has any one helped you?

Can i use icloud drive across different apple id's?

My wife and I have different Apple id's and we want to work on the same documents. If I save them to my iCloud she can't see them. How do I share the documents between us both? Thanks

No, you will have to share those documents using other means, Dropbox, etc.

I would like to use iCloud drive on my iPhone instead of dropbox but there is no app. Any suggestions??

Hi -
I would like to use iCloud drive on my iPhone and access all my files. I can do that very easily using Dropbox but I cannot find an app for iCloud Drive that works the same way. Am I overlooking something?????

For individual Apps to access iCloud drive, the APP Developer must set that up. If it is not an option in a specific application that you use, you should submit feedback to the App Developer to add the feature.
HTH

Can i use time capsule as a external hard drive

can i use time capsule as a external hard drive

Not plugged in by USB if that is what you were thinking.
You can store files on the TC but you should NOT.
Store files on the TC.
This is asked several times a day.. obviously people are struggling with their latest SSD being too small.
The TC is not suitable for network file server.. but many people having no choice press it into service as such.
Major issues.
1. No backup.. no way Time Machine can backup a network drive. No place to backup to.. So all your files will be at risk. And you will need to buy a third party like CCC to do backup.
2. The TC cannot be partitioned and mixing TM backups and data is not great. It was and is and ever shall be a backup device for Time Machine.
3. The drive is slow to spin up and quick to spin down.. there is no control. In fact the TC is so lacking in controls for even the router side.. that you cannot do more than the most basic of setups.
The following are controls on the hard disk side.
Reformat it. You can name the share. You can do a full archive of the whole disk. This will go at a speed of aprox. 30-50GB/Hr so calculate how long an archive of a full 2TB will take.
4. iPhoto in particular can easily corrupt its entire library with wireless networking causing a disconnection to one photo. Even if you do this;;; do not move your photo library... you have been warned!!
Even apple btw say don’t do it.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5168 Although mostly about FAT32 it adds network drives.
5. iTunes can constantly lose connection to the library. The disk is slow to respond.. itunes on the computer will constantly spit out errors. Even in the midst of streaming the TC can spin down the disk due to caching.
6. Do not use any live files on the TC no matter what else you do.. if you edit files in whatever program the file must be on the local hard disk.
7. The only suitable location for most libraries is a computer. You can plug in an external hard disk.
Read pondini for some work arounds.
Q3 here. http://pondini.org/TM/Time_Capsule.html

Can you use your iPod as an external hard drive?

Sorry if this has been posted before . . .
I have a 160GB iPod and like with most people, my iPod is larger than my laptop and subsequently I am running out of free space on my laptop due to all the movies and music.
I’m not so worried about the music, but I would like to remove the burnt movies from my laptop, but leave them on my iPod. Is there any way of using the iPod like an external hard drive? If I delete the movies from my laptop – the iPod tries to Sync and I lose everything?
Thanks in advance,

Thanks Chris,
When I use iTunes through the normal sync window
Devices > Ipod > movies
and select ‘Sync - selected movies’ and tick the ones to sync it removes the un-ticked items from my iPod. If I tick all of them and sync (and the movie has been removed from my hard-drive) it brings up an error message saying ‘the movie or data file cannot be found’.
I would be happy to use iTunes to store the movies, but I think I am missing a step.
Appreciate the help,

Can i use icloud as storage and delete pictures from macbook?

My macbook is currently full. I would like to know if i can move all photos/videos to icloud then delete them from macbook. My fear is the backup would run and realize they were not on the macbook then delete them from the cloud.

I would like to know if i can move all photos/videos to icloud then delete them from macbook
You cannot save space on your Mac by moving documents and photos to iCloud, because iCloud Drive will create shadow copies of every file it stores on your Mac. iCloud Drive is meant to keep all your documents updated on all devices. (see this link: iCloud Drive FAQ) Using iCloud Drive you will need as much space as before, the advantage is that the drive will look the same on all your devices. To save storage on your Mac get yourself an external drive and move your photos to that drive. And make sure your new drive will be included in your Time Machine backup.
Before you delete any files from your Mac, make sure, that you have at least one working backup and can read the moved files on the new drive.

Can you share iCloud drive storage with family members?

Seems like this would be a common question but Apple Support search came up empty. So, can you share iCloud drive storage with family members?

Welcome to the Apple Community.
You can share they space if they all use the same Apple ID, but that's not really a good idea, because you'll then share contacts, calendars, photos etc etc.

Can I use iCloud for backup?

Can I use iCloud for backup?

To back up all your data you are better off getting an external hard drive. For details on iCould, read: http://www.apple.com/icloud/.

Can i use iCloud keychain with my own passwords and not with what is assigned and stored?

Can i use iCloud keychain with my own passwords and not with what is assigned and stored?

tammersalem wrote:) <-HDMI-> (HDTV)
My main concerns are:
-If I use iTunes on my main computer, will it then be available to Apple TV?
-If I use Apple TV to download will it be available to my Main computer?
-Can the Apple TV use a media server for storage over LAN (using NTFS Samab or otherwise)?
Basically iTunes feeds AppleTv with media either syncing (copying to it) or streaming live.
Media must be compatible with AppleTV.
AppleTV requires a proper iTunes instance running - it cannot access a NAS directly.
If you store media in a folder on a NAS and it's part of the computer iTunes library (just stored on the NAS vs internal/external drive), then when running iTunes makes this content available to AppleTV.
Data will travel:
NAS > network > iTunes > network to AppleTV
As the path is potentially slower than internal/external attached drive > iTunes > network > AppleTV, it may or may not work robustly for streaming.
If AppleTv is set to sync (it can also stream in this mode), when you purchase direct on AppleTV, the media should sync back to where the itunes library is stored (via iTunes) to keep things in sync and to allow you to backup the media.
You cannot drag/drop media to/from AppleTv across the network, nor can it directly access storage itself - iTunes is an essential cog in the wheel.
The majority of commercial 'in-built iTunes media servers' will not work directly with AppleTV as it has to be 'paired' with iTunes by entering a numerical code in iTunes and does not simply see 'shared libraries'.

How can I make iCloud Drive sync?

Hi everyone,
I would very much like to use iCloud Drive but I can't get it to sync reliably. Last night I deleted 34 presentations from my iCloud Keynote folder on my MacBook Pro. This morning I booted up my iMac and the files were still there after an hour. Why were they not deleted when I started up my iMac? A few weeks ago I did a bigger experiment where I moved a number of project folders from the Documents folder of my home iMac to my iCloud Drive. Hours later on my iMac at work, most of the files were still not there (my work iMac is on all the time). I worked on one of the files, and when I got back home, it was not updated.
Any advice on how I can get iCloud Drive to work properly? I can't use it if it is this unreliable.
Gregory

That is not supported. iCloud Drive is not meant as a "remote only" storage or backup, its main purpose is to give you access to all your documents across all devices and to update the documents across all devices. The local shadow copies will ensure that you have access to your document, even if you are not connected to the internet.
See: iCloud Drive FAQ

I am using iPhoto '09 Version 8.1.2 but can not use iCloud with it. I've looked for updates in iPhoto and iLife'11 but no luck. Suggestions very welcome.

I am using iPhoto '09 Version 8.1.2 but can not use iCloud with it. I've looked for updates in iPhoto and iLife'11 but no luck. Suggestions very welcome.

No you won't necessarily lose your photos when upgrading but it's very very unwise not to back up first. Backing up is like using a seat belt in a car. You can drive without one for years and have no issues, but if you do have a problem the outcome will be a lot worse. So, too, with back ups. And upgrading is one of those times when the risks of a problem are higher.
Most Simple Back Up:
Drag the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to another Disk. This will make a copy on that disk.
Slightly more complex: Use an app that will do incremental back ups. This is a very good way to work. The first time you run the back up the app will make a complete copy of the Library. Thereafter it will update the back up with the changes you have made. That makes subsequent back ups much faster. Many of these apps also have scheduling capabilities: So set it up and it will do the back up automatically.
Example of such apps: Chronosync - but there are many others. Search on MacUpdate or the App Store

Can I move iCloud Drive folder to my Time Capsule?

Can I move iCloud Drive folder to my Time Capsule?
I have 250Gb storage on my Macbook, but plan to by the 500Gb storage plan from Apple. To do that I'd need to used the iCloud Drive folder on an larger external hard drive, instead of my own Macbook...
Does anyone knows if that can be done?
I also use Drop Box and it's local drive can be 'move' to an external HD easily...
Tks!

The iCloud Drive folder is is stored in your user library, in the folder ~/Library/Mobile Documents
If you want to move this folder to an external drive, you would have to relocate your home folder there. Moving the home folder is supported, but not moving parts of the user library.
But that would not be practical on a portable Mac to move the home folder to an external drive, because you could not log in without connecting the external drive.

How to use iCloud drive on my iPad

Hi,
I thought there was an app for iCloud drive, like Dropbox - but there isn't
So my question is how do I open a document from iCloud Drive or save to it?
I am from Denmark, so I am a little unsure if iCloud drive is available for me.
When I open Pages or Keynote I do not get the Document Picker/File Manager we see on
the screenshots about iCloud Drive. So.... what am I missing?
I need a step-by-step guide or some screenshots
Hope someone can help me out...

Hi again bobseufert
so there was this update on pages, keynote and numbers... When I opened pages it asked me if I wanted to use icloud drive - but I still don't get this document picker Do you experienced the same? Just want to make sure I am not missing anything..

Can I use iCloud Drive like an external drive?

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