Move iCloud Drive to external drive?

I am running short of storage space on the internal Mac mini ssd. However, I would like my iCloud Drive to sync fully (not partially) to that Mac.


Is it possible to change the storage location so the iCloud Drive is actually pointing to an external ssd (eg., `/Volume/blah/Mobile Documents/iCloud Drive`) and uses that as its storage?



Posted on Feb 6, 2025 04:35 AM

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Feb 6, 2025 04:57 AM in response to eclipseguru

Nope, macOS doesn’t let you move iCloud Drive to an external drive natively. It always syncs to your internal ~/Library/Mobile Documents folder.


A workaround is to offload files manually by using the Optimize Mac Storage option (System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud Drive). Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can try symlinking the iCloud Drive folder to an external SSD, but it’s risky—macOS might break the link or stop syncing properly. Best bet? Free up internal storage or use selective sync with iCloud’s “Download on Demand” feature.

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Move iCloud Drive to external drive?

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