The Cloud Takeover
macOS offers deep integration with iCloud Drive, Apple’s cloud storage service. During the initial setup of a new Mac (or after a major OS update), macOS frequently prompts users to enable a feature that automatically syncs the contents of their “Desktop” and “Documents” folders to iCloud. By default, this effectively moves your local files into the cloud. If you regularly save massive video project files to your Desktop, or store gigabytes of raw data in your Documents folder, this automatic syncing will rapidly consume your iCloud storage quota and choke your local internet bandwidth with constant uploads.
Isolating Your Local Files
To reclaim your local storage hierarchy and stop macOS from automatically syncing your Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud Drive, you must disable the specific iCloud configuration.
Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings. At the very top of the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on your Apple ID profile name. In the right-hand panel, click on iCloud, then click on iCloud Drive. Look for the toggle switch explicitly labelled Desktop & Documents Folders. If your files are syncing, this will be turned on. Click the toggle to turn it Off. A warning prompt will appear stating that your files will be removed from your Mac and kept only in iCloud. Do not panic. Click “Turn Off.” Your Desktop will appear empty. Open a Finder window, navigate to the “iCloud Drive” section in the sidebar, find your Desktop/Documents folders there, and manually drag all your files back to your local home folder.