by Tim Hardwick
In iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple has added a new "Keep Downloaded" option when browsing items in iCloud, allowing users to designate which files and folders should remain permanently available locally on their device.
In previous versions of iOS and macOS, users had limited control over which files and folders were kept offline. iCloud's automatic management system would offload files from the device to free up space, potentially removing files that you might want to keep available at all times.
Apple offered no straightforward way to prevent this – until now. In macOS Sequoia, when browsing iCloud Drive in Finder, right-clicking a file or folder reveals the new "Keep Downloaded" option. When enabled, the cloud symbol next to the item is opaque instead of transparent, indicating that it will remain on the device.
In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, the same option can be found in the Files app when a file or folder is long pressed to bring up the contextual menu. Users can now explicitly mark files to remain on their device, regardless of how much storage they take up.
The ability to prevent iCloud items from being offloaded should be particularly welcomed by users who need to frequently access documents or files during travel or in areas with poor connectivity. macOS Sequoia, iOS 18, and iPadOS 18 are available in a beta capacity right now, and are limited to developers. The new option should be available to all users when the software launches to the public this fall.
Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Tag: iCloud
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+
[ 52 comments ]
Popular Stories
Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max and More
Tuesday June 25, 2024 12:35 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware update for several products, including the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2, the first-generation AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max, the second and third-generation AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro, and the PowerBeats Pro. The second-generation AirPods Pro models, the PowerBeats Pro, and the Beats Fit Pro now have firmware version 6F8, up from 6F7,...
Read Full Article • 50 comments
Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 2
Monday June 24, 2024 12:52 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released the second betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to developers, and the software adds support for new features that Apple is working on, plus it tweaks some of the interface changes that have been made in the updates. Apple will refine iOS 18 over the course of the next few months, with multiple changes and refinements expected from now until September. We've highlighted...
Alleged First Look at Apple Watch X / Series 10 With 2-Inch Display
Wednesday June 26, 2024 2:44 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is rumored to be planning a revamp of the Apple Watch for the device's tenth anniversary, and 91mobiles claims to have sourced CAD renders of what could be the "Apple Watch X" or Apple Watch Series 10 from industry insiders. The site claims that the renders are of a "larger" model featuring a 2-inch display. The current Apple Watch Series 9 has a 1.7-inch display, while the Apple Watch ...
Read Full Article • 160 comments
iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro
Wednesday June 26, 2024 6:59 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple's upcoming iOS 18 software update is packed with features for supported iPhones, but it also promises to make your AirPods Pro experience better with a handful of sophisticated new capabilities that draw from machine learning improvements and AI enhancements. The following five AirPods Pro features are expected to arrive later this year, when iOS 18 is released to the general public in ...
Read Full Article • 42 comments
iOS 18 RCS Support Rolling Out to Beta Users
Tuesday June 25, 2024 2:59 pm PDT by Juli Clover
With the second beta of iOS 18 that came out yesterday, Apple added an RCS toggle, but RCS messaging was not working at that time. RCS support appears to now be rolling out, based on reports from iOS 18 users. Some testers who have iOS 18 installed have confirmed that they are able to send RCS messages to Android users, with RCS features available. Texts that are RCS-based instead of...
Read Full Article • 181 comments
Top Rated Comments
fatTribble
1 day ago at 04:25 am
Fantastic! ?
At the risk of sounding greedy, can we have this in Photos now? ?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84
1 day ago at 04:40 am
A basic option/feature that really should have always been there from the beginning.
I mean in the meetings about how people use such file management did no one put their hands up and mention this one aspect?
Were they more concerned about how thin it was? Offloading files
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robgreene
23 hours ago at 05:32 am
Much needed addition. The "Remove Download" and "Keep Downloaded" language still leaves great room for confusion compared to Dropbox's "Make Available Offline" and "Make Online-Only".... the "Remove" language in particular is easily confused with "am I deleting the file if I press this?"
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
eilavid
1 day ago at 04:25 am
Very happy to see this feature returning. It was removed in Sonoma for some reason, glad it's back.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oldmacs
23 hours ago at 04:48 am
So so so glad they've added this.
iCloud Drive needs so much more work. It's so limited and does some really stupid things sometimes. Wish there was the ability to sync downloads between devices - really the option to sync more places as well.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joecomo
1 day ago at 04:33 am
Finally - what ever made them wait this out …
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments
'); }
Next Article
Alleged First Look at Apple Watch X / Series 10 With 2-Inch Display
