{"id":79054,"date":"2018-06-04T09:43:06","date_gmt":"2018-06-04T16:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/?p=79054"},"modified":"2018-06-04T09:44:39","modified_gmt":"2018-06-04T16:44:39","slug":"how-to-move-browser-downloads-and-mac-screenshots-to-icloud-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/how-to-move-browser-downloads-and-mac-screenshots-to-icloud-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Move Browser Downloads and Mac Screenshots to iCloud Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Move<\/p>\n

In the future, it\u2019s conceivable macOS will default to storing all your user files in the cloud. For now, though, you can tick a checkbox and move your Desktop and Documents folders to iCloud Drive<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is useful if you work with multiple computers. You can sync these folders between several\u00a0Macs, access their contents from the Files app on an iPhone or iPad, and even get at your documents using a browser when logged into icloud.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once the system\u2019s set up, you can get a bit creative too, by rethinking where certain kinds of document are saved. In this tutorial, you\u2019ll discover how to save browser downloads to iCloud, and how to create a cloud-based screenshots archive.<\/p>\n

Get started with iCloud Drive<\/h3>\n

To store your Desktop and Documents folders on iCloud Drive, open System Preferences, choose iCloud<\/strong>, click Options<\/strong>, and tick Desktop & Documents Folders<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In Finder\u2019s sidebar, Desktop<\/strong> and Documents<\/strong> will now be shown\u00a0under the iCloud<\/strong> heading. Anything stored in those folders will be uploaded to iCloud Drive \u2013 which, depending on the speed of your Internet connection, may take a while.<\/p>\n

Be mindful whatever you store requires you to have enough iCloud storage \u2013\u00a0click Manage<\/strong> in the iCloud System Preferences pane if you ever need to buy more. If you have weighty files in Documents that you don\u2019t need cloud access to, consider moving them to a local\u00a0(as in, not iCloud)\u00a0folder to free up some space.\u00a0For example, create Documents – local<\/strong> in your user folder and drag them there.<\/p>\n

Store your downloads on iCloud Drive<\/h3>\n

You can\u2019t just move your existing Downloads folder to iCloud Drive \u2013 try and your Mac will instead copy it. Only do this if you want your existing folder and its contents on iCloud. (And you\u2019ll then need to delete everything from your original Downloads folder, unless you want to retain what\u2019s now duplicate content.)<\/p>\n

Alternatively, open iCloud Drive and create a new folder (File<\/strong> > New Folder<\/strong>). Name it\u00a0“Downloads – iCloud” to differentiate it from the local Downloads folder. (If you copy your original folder across, rename it accordingly.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You now need to point web browsers at the new folder, so downloads are sent to the right place. In Safari\u2019s preferences, open the General<\/strong> tab and click File download location<\/strong>. Choose Other<\/strong> and select your Downloads – iCloud folder.<\/p>\n

In Chrome\u2019s preferences, click Advanced<\/strong>, scroll down to Downloads<\/strong> and click Change<\/strong>. Choose your folder. In Firefox\u2019s preferences, scroll down to Downloads<\/strong>, and click Choose<\/strong> next to Save files to<\/strong>. Select your folder.<\/p>\n

Since downloads can eat into your iCloud storage, clear out\u00a0the folder often. When the folder is open in List view,\u00a0Ctrl-click<\/strong> a column header and add a Date Added<\/strong> column to arrange files by date, and then delete or archive older ones. Also consider creating a Smart Folder<\/a> to quickly get at files larger than, say, 10MB.<\/p>\n

Tidy your screenshots on iCloud Drive<\/h3>\n

We elsewhere explain how to shoot screenshots on your Mac<\/a>;\u00a0that article also outlines\u00a0how you can use Terminal to change their save location. By default, screenshots are\u00a0sent to Desktop, which can soon become cluttered with the things.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using iCloud Drive and tend to shoot screenshots on multiple Macs, you may wish to fashion\u00a0an iCloud-based screenshots archive. To do so, open Documents and create a new folder, Screenshots<\/strong>. Then open the Terminal app and type the following, replacing username<\/strong> with your account\u2019s username. (If unsure, type up until\u00a0location<\/strong>, add a space, and then drag the Screenshots folder to the\u00a0Terminal window to\u00a0complete the line.)<\/p>\n

defaults write com.apple.screencapture location \/Users\/username\/Documents\/Screenshots<\/pre>\n
Press Return<\/strong>, type the following command, and then Return<\/strong> again.<\/p>\n
killall SystemUIServer<\/pre>\n
Any time you shoot a screenshot, it will be sent to your Screenshots folder within Documents, which is in iCloud. You now have a central place where all your screenshots go, meaning they can be accessed from a range of devices, and that you needn\u2019t manually transfer them between Macs signed into your account.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
For faster access to the folder, remember you can drag it into the Finder sidebar \u2013 and the same goes for the Downloads \u2013 iCloud one from\u00a0earlier. On iOS, similar shortcut functionality exists by way of the Favorites<\/strong> section within the\u00a0Browse<\/strong> sidebar\/pane.<\/p>\n
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New to Mac? Get started on the right track at\u00a0Intego’s New Mac User Center!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Want to get the most out of your new MacBook, iMac or other Apple computer? Whether this is your first laptop or you\u2019ve just switched from Windows, there are a few things you should know about your new Mac, like basic keyboard shortcuts or how to use the various features macOS has to offer. Learn more about what your Mac computer can do for you at the Intego New Mac User Center: Get started now!<\/strong><\/a><\/address>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this tutorial, you\u2019ll discover how to save browser downloads to iCloud, and how to create a cloud-based screenshots archive. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":79063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[7,10],"tags":[3799,1429,3592],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n