Is it safe to delete Other cloud storage folders?
A folder that a cloud storage app keeps in CloudStorage, with the files it has downloaded to this Mac.
Usually safe
It can be recreated, but it takes a download, a reinstall or the tool's own command.
~/
What it is
Cloud storage apps that use macOS's File Provider keep their synced folders in CloudStorage, one for each account, and show them under Locations in Finder. Files you've opened or kept offline take up space on this Mac; files that show a cloud icon don't. Deleting a file here usually deletes it from the cloud too, so use the app's option to remove the download instead.
If it's removed
Files download again when you open them, which needs an internet connection. They stay in your cloud account.
What to do instead
In Finder, open the app's location, Control-click files or folders you don't need on this Mac, and choose the app's option to remove the download, such as Remove Download or Free up space.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it, with these steps. The app doesn't remove it for you.
Sources
- tidbits.com/2023/03/10/apples-file-provider-forces-mac-cloud-storage-changes
- support.google.com/drive/answer/12178485
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.