If you delete files from an iCloud Drive folder you can usually recover them from the Trash on your Mac. But even after you have emptied the Trash, you can still recover files by using a function on the iCloud.com website.
Comments: 7 Responses to “Recover Deleted iCloud Drive Files”
Law Thim Fook
7 years ago
Great tip, Gary. Thanks.
Don
7 years ago
Thanks, this was very helpful!
Somewhat related... is there a way to back up your iCloud files? With the new syncing, it seems that backing up your Mac may not be enough, as some files will be removed from the Mac to make room for others.
Don: Just having files in iCloud Drive IS a kind of backup, as the files exist online as well as on your Mac. Your Mac fails and you get a new one, log on to iCloud and all of your files are loaded back on from the server. Not sure what you mean by files being removed to make room -- if you use the "Optimize Mac Storage" option then rarely used large files may be on the server only, but they won't be deleted. You may want to read up on iCloud Drive to better understand how it works. http://www.apple.com/icloud/icloud-drive/
Don
7 years ago
Thanks, Gary. "removed to make room" was referring to files being removed locally to make room for more local files, but (hopefully) remaining on the server when using Optimize Mac Storage. I was thinking a backup of iCloud would be useful if I accidentally deleted files from iCloud and didn't discover it until after they'd been permanently removed.
If I delete a synced file locally, is it deleted from iCloud?
Don: Not "hopefully remaining" -- they are definitely remaining. And you shouldn't even notice. In the off-chance that you try to access a file like this it should appear to be there like a regular file, but then when you try to open it it takes a little longer because it needs to transfer. This is just like accessing a song in iTunes that is stored in iCloud. The song is shown in the list, it just takes a few seconds to start since it needs to be fetched.
As for your other question, see this very video. It is exactly what I am talking about.
Stop distinguishing from "local" and "cloud" and start thinking of them as the same thing. Just "your stuff" -- a single location. The logistics of where the bits are is something you don't need to worry about.
Don
7 years ago
Gary, You're right... my last question was exactly what you showed here (duh!). Sorry about that!
I guess my concern is the old adage "If it's only in one place, it's not backed up." So it would be comforting to have a full backup of everything in iCloud regardless of whether there's a local copy.
Great tip, Gary. Thanks.
Thanks, this was very helpful!
Somewhat related... is there a way to back up your iCloud files? With the new syncing, it seems that backing up your Mac may not be enough, as some files will be removed from the Mac to make room for others.
Don: Just having files in iCloud Drive IS a kind of backup, as the files exist online as well as on your Mac. Your Mac fails and you get a new one, log on to iCloud and all of your files are loaded back on from the server. Not sure what you mean by files being removed to make room -- if you use the "Optimize Mac Storage" option then rarely used large files may be on the server only, but they won't be deleted. You may want to read up on iCloud Drive to better understand how it works. http://www.apple.com/icloud/icloud-drive/
Thanks, Gary. "removed to make room" was referring to files being removed locally to make room for more local files, but (hopefully) remaining on the server when using Optimize Mac Storage. I was thinking a backup of iCloud would be useful if I accidentally deleted files from iCloud and didn't discover it until after they'd been permanently removed.
If I delete a synced file locally, is it deleted from iCloud?
Don: Not "hopefully remaining" -- they are definitely remaining. And you shouldn't even notice. In the off-chance that you try to access a file like this it should appear to be there like a regular file, but then when you try to open it it takes a little longer because it needs to transfer. This is just like accessing a song in iTunes that is stored in iCloud. The song is shown in the list, it just takes a few seconds to start since it needs to be fetched.
As for your other question, see this very video. It is exactly what I am talking about.
Stop distinguishing from "local" and "cloud" and start thinking of them as the same thing. Just "your stuff" -- a single location. The logistics of where the bits are is something you don't need to worry about.
Gary, You're right... my last question was exactly what you showed here (duh!). Sorry about that!
I guess my concern is the old adage "If it's only in one place, it's not backed up." So it would be comforting to have a full backup of everything in iCloud regardless of whether there's a local copy.
Don: I'll never argue against MORE backups. :) Time Machine or an online backup service (CrashPlan or BackBlaze, etc) are good ways to go.