How can I make my files “online-only” to free up hard drive space?

xtermalq

Hi!

I’m on macOS and I use Dropbox with the “online-only” option (Smart Sync). Downloading/working with files is fine, but after I open/download things once, some of them remain stored locally. For example I have ~350 GB in Dropbox cloud storage, but my Dropbox folder still uses ~130 GB on my Mac. How can I remove all local copies and make everything online-only again? Is there a way to automatically remove local files after some time if I don’t use them (like “free up space after X days”)? If there’s no automatic option, what’s the best way to manage this manually when you have lots of files that you open once and then don’t touch for months? Thanks!

 

 

Hannah

Hey @xtermalq, thanks for posting your question to our Community!

To easily set your files to online-only and free up hard drive space, you can use our "manage hard drive space" tool.

To use the tool:

1. Click the Dropbox icon menu bar.
2. Click your avatar (profile picture or initials).
3. Click Manage hard drive space from the dropdown menu to open the tool.
   1. You can view and sort files by size and the date they were last modified.
4. Check the boxes next to the files you’d like to make online-only.
5. Click Move to online-only.

 

You can read more about the feature here.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to let me know!