While iCloud Drive is a handy way to manage files and store data, it looks like Apple’s upcomig iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia operating systems will allow you to keep large downloads directly on your device.
Per MacRumors and Macworld, Apple is adding a “Keep Downloaded” option that prevents the file from being moved to iCloud and keeps the file on the device. While iCloud for Windows lets you keep files downloaded on your PC, in macOS Sonoma and earlier, files are regularly uploaded to iCloud and need to be re-downloaded before they are accessed.
Under the current iOS beta, when using the Files app to navigate iCloud Drive, you can tap and hold a file and choose “Keep Downloaded” from the options menu that appears. The same thing can be achieved in the macOS Sequoia beta, wherein you can control-click a file in the iCloud folder to pull up the “Keep Downloaded” option. When this is selected in either OS, the file remains in the iCloud folder–it doesn’t move to On My iPhone, Documents, or some other location.
It’s unknown as to how this feature works when a user has modified the file, and if the changes are synced back to the iCloud version. It’s also unknown as to what happens to the file when it’s accessed by another device.
Still, this could definitely be a handy feature after a large download has been performed.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.