Articles

Transferring GoPro Footage to iCloud Drive on a Mac

Aug 10, 2026

Copying GoPro footage to iCloud Drive

You can transfer GoPro footage into the iCloud Drive folder on a Mac, and blober will mark the task complete with every file written. It is a reasonable option when you want the footage available across your Apple devices or viewable from iCloud.com. The main thing to understand is that iCloud Drive is a cloud folder, not an ordinary local one, so a few behaviors are worth knowing before you start.

What to expect

When you choose iCloud Drive as the destination, blober writes the files to a folder at a hidden path (~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs). Finder shows that folder in the sidebar as iCloud Drive. The files are real and appear on iCloud.com, but they do not show up in Home, Documents, or Downloads. Depending on your storage settings, macOS may keep only a cloud copy and download the file to the disk only when you open it.

How Optimize Mac Storage works

macOS can remove the local copy of an iCloud Drive file and keep only the version in iCloud. With the Optimize Mac Storage setting on, it does this automatically when the internal disk runs low, starting with the files you have not opened recently.^[1] The file is not deleted, it is re-downloaded the next time you open it.

You control this per file or folder in iCloud Drive. Choose Keep Downloaded to pin an item so macOS does not remove its local copy. It applies per device, and choosing it on a folder keeps the whole folder and anything you add to it local.^[2] Choose Remove Download to free space on purpose, deleting only the local copy while the file stays in iCloud.

This is separate from the iCloud Photos optimize setting, which keeps smaller versions of photos and videos on the device and the originals in the cloud.

Finding the files after the transfer

Open iCloud Drive in Finder and look for the folder that mirrors your source. For a GoPro copy that is usually a date folder (such as 2025-12-01) containing HERO12 Black/videos/ and HERO12 Black/photos/.
Check iCloud.com while signed in, under iCloud Drive.

Search from the terminal to confirm the files exist and locate them:

find "$HOME/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs" \( -iname "*.MP4" -o -iname "*.JPG" \) 2>/dev/null

To keep real local copies, right-click a file or folder and choose Download Now or Keep Downloaded.

Not sure the transfer worked? Test with a normal local folder

If you want to check that blober transferred everything correctly, run the task again to a normal local folder such as Desktop or Downloads, then look for the files there:

find "$HOME/Desktop" \( -iname "*.MP4" -o -iname "*.JPG" \) 2>/dev/null

If the files show up on the Desktop, the transfer is fine and the earlier confusion was just iCloud Drive hiding the files, not a failed copy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I find my files after the transfer? iCloud Drive is a cloud folder, so files you just transferred do not appear in the usual local spots. They are still there. Open iCloud Drive in Finder, or sign in at iCloud.com and look under iCloud Drive.

The files show a small cloud icon. What does that mean? The file is in iCloud but not downloaded to the disk yet. macOS offloads local copies to save space, usually only when the internal drive runs low. To keep a local copy, right-click and choose Keep Downloaded or Download Now.^[3]

How do I stop macOS from offloading my footage? Right-click the folder or files in iCloud Drive in Finder and choose Keep Downloaded. This pins them so the local copies stay even when the disk is low. It applies per device, and pinning a folder keeps everything in it, including files you add later.^[4]

I removed the local copy. Are the files gone? No. The Remove Download option deletes only the downloaded copy and keeps the file in iCloud. Choose Download Now to bring it back to the disk.^[5]

The task finished, but one file is missing on iCloud.com. Uploading can lag. Large files upload over time, and a photo can trail a video even though blober wrote both at the same time. Watch the small info icon next to iCloud Drive in Finder for progress and give it a few minutes.

Will my GoPro footage fit in iCloud storage? You get 5 GB free, and GoPro files are large, so the account can fill up and syncing stalls.^[6] Check used space in System Settings under Apple Account, then iCloud, before a big transfer, and free room or upgrade if needed.

If I save to Desktop or Documents, is that a local copy? Not always. macOS can sync your Desktop and Documents folders into iCloud Drive. If that toggle is on, a file saved there lives in iCloud and can be offloaded. Check System Settings under Apple Account, then iCloud, then Drive, for the Desktop & Documents Folders switch.

Will my photos go into the Photos app? No. iCloud Photos keeps media in the Photos library, while files in iCloud Drive stay as files. Your JPGs stay in the Drive folder and do not join the Photos app on their own.

Does iCloud support all GoPro formats? Apple's published list covers HEVC, MP4, and JPEG, but not GoPro's GPR RAW or 360 project formats.^[7] If your camera uses an unusual format, test a real sample before moving a whole library.

Other folders to use for a local copy

If you want the footage stored physically on the Mac, pick a folder that is not synced to iCloud. Turn off the Desktop & Documents Folders switch in System Settings under Apple Account, then iCloud, then Drive, or use a folder outside those two. Desktop, Documents, and Downloads work well once they are not synced. Otherwise, move the files out of iCloud Drive after the transfer.

Get Blober

Blober is the only desktop app that connects to GoPro Cloud and moves your footage where you want it. One-time purchase, no subscription, no per-GB fees.

Download Blober at blober.io

How to back up OneDrive to Backblaze B2

Aug 4, 2026

OneDrive is good at keeping files available across your devices. It is not a separate backup. A deleted folder, a compromised account, or a bad sync can reach every device connected to the same account.

Backblaze B2 gives you a copy outside Microsoft's ecosystem. Blober can now read OneDrive through Microsoft Graph and write those files directly to B2, so you do not need to download the whole library first.

Why the desktop folder is a poor backup source

OneDrive Files On-Demand keeps online-only files as placeholders on your disk. They look like ordinary files in Finder or File Explorer, but the content stays in Microsoft's cloud until something opens the file.

That saves disk space. It also means a backup tool that reads only the local OneDrive folder may see a placeholder instead of the file itself. The usual workaround is to select "Always keep on this device" and wait for OneDrive to download everything. For a large account, that can take hours and may not fit on the computer at all.

Blober avoids the local folder. It requests each file from OneDrive through Microsoft Graph, then streams it to Backblaze B2 through your computer. Files On-Demand does not enter the path.

Why use B2 for a OneDrive backup

The useful part is separation. Your working files stay in OneDrive, while the backup lives under a different provider and account. B2 also uses S3-compatible object storage, which suits archives that you expect to keep longer than you actively edit them.

This transfer copies files and folders. It does not reproduce Microsoft sharing permissions, version history, comments, or recycle-bin contents.

How to copy OneDrive to Backblaze B2

Connect Microsoft OneDrive in Blober.
Connect Backblaze B2 with your key ID, application key, and bucket.
Create a workflow with OneDrive as the source and B2 as the destination.
Choose the OneDrive folder and the destination path in your bucket.
Start the workflow and keep Blober open until it finishes.

Blober recreates the folder structure in B2. The data passes through the computer running Blober, but it is not staged as a second full copy on disk.

What the OneDrive connection can see

Blober reads the signed-in user's default OneDrive. That includes ordinary files and folders in "My files." It does not include "Shared with me," SharePoint or Teams libraries, OneNote notebooks, Personal Vault, or shortcuts to another drive.

If a shared file must be part of the backup, first download it and upload it to your own OneDrive as an ordinary file. An "Add shortcut to My files" shortcut is still a reference to another drive, so Blober skips it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to mark every OneDrive file "Always keep on this device"?

No. Blober reads the cloud copy through Microsoft Graph rather than backing up the local OneDrive sync folder.

Does the transfer need free disk space equal to my OneDrive library?

No. Files stream through the computer running Blober and are not stored there as a complete intermediate copy.

Is Backblaze B2 a full OneDrive clone?

No. It receives the files and folder structure. OneDrive permissions, links, comments, version history, and deleted items do not transfer.

Can Blober include files shared with me?

Not from OneDrive. Microsoft's old "Shared with me" Graph endpoint is deprecated, requires broader access to read remote items, and will stop returning data after November 2026. Blober keeps the narrower Files.ReadWrite permission and reads only the signed-in user's drive.

Get Blober

Move your OneDrive files to Backblaze B2 without first filling your disk.

Download Blober at blober.io

OneDrive or Google Drive: moving between Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace

Aug 4, 2026

Changing cloud storage is usually part of a bigger move. A company adopts Google Workspace, a school issues Microsoft 365 accounts, or a family decides it no longer wants to pay for two storage plans. The files are only one part of that decision, but they are the part that has to come with you.

Blober transfers files in either direction between OneDrive and Google Drive. It streams them through your computer, so you do not need enough free disk space to download the entire account first.

When OneDrive to Google Drive makes sense

Google Drive fits best when most work already happens in Gmail, Google Docs, Meet, and Calendar. A move from OneDrive can make sense when:

your company or school has standardized on Google Workspace;
people collaborate mainly in Docs, Sheets, and Slides;
Chromebooks or browser-based work have replaced Windows desktops;
you want storage billed under an existing Google One or Workspace plan.

Office files do not have to be converted during the transfer. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files arrive in Google Drive as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx files. Google can open and edit them, and you can choose later whether to convert them to native Google formats.

When Google Drive to OneDrive makes sense

OneDrive is the more natural home when work revolves around Windows, Microsoft 365, Teams, and the desktop versions of Office. People commonly move in this direction because:

their organization has moved to Microsoft 365;
Office formatting needs to survive round trips without surprises;
Teams and SharePoint are now the main places where people collaborate;
OneDrive storage is already included in a Microsoft 365 plan.

The main catch is Google's native file formats. A Google Doc is not a normal .docx file sitting in Drive. When Blober moves native Google files out of Drive, it exports Docs to .docx, Sheets to .xlsx, and Slides to .pptx. Those copies open in Microsoft Office, but Google comments, revision history, sharing rules, and some format-specific features do not come with them.

What moves in each direction

Source	Destination	File behavior
OneDrive	Google Drive	Office files and other regular files keep their existing formats
Google Drive	OneDrive	Native Docs, Sheets, and Slides export to Microsoft Office formats
Either service	The other service	Folder structure is recreated; sharing rules, links, comments, and version history are not

There is one difference around shared files. Blober exposes Google Drive's "Shared with me" list as a read-only source. OneDrive does not offer an equivalent usable root through the narrow permission Blober requests, so its shared items and cross-drive shortcuts are not shown.

How to move from OneDrive to Google Drive

Connect OneDrive with a Microsoft app client ID.
Connect Google Drive.
Create a workflow with OneDrive as the source and Google Drive as the destination.
Select the source folder and destination folder.
Run the workflow and keep Blober open until it finishes.

After the transfer, open a sample of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in Google Drive before closing the old account. Decide whether to leave them in Office format or convert the files you still edit.

How to move from Google Drive to OneDrive

Use the same process in reverse: choose Google Drive as the source and OneDrive as the destination. Include "Shared with me" only for files you are allowed to copy and want to keep. Native Google files are exported during the transfer.

Check a few converted documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in Microsoft Office afterward. Complex layouts, formulas, fonts, and embedded Google-only features deserve a manual look.

Before you cancel the old account

Compare file counts and inspect the folders that matter most. Keep the old account available until you have checked converted documents and confirmed that other people can reach the new location.

Then recreate sharing permissions in the destination. File ownership, organization policies, public links, and team memberships belong to the old service and cannot be carried over as ordinary files.

Frequently asked questions

Can I move between OneDrive and Google Drive without downloading everything?

Yes. Blober streams each file through the computer running the app instead of staging the whole library on disk.

Will Google Docs work in OneDrive?

Blober exports Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats. Check complex files after conversion because the two editors do not support every feature in exactly the same way.

Will Office files become Google Docs automatically?

No. They arrive in Google Drive as Office files. Google Drive can edit them in that format, or you can convert selected files later.

Does the migration copy shared files?

Google Drive's "Shared with me" items can be selected as a read-only source. OneDrive's "Shared with me" items and shortcuts to other drives are not available in Blober.

Get Blober

Move the files once, check the result, and finish the ecosystem switch without renting a permanent sync service.

Download Blober at blober.io

AzCopy S3 to Azure: How It Works and the Limits to Check

Jul 31, 2026

AzCopy does not download S3 data through your computer

AzCopy's documented AWS S3 transfer uses Azure's Put Block From URL operation. AWS S3 and Azure Storage exchange the object data without using your computer's network bandwidth.^[1]

That makes AzCopy a strong option for teams comfortable with a command line. It can copy one object, a directory, a bucket, or broader groups of AWS buckets.

The migration still needs planning. Server-to-server describes the data route. It does not solve naming, metadata, authentication, or destination-tier decisions.

Authentication is different on each side

The Azure side can use Microsoft Entra ID or a SAS token. The documented AWS flow uses an AWS access key and secret access key supplied through environment variables.

Protect shell history, scripts, logs, and CI output from credentials. Use the narrowest permissions that cover the source and destination.

Bucket names may change

AWS S3 bucket names and Azure container names allow different characters. AzCopy rewrites names that Azure cannot accept.

Periods can become hyphens. Consecutive hyphens can also be rewritten. Two distinct S3 bucket names may therefore map to the same Azure container name, forcing another rename.

Create a bucket-to-container map before a large migration. Do not discover the naming plan from the destination after the copy is complete.

Invalid metadata needs an explicit choice

S3 and Azure also allow different metadata-key characters. AzCopy provides --s2s-handle-invalid-metadata with three behaviors:

ExcludeIfInvalid omits incompatible metadata and logs a warning.
FailIfInvalid fails that object.
RenameIfInvalid changes the metadata key.

The default exclusion behavior can produce a successful object copy with missing metadata. If metadata affects retention, compliance, processing, or ownership, review this flag before running the job.

AWS S3 is not every S3-compatible service

Microsoft's documented S3 flow uses AWS S3 URL formats. Do not assume the same command accepts every Wasabi, Cloudflare R2, MinIO, DigitalOcean Spaces, or private S3-compatible endpoint.

Test the exact provider and endpoint. A tool that supports generic S3 endpoint URLs may be a better fit for non-AWS sources.

When a desktop workflow fits better

Use AzCopy when server-to-server speed, scripting, automation, and repeatable command lines suit the team.

Use a desktop tool when the operator needs visual file selection, browsing, previews, and fewer command flags. Blober connects AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, and generic S3-compatible endpoints in one local interface. Its data path is different from AzCopy's server-side AWS path, so choose based on network, security, and operational needs rather than calling either design universally better.

AzCopy also supports job resume and restart. Its source code and current release details are published on GitHub.^[2]

Get Blober

AzCopy is a good command-line tool for AWS S3. When you want visual browsing, previews, destination tier selection, and generic S3-compatible endpoints, Blober covers the same move from a desktop app.

Download Blober at blober.io

Dropbox to Google Drive Without Downloading: What That Really Means

Jul 31, 2026

The file bytes still have to move

"Transfer without downloading" usually means "do not make me save the whole library to my disk and upload it again by hand."

It does not mean the file jumps from Dropbox into Google Drive without any computer reading and uploading the bytes.

The Google Drive API supports simple, multipart, and resumable uploads. Each method sends file data to Google in the request body. Google does not provide a Drive endpoint where a migration tool submits a Dropbox URL and asks Drive to fetch it.^[1]

Some computer must read the Dropbox file and push those bytes to Drive.

Three routes

Full local download and upload

The manual method stores a full local copy first:

Dropbox -> local disk -> Google Drive

It is easy to understand and uses no migration service. It also needs free disk space for the library and creates two separate jobs to monitor.

Stream through your computer

A desktop transfer can read part of a Dropbox file and upload that part to Drive while the rest is still arriving:

Dropbox -> your computer's memory -> Google Drive

The data uses your internet connection, but the app does not need to stage the entire library on disk. Blober uses this model.

Stream through a hosted relay

A hosted migration service can run the same read-and-upload work on its own server:

Dropbox -> migration provider -> Google Drive

Your laptop does not need to stay online. The provider's server, credentials, transfer limits, and retention practices become part of the route.

Do not assume every hosted service stores a full second copy. Ask the provider. The relevant question is where the bytes and credentials pass, not whether the marketing page uses the phrase "cloud to cloud."

Streaming does not remove provider limits

A streamed transfer still follows both APIs. Dropbox must allow the download. Google Drive must accept the upload. Rate limits, large-file rules, name conflicts, and provider-native records can still affect the result.

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides need special handling in the reverse direction because they are not ordinary downloadable files in the same way as a PDF or JPEG.

Migration is not sync

A migration copies or moves a selected set. Two-way sync watches both providers and reconciles later changes.

If you need a one-time provider switch, use a migration workflow and keep the source until the destination is verified. If you need both accounts to mirror every future edit, choose a sync product and define conflict rules before enabling it.

A safer migration sequence

Transfer one representative folder.
Check nested folders and filenames.
Open small documents and large media files.
Review failures and provider-native records.
Copy the rest.
Keep Dropbox unchanged until the Drive copy is trusted.

"Without downloading" can describe a useful convenience. The honest version should always say where the transfer runs and whether a full local copy is stored.

Get Blober

Blober streams each file from Dropbox through your computer to Google Drive without staging the whole library on disk. Your credentials stay local and no Blober server sits in the path.

Download Blober at blober.io

Articles

Copying GoPro footage to iCloud Drive

What to expect

How Optimize Mac Storage works

Finding the files after the transfer

Not sure the transfer worked? Test with a normal local folder

Frequently Asked Questions

Other folders to use for a local copy

Related Guides

Get Blober

Why the desktop folder is a poor backup source

Why use B2 for a OneDrive backup

How to copy OneDrive to Backblaze B2

What the OneDrive connection can see

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

Get Blober

When OneDrive to Google Drive makes sense

When Google Drive to OneDrive makes sense

What moves in each direction

How to move from OneDrive to Google Drive

How to move from Google Drive to OneDrive

Before you cancel the old account

Frequently asked questions

Get Blober

AzCopy does not download S3 data through your computer

Authentication is different on each side

Bucket names may change

Invalid metadata needs an explicit choice

AWS S3 is not every S3-compatible service

When a desktop workflow fits better

Related Guides

Get Blober

The file bytes still have to move

Three routes

Full local download and upload

Stream through your computer

Stream through a hosted relay

Streaming does not remove provider limits

Migration is not sync

A safer migration sequence

Related Guides

Get Blober