icloud drive

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