troubleshooting

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.

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.

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.

1. 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/.
2. Check iCloud.com while signed in, under iCloud Drive.
3. 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

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

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.

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.

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.

• GoPro Cloud vs iCloud, OneDrive, and an External Drive
• How to Download All Your GoPro Cloud Videos
• GoPro Cloud Storage: The Complete Guide
• Where to Store DJI Osmo, Insta360, and GoPro Footage

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

GoPro auto upload is not a background cellular upload. The normal camera workflow starts when the camera is charging and connected to a Wi-Fi network it knows.

GoPro's subscription terms confirm the Wi-Fi requirement.^[1] If either power or Wi-Fi is missing, waiting longer will not fix the upload.

Check these first:

1. Connect the camera to power.
2. Confirm that the camera is using a saved Wi-Fi network.
3. Leave the camera connected while it finds and uploads new media.
4. Confirm that the GoPro subscription on the account is active.

Do not treat a phone's cellular connection as proof that the camera has internet access. The camera needs its own working Wi-Fi connection.

A camera can be beside a working router and still fail to upload. The saved network name or password may have changed. Guest networks and sign-in pages can also block devices that cannot complete a browser login.

Test with the same ordinary home or office network that previously worked. If that succeeds, the problem is probably the other network rather than the camera or cloud library.

Avoid changing several settings at once. One controlled test tells you more than resetting the camera, app, router, and account together.

Open Quik and check the cloud library before restarting the upload. A clip may have uploaded even if the camera or app did not show the progress you expected.

Compare a small, recent recording with the cloud library. A one-minute test clip is easier to trace than a full card from a weekend shoot.

Auto upload sends new camera media into GoPro Cloud. Downloading an existing cloud library is a different job.

If the footage is already in GoPro Cloud, reconnecting the camera will not help you copy it to a computer, NAS, Google Drive, or another storage provider. For that job, use the GoPro web download in small batches or a transfer tool that connects to the existing cloud library.

Blober connects to GoPro Cloud as a source. It streams the selected files through your computer to a local drive, NAS, or another provider. The files do not need to be downloaded as ZIP archives first.

An auto-upload feature is convenient, but it should not be the only place where years of footage live. Once the upload starts working again, copy important media to storage you control and open a sample from the destination.

A useful backup check is simple:

• The expected number of files arrived.
• Recent and old clips both open.
• Large videos play past the first few seconds.
• The destination is not tied to the same subscription.

Fix the upload first. Then make sure the next camera or account problem cannot take the archive with it.

• GoPro Cloud, in Plain English
• GoPro Cloud Storage: The Complete Guide
• How to Download All Your GoPro Cloud Videos
• GoPro Plus Cloud Media Download and Backup

Once the upload works again, keep a copy that does not depend on the subscription. Blober connects to GoPro Cloud and writes your library to a local drive, a NAS, or another cloud provider.

Download Blober at blober.io