This all started because I was trying to find a PDF I definitely downloaded. Probably yesterday. Possibly in March. Maybe last year. Who’s to say. That’s when I noticed something weird. I guess I always knew this but even my OCD hivemind didn't think about this until now: my Mac has two Downloads folders. One on my Mac. One in iCloud Drive that shows me iPhone and iPad related nonsense. Neither of them felt right, both of them were chaos.

Turns out, by default, macOS sends downloads straight to a local folder — the old-school kind that lives and dies on your hard drive. But if you change one setting, you can send your downloads to iCloud Drive > Downloads instead — and honestly? That’s where they should be. Because when you download into iCloud, your files sync across all your devices automatically. That photo you saved on your MacBook? Instantly on your phone. That boarding pass you panic-downloaded? Ready on your iPad. No AirDrop. No cable. No emailing yourself like it’s 2007.

Here’s how to make the switch:

1. Open your browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.)

2. Go to Settings → General

3. Find “File download location”

4. Click Other… and choose: iCloud Drive > Downloads

Done. Welcome to the cloud.

But wait — don’t skip this part: Now that your downloads are being saved in a new place, you’ll want to replace the shortcuts on your Mac so you don’t accidentally keep going to the old local folder. 

Here’s the trick:

• Find the iCloud Downloads folder in Finder (in the sidebar under iCloud Drive)

• Drag it down to your Dock to replace the old Downloads stack

• Also drag it into the left-hand sidebar of Finder for quick access

• Feel smug

Seriously, this tiny drag-and-drop moment will save you weeks of “why did this download to the wrong place again?” confusion.

Now listen, iCloud Drive is great, but it won’t clean up after you. You’ll still end up with forgotten screenshots, invoices from two jobs ago, and 47 copies of “logo_final_FIXED_3_USE_THIS_ONE.ai” unless you deal with it. So here’s the final trick: Just add “Clear out iCloud Downloads” to your weekly to-do list. No need for automation or fancy scripts. Just be a grown-up and delete your digital junk like it’s the 2010s. So that’s it. That’s the post. Move your Downloads to iCloud. Update your shortcuts. Reclaim your sanity.

by Spencer Rockford