You will notice different icons and symbols on your MacBook when using iCloud to sync and manage your files and folders. Each iCloud icon denotes the state of the files and folders. This guide will break down the meaning of all icons and symbols on iCloud so you know what’s happening in real time.
iCloud Drive Status Icons Meaning
Many people don’t know what those little symbols next to files and folders in iCloud Drive mean. These are helpful clues that tell you the current status of your items in the cloud. Let’s break each one so you can easily understand what’s happening with your files.
| Icon | Icon Name | Icon Description |
|---|---|---|
 | Cloud with Down Arrow Icon | It means this file or folder is in your iCloud storage and isn’t taking up space on your current device. To open or work on it, you’ll need an internet connection. |
 | Cloud with Slash Icon | It tells you that this file or folder could not be stored in iCloud. Usually, it appears when the size exceeds 50GB limit for an individual file or folder. |
 | Cloud Icon | It simply means your file or folder is synced between your Mac and iCloud. You can open it and get to work – view it, edit it – right away. No active internet connection required. |
 | Downward Arrow in Grey Circle Icon | It means you have kept this file or folder locally stored on your Mac. |
 | Dotted line Cloud Icon | Indicates that this file or folder is not stored in the cloud yet. |
 | Cloud Icon with an Exclamation Mark | It shows the sync is finished. You can also see the time of the last finished sync. |
 | Loading Circle or Pie Chart Icon | It’s showing you the progress of a file being transferred – either uploading to iCloud or downloading to your device. It goes from white to grey, denoting file is in sync. When fully synced, it is completely grey. Think of it as a sync timer. You might also see this same pie chart next to iCloud Drive in the sidebar, giving you an overall view of all the file transfers happening to and from your iCloud Drive. |
 | Tick in Circle Icon | It tells you that this file or folder could not be stored in iCloud. Usually, it appears when the size exceeds the 50GB limit for an individual file or folder. |
 | “i” in a Circe Icon | Shows you the progress of uploading to iCloud when you click on it. |
And that wraps up the meaning of icons and symbols you’ll find in iCloud Drive! Now you’ll know exactly what’s going on with your files in the cloud. Check out more app icons’ meanings below!
- Dropbox Icons and Symbols Meaning (Mobile/Desktop) – Guide
- Google Docs Icons and Symbols Meaning – Complete Guide
- Dynamic Island Icons and Symbols Meaning – Guide
