This approach saves space, but may suffer from loading delays with large files or slow connections. Online-only files exist locally only as icon placeholders until they’re opened-they have little cloud icons next to their names in the Finder.There’s no visible indication that a file is offline. However, they consume local storage space, which may be a problem if you’re low on free space. Offline files are stored both in the cloud and on the local drive for quick access.The second change revolves around whether the files exist both locally and online (“offline” or “pinned”) or just online (“online-only”). However, just as when Mac OS X introduced the home folder and its now-canonical subfolders (Desktop, Documents, Library, Movies, Music, and so on), the loss of flexibility will create pain points for some users. (That’s in your home folder’s Library folder, which is non-trivial to access for most users since the Library folder is hidden by default.) From a consistency and coherency point of view, the new standard location is a good thing, since users don’t have to keep track of where each individual service might have its files. All cloud-storage services must now store their files in ~/Library/CloudStorage. The first change is where local files are stored. Some Dropbox users even report one Mac being upgraded to the new File Provider approach, while others continue to use the kernel extension.Īlthough it’s good to have cloud storage integrated into macOS in a coherent fashion, the switch to Apple’s File Provider extension brings with it two key changes that will require adjustments in how you work.

It can be hard to tell since cloud storage providers often roll out changes over time or to subsets of customers to test user response, identify concerns, and reduce support loads. My understanding is that Box, Google, and Microsoft have migrated their Mac users to the File Provider approach, whereas Dropbox-probably the most popular among everyday Mac users-has only recently started to encourage those outside its beta program to switch (while others are still being asked to join the beta). That hasn’t happened yet, but Apple often gives developers several years to get with the program. The cloud storage companies undoubtedly felt they had little choice about adopting the File Provider extension because Apple said it would be deprecating kernel extensions at some point. (Everything I say below I’ve tested in macOS 13.2.1 Ventura-it’s possible, even likely, that some details are different in Monterey.) The cloud storage services will likely pull support for older systems at some point, but there’s no telling when that will happen. Earlier versions of macOS don’t support it, so nothing changes for those running older systems for now. The File Provider extension first appeared in macOS 12.1 Monterey, though Apple’s Developer site suggests that it may have subsequently been made available in macOS 10.15 Catalina.

I touched on this move a year ago in “ Cloud Storage Forecast Unsettled, with Possible Storms” (4 February 2022). It provides an Apple-approved framework for integrating remote files into macOS and displaying them in the Finder. Over the last year, cloud storage services Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive-and probably others-have migrated from custom kernel extensions to Apple’s new-ish File Provider extension.

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