Nextcloud: cloud icon on files

In the Nextcloud desktop client, many files and folders only show a small cloud icon, and it looks as if nothing is syncing any more? Don’t worry, your data is not gone.

What does the cloud icon mean?

This is the «virtual files» feature, similar to iCloud Drive or OneDrive: a file is only downloaded to your computer when you open it. Until then it takes up no disk space. All files are stored completely on the server. If the client shows «Synced», synchronisation is working fine.

Always keep certain folders locally

In Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), right-click the folder you want, or the whole Nextcloud folder, and choose the option to always keep the files on this device (depending on your system, for example «Always keep on this device» or «Always keep downloaded»). The cloud icons disappear as soon as the files have been downloaded.

Turn off virtual files completely

• Open the Nextcloud client (icon in the taskbar or menu bar) and then its settings.
• Click the three-dot menu next to the synchronised folder.
• Choose «Disable virtual file support» and confirm.

After that, all files are downloaded completely, as with classic synchronisation. Depending on the amount of data, this can take a while.

Old Nextcloud folder still there?

If you have set up the client again, an older Nextcloud folder sometimes remains in your user directory. Its content is no longer synchronised. Compare it with the new folder before deleting it.