How to copy files in Finder without copying to iCloud?

[gregconquest]

How to copy files in Finder without copying to iCloud?

When I try to copy files to move or paste them somewhere else on the same Mac, I almost always get a pop-up on my nearby Mac and iPad saying they're copying the file across the network. While this is convenient sometimes, it also slows my network and even the other computers at times, but I don't see any way to copy locally only. 90% of the time, I'm usually trying to copy on drives connected to one device, so this "feature" actually gets in my way.

Can this be done? I know dragging and dropping will avoid this problem, but that's not always possible.

 

[Fishrrman]

This is why I have NEVER permitted the Mac OS to "manage my data".
I do all the "managing" of my data.
(And I don't use iCloud)...

 

[VitoBotta]

This is due to the "Universal Clipboard" feature. I am not aware of a way to disable this behavior other than disabling Handoff altogether, which you may want for other things.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Do you have…

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support

Learn how to share your files from your Mac Desktop and Documents folders to all of your devices with iCloud Drive.

support.apple.com

… Or other optimize storage setting enabled?

This is due to the "Universal Clipboard" feature. I am not aware of a way to disable this behavior other than disabling Handoff altogether, which you may want for other things.

I utilize Universal Clipboard often and I’ve never seen any dialogs or behavior as the OP describes.

 

[f54da]

I'd think the sensible implementation of universal clipboard would only actually do the transfer when pasting on the remote device.

 

[gregconquest]

patriciyalark, that's what I was doing. Either "Context-mouse click - Copy" or CMD-C gives the same result. Universal Clipboard assumes you want to copy to another device and begins loading it on the network/iCloud for pasting everywhere. I don't know what you mean by "streaming". I'm just managing files in Finder, not streaming anything.

f54da, what you say might work, but I think the obvious alternative would be two choices for copying: Copy or Copy To Universal Clipboard. This would be easy with a context-mouse click, but the keyboard shortcut would need an entirely new shortcut to have the two choices.

Whatever the solution, it needs to be implemented.