We’re back with another great post! This time, we’re tackling how to cancel iCloud or app downloads on your Mac.
Pause ≠Cancel
You may have come across articles claiming to show you how to “Cancel” downloads, but when you dive in, they only explain how to “Pause” them—something most Mac users are already familiar with. But canceling downloads? That’s a trickier and less commonly known solution.
No worries, we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to fully cancel app downloads or updates from the App Store and how to stop iCloud downloads that may be stuck.
Quickly Cancel Downloads on Mac
For App Downloads
In the App Store, hold down the ‘Option’ key while clicking the ‘Pause’ button next to the downloading app. This will change the ‘Pause’ button into a ‘Cancel’ button, allowing you to stop the download entirely.
For iCloud Drive Downloads
Use Terminal commands like killall bird to stop iCloud syncing and resolve stuck downloads.
If your Mac cannot delete app because it’s open, check out our guide on how to fix it.
Now, we’ll walk you through detailed steps and multiple methods to cancel app and iCloud downloads on your Mac.
Two Ways to Cancel App Downloads or Updates on Mac
When downloading or updating apps from the Mac App Store, you might find that there is no straightforward cancel button. Here are the steps to cancel these downloads:
1. Using the App Store Interface
- Open the App Store and go to the Purchases tab
- Hold down the ‘Option key’ while clicking the Pause button next to the downloading app. This will change the ‘Pause’ button to a ‘Cancel‘ button
2. Using Launchpad
- Open Launchpad and locate the app that is downloading
- Click once to pause it
- Now, click and hold the app icon until it starts to wiggle
- Click the ‘X‘ that appears to delete the app and stop the download
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Three Ways to Stop iCloud Drive Downloads
iCloud Drive can sometimes start downloading files automatically, which can be frustrating if you have limited storage. Here are some methods to stop these downloads:
1. Using Terminal
Open Terminal (by press Command (⌘) + Spacebar, type ‘Terminal’, and hit Enter) and type killall bird. This command stops the iCloud sync process, which often resolves stuck downloads.
2. Force Quit Finder
- Open the Apple menu and select Force Quit
- Select Finder and click Relaunch. This can sometimes stop ongoing downloads
3. Disabling iCloud Drive Temporarily
- Go to System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud
- Uncheck ‘iCloud Drive‘ to disable it temporarily. This can stop ongoing downloads
Tips for Managing Downloads on Mac
- Rebooting: Sometimes, simply restarting your Mac can stop any ongoing downloads that are stuck or unresponsive.
- Turn off WiFi: For immediate action, turning off WiFi can halt ongoing downloads.
- Disable Automatic App Updates or Downloads: Open the App Store, go to ‘Preferences’, and uncheck ‘Automatic Updates’ and ‘Automatically download apps purchased on other devices’.
By following these steps, you should be able to effectively manage and cancel downloads on your Mac, whether they are from the App Store or iCloud Drive.
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