macOS processes

What is cloudd on Mac?

cloudd syncs app data with iCloud for apps that use CloudKit. Its traffic belongs to those apps. The iCloud settings control it.

Process: clouddApplies to: macOS 15 Sequoia and later for the Saved to iCloud path. In macOS 13 and 14, the list is under Apps Using iCloud. Seen on macOS 27.2.Checked: 29 October 2026

Where you see it

cloudd is in the list in Activity Monitor › Network, in nettop or in Kilobat.
A firewall or network monitor asks if cloudd can connect.
Upload activity is high after you add many notes, files or photos to an app that syncs.

What it is

The man page calls cloudd “the system daemon backing the CloudKit feature”. It is in the CloudKitDaemon framework of macOS.

CloudKit lets apps store data in iCloud containers. Apple apps and other apps can use it. The traffic goes through cloudd, not through each app.

Why it uses the network

Sync of app data. When you change data in an app that uses iCloud, cloudd uploads the change and downloads changes from other devices.
A first sync. After you sign in to iCloud or turn on an app, all of its data can sync at once.

Is it normal?

Yes. Short bursts after changes are usual. A first sync can be large.

Long, steady uploads mean that an app syncs a lot of data. Find the app in the iCloud settings.

See how much it uses

Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities. Click Network.
Type cloudd in the search field. The Sent Bytes and Rcvd Bytes columns show what it moved.
In Terminal, watch only this process. Press d to show the change per second, and q to quit.
```
nettop -p cloudd -P
```

Reduce or pause it safely

Choose Apple menu > System Settings. Click your name, then click iCloud.
Under Saved to iCloud, click See All. Turn off the apps that you do not need to sync.
Turn sync on again later. Apple's article explains what happens to the data in each app.
On a hotspot or a capped network, turn on Low Data Mode. Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Wi-Fi. Click Details next to the network, then turn on Low data mode.
Do not quit cloudd in Activity Monitor. It is part of macOS, and other features depend on it.

With Kilobat

Open the Kilobat app list and search for cloudd. Its row shows the live rate and the bytes it moved.
Kilobat puts this service in the System downloads group, with one line about what it does. Expand the group to see each service.
With the network filter on, click the service. The panel names the apps that the downloads were for, for example “For Music”.
Without the filter, macOS shows only the service. Then Kilobat cannot say which app a download was for.
In Terminal, see the same live list. Press / and type the name to search.
```
kilobat status --watch
```
Show its traffic over one day. Names match kilobat report --summary.
```
kilobat bandwidth cloudd day
```
Through MCP, an AI agent gets the same history with get_app_bandwidth and the name cloudd.
The live view is free. History in the app needs Pro. Kilobat records history only while the app runs.

Questions

Is cloudd the same as iCloud Drive?

No. iCloud Drive files use bird. cloudd syncs data of apps that use CloudKit. See What is bird on Mac?.

Can I see which app cloudd syncs for?

macOS tools show only cloudd. With its network filter on, Kilobat names the app that a connection was for.

Sources

cloudd(8), man page installed with macOS 27.2
Apple Developer: CloudKit
Apple Support: Change iCloud settings on Mac
Apple Support: Change which apps sync and store data with iCloud
nettop(1), man page installed with macOS 27.2
Kilobat docs: System downloads

Sources checked on 29 October 2026. Man pages are the ones installed with macOS; open one with man <name> in Terminal.