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How To Disable Steam Cloud
To disable Steam Cloud, you need to open your settings and toggle off the cloud synchronization switch. If you are trying to figure out how to disable steam cloud, you can choose to turn it off entirely for all games at once or on a game-by-game basis. This gives you full control over your local save files on your PC or your 2026 Steam Deck. In this guide, we will also look at specific examples, like Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2), to show you exactly how to manage your game data.
What is Steam Cloud?
Steam Cloud is a feature that synchronizes your save game data and configuration files across different devices. When you want to learn how to disable steam cloud, it helps to know that this system automatically uploads your progress to remote servers every time you close a game. This allows you to pick up exactly where you left off on another PC or your handheld console. However, you might want to stop this sync if you are using mods, managing multiple local profiles, or trying to save bandwidth. To stop this automatic upload process, you can easily turn off the feature in your settings.
How to Disable Steam Cloud Synchronization Globally
If you want to stop all future games from syncing their data to the servers, you can turn off the feature across your entire account. First, you need to open your desktop client and navigate through the 2026 user interface. Turning this off globally stops all automatic uploads for every title in your library.
Open your client and click on the Steam menu in the top-left corner of the window.
Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
In the left sidebar, click on the Cloud tab.
Find the toggle switch labeled Enable Steam Cloud synchronization for applications which support it.
Click the toggle to switch it to the off position.
Turning this off globally stops all cloud activity instantly, but if you only want to stop uploads for a single title, you should use the game-specific method instead.
How to Disable Steam Cloud Saves for a Specific Game
You can turn off the sync feature for individual titles without affecting the rest of your gaming library. This is perfect if you only have one or two heavily modded games that conflict with remote backups. To do this, you just need to access the properties menu of the specific game you want to change.
Navigate to your Library tab in the client.
Right-click on the game you want to modify.
Click on Properties from the context menu.
Stay on the General tab in the new window that opens.
Locate the Steam Cloud section and click the toggle switch to turn it off.
Example: Disabling Steam Cloud in ETS2
A common reason you might need this feature is for Euro Truck Simulator 2 (ETS2). Many ETS2 players choose to disable the cloud sync because they use custom mods or manage multiple local trucking profiles that break when overwritten by older server data. By following the game-specific steps above and turning off the toggle in the ETS2 properties menu, your trucking empire stays safely stored on your local hard drive only.
Where to Delete Steam Cloud Saves
After you disable the sync, you might want to clear out the old files stored online and locally. To view and delete the files hosted on the servers, you need to visit the Remote Storage webpage through your web browser and log into your account. Here, you can see every file uploaded for your games. To delete the cached local files on your PC, you must open your computer's file explorer. Go to your main installation folder, usually located in your program files under the userdata folder. Inside this folder, you will find numbered directories matching your account ID and game IDs, where you can manually delete the save files. Managing these saves often brings up a few extra questions, which we will cover next.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does disabling Steam Cloud do?
Disabling this feature stops your save files and game settings from uploading to the remote servers. This means your progress remains strictly on your local hard drive. If you move to a new PC or a handheld device, you must manually back up and transfer your save files to keep your progress.
Where to enable Steam Cloud?
To enable the sync again, you simply follow the exact same steps used to disable it. You just need to open your general settings or the specific game's properties menu and click the toggle switch back to the on position.
Does disabling Steam Cloud delete my current saves?
No, disabling the sync does not automatically delete your existing save files from your computer or the remote servers. It only prevents future synchronization from happening. Your current game progress is completely safe and remains exactly where it is until you manually delete the files yourself.