Stop downloading local copies while syncing

Adding a little more context…

Lightroom Classic always stores files locally. If you import files, they can be referenced only from a local volume. If you sync a catalog to Lightroom Photos in the cloud, it downloads anything it finds. Because the model of Lightroom Classic is local storage for all originals. There is no way to upload originals to the cloud; Lightroom Classic uploads only Smart Previews.

Cloud-based Lightroom always stores files in the cloud. If you import files, they’re always uploaded to the cloud. There is no way to stop this except to pause syncing or disconnect from the Internet. The only way to not work from the cloud is to use the Local tab instead of importing, but that exists only in the Mac/Windows version, not on the mobile/web versions. However, cloud-based Lightroom does do what you asked: It does not permanently download cloud files to the local volume except for the temporarily cached copy that’s necessary for editing.

So the designs of the two apps are completely opposite. Lightroom Classic will always download originals to local storage, Lightroom will always upload imported originals to cloud storage.

One answer is to use Lightroom Classic on the computer that you use to manage local originals, sync Smart Previews of the images you want to edit on the go using the laptop, and use cloud Lightroom on the laptop to edit the images synced up from Lightroom Classic. The laptop edits would sync back to Lightroom Classic.

There’s nothing wrong with requesting a feature to prevent Lightroom Classic from downloading Lightroom cloud files. However, based on the above, just keep in mind that it might not be considered a high priority compared to the many other user-submitted feature requests that are being voted on and discussed in the Ideas community.