# Stop or disable data capture

Stop capturing data for specific resources, all resources, or disable cloud sync.
> Source: https://docs.viam.com/data/capture-sync/stop-data-capture/


Stop data capture temporarily (during maintenance, testing, or debugging) or permanently. You can disable capture for a single resource, turn it off for all resources on a machine, or leave capture running locally but stop syncing to the cloud.

## Stop data capture for a specific resource

To stop capturing data from a single component while leaving other components'
capture running:

1. Navigate to your machine's **CONFIGURE** tab in the Viam app.
2. Find the component you want to stop capturing from.
3. In the **Data Capture** section, toggle the configured capture method's switch to **Off**.
4. Click **Save**.

The component stops capturing immediately. Other components with data capture
configured continue capturing normally.

## Stop data capture for all resources

To stop all data capture across your entire machine at once:

1. Navigate to your machine's **CONFIGURE** tab.
2. Find the **data management** service in your configuration.
3. Toggle the **Capturing** switch to **Off**.
4. Click **Save**.

This disables capture for every component on the machine. Individual component
capture configurations are preserved. When you re-enable capturing, each
component resumes capturing with its previously configured methods and
frequencies.

## Disable cloud sync

To stop syncing captured data to the cloud while optionally continuing to
capture locally:

1. Navigate to your machine's **CONFIGURE** tab.
2. Find the **data management** service in your configuration.
3. Toggle the **Syncing** switch to **Off**.
4. Click **Save**.

With sync disabled, data continues to accumulate in the local capture directory
(`~/.viam/capture` by default) but is not transmitted to the cloud. When you
re-enable sync, the backlog of locally captured data syncs automatically.

> **Note:**
> 
> 
> 
> If you leave sync disabled for an extended period while capture continues,
> the local capture directory can grow large. Monitor disk space on your machine
> if you plan to capture without syncing.
> 
> 

## Troubleshooting

**Data still appearing in the cloud after disabling capture**



- Click **Save** after toggling the switch. Changes don't take effect until saved.
- Data that was already captured and queued for sync will still sync even after
  capture is disabled. Wait for the sync backlog to drain.




**Want to delete already-captured data**



Stopping capture prevents new data from being collected, but does not delete
existing data. To delete data that has already synced to the cloud, use the
**DATA** tab in the Viam app to filter and delete specific data entries.




**Local capture directory still has files after re-enabling sync**



After re-enabling sync, it may take a few minutes for the backlog to upload.
Files are removed from the local directory after successful sync. If files
persist, check that the machine has network connectivity and that the
**Syncing** switch is on.




## What's next

- [Filter at the edge](/data/filter-at-the-edge/) -- reduce data
  volume by filtering before syncing to the cloud.
- [Create a data pipeline](/data/pipelines/create-a-pipeline/) -- create
  scheduled pipelines to aggregate and summarize captured data.
- [Supported resources](/data/reference/#supported-resources) -- which components
  and services support data capture.