We recommend local backups via Time Machine and online backups using services like Backblaze and IDrive for ultimate peace of mind. You could, of course, manually copy and paste files into iCloud if you want, but there are better ways of keeping things safe. Step 2: Select the Time Machine shared folder, which should appear in the list of Time. Using iCloud Photos and file syncing is useful, but it shouldn’t be your only safeguard. Step 1: Open System Preferences Time Machine and click Select Backup Disk. You can access these files from other devices, including iPhones and iPads, or you can log in at and get what you need via a web browser (even on Windows). Full-size images and videos are downloaded as needed, while everything remains safely backed up in the cloud.ĭesktop and Documents syncing is another useful feature that makes your Mac desktop and personal files available over iCloud. ICloud Photos stores all of your photos and videos in the cloud, allowing you to reclaim disk space on your devices by keeping local optimized versions instead. Then, enable Documents and Desktop backup, too. Toggle “Photos” on to back up your media and click “Options” next to iCloud Drive. You can do this via iCloud Settings under System Preferences > Apple ID. iCloud Already Backs Up Photos, Documents, and Desktopįortunately, iCloud already backs up your most important data, provided that you have enough space to do so. This is in stark contrast to how iCloud Backup works on iPhones and iPads, where the device is backed up in its entirety (albeit without instanced snapshots or file-level access). Even if you have a fast internet connection, Apple still won’t let you point your Time Machine backup at iCloud Drive.

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