A longtime Apple enthusiast with a Bachelor's in English and Computer Science and three years of experience writing about tech, Ashleigh has written and tested hundreds of articles about devices and features within Apple's ecosystem. You’ll see the iCloud Drive as well as your Desktop and Documents folder here (if they are in the cloud). Last Updated: January 15, 2022 A clone is slightly different to a Time Machine backup because it can be used to boot from, so you could plug it in to another Mac and boot up from it without recovering your Mac, which could be useful as a temporary measure. iPhone 14 iPhone 13 iOS 16 iOS 15. . It is too late to back up your MacBook when you fail to access those files. UK: 79p (50GB), £2.49 (200GB), £6.99 (2TB), US: 99c (50GB), $2.99 (200GB), $9.99 (2TB), Euros: 99c (50GB), €2.99 (200GB), €9.99 (2TB). You should back up your Mac before installing a major update to macOS in case something stops working and so you can revert to the old version of the OS. Apple's iCloudservice is a great way to keep your data safe and secure. Click Select Backup Disk. Step 2. Step 1. Zugu’s iconic iPad case is sleek and modern while providing military-grade drop protection. How to Back Up Mac to iCloud What is iCloud Backup and iCloud Drive? You can restore your data from iCloud on any Apple device. Fingers crossed for Hearing well can transform how we experience the world; with Eargo 7, no compromises are necessary! Furthermore, you can restore all data from iCloud backup to a new Mac over the air. If you don’t fancy paying to store 100s of GBs of images in the cloud then you might like to consider using My Photo Stream as an alternative. Jul 14, 2019 4:28 PM in response to macjack. To avoid losing your data, you should back up your Mac. It’s also a great way to get an offsite backup. I suggest you use either Time Machine or a clone if you want a true backup. Click "Options" next to "Photos", and then you can tick iCloud Photo Library, My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Sharing according to your personal needs. Then, follow the steps below to back up your data to iCloud: Note, that on macOS Ventura, you will see toggle buttons instead of checkboxes. Choose your recent backup and wait for the syncing process to finish. You will need to pay Apple a monthly subscription for iCloud storage. Fortunately, iCloud storage plan pricing is pretty affordable! iCloud Photo Library is only really an option if you have adequate space in iCloud to store the photos. The files you can sync this way include everything on your Desktop and everything in your Documents folder. As we explained above, you can’t use iCloud to make a Time Machine backup of your Mac, but it does offer quite a lot in terms of the files it can store: By setting up your Mac so that everything you are working on is stored in the cloud you can save a lot of space on your Mac and easily access all your files from any device. Hoping to back up your Mac to iCloud? A standard save panel will appear. You can use this backup to restore important files if something goes wrong on your Mac or if you lose your computer. These solutions are generally used for sharing a files with colleagues or friends, or storing files that everyone can collaborate on, rather than backing up all your data. Open System Preferences either from the Mac's Dock or by opening Finder . And once you sign into your iCloud account, you can restore data on any Apple product directly. Tested. any proposed solutions on the community forums. only. iCloud is the best way to backup your iPhone . // Count how many times this function is called. // Try again in 250 ms. As WWDC 2023 gets underway, the Apple Store going down usually means that new products are on the horizon, and some will likely be available to pre-order once the Store is back up.. Copyright © 2023 Tick the checkboxes for all the items you need to back up, including photos, email, contacts, reminders, calendar, notes, Safari, etc. Hands-on with the new 15-inch MacBook Air [Gallery] Benjamin Mayo Jun 5 2023. Back up with Time Machine Automatically back up all your files with Time Machine, which is built in to your Mac. Although, be sure that you have enough storage available in iCloud to accommodate the things you want to add. I understand from one of Léonie's replies to an old thread: "Even if you are using iCloud Photos with "Optimise Storage" you can back up all original image files and edited versions by exporting them from Photos to an external volume with "File > Export > Unmodified Original" and "File > Export > . Unlike backing up with Time Machine, backup up files with iCloud only backs up the files you specify, such as documents and the files on your desktop. You might already be using Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or one of the other For instance, you can access the backup information over the air. Enabling iCloud on a Mac. ), 10 Simple Tips To Fix iPhone Battery Drain, Step Counter: How To Show Steps on Apple Watch Face, How To Put Two Pictures Together on iPhone, How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Computer, No Caller ID? This will turn on iCloud Photo Library. All postings and use of the content on this site are subject to the. To do so, sign in to iCloud from your browser and click the small grid icon in the upper right corner. If you are asked, sign in to the cloud. Having a versioned backup is a benefit because not only does it protect you if something goes wrong with your Mac, it also protects you from user error (saving over a document for example). You can store specific types of files from your Mac on iCloud, like photos, documents, notes, and more. The latest version of SuperDuper adds support for creating bootable clones on Big Sur and Monterey Macs and is Apple silicon native. So it does not matter whether the condition of your external hard drive is good or not. Setting up an Apple backup through iCloud is probably the most straightforward option you have available, although there are other ways to back up your Mac, including Time Machine backups. Now . You can drag and drop files to the iCloud folder right in the Finder to save the data. Even if Mac computers are the safest, you still don’t have a 100% guarantee of the security of the data on your Mac. . To create a complete copy of your MacBook, however, you should use a Time Machine backup instead. Time Machine is the built-in backup feature that comes with a Mac. Step 1. How to Backup Your Mac to iCloud? As we explain in Turn on the new or factory reset device and follow the on-screen setup prompts, then select Restore from iCloud Backup. Navigate to the System Preferences. If the left iCloud storage is not enough to store your entire Mac to iCloud backup, you can hit "Manage" button in the lower right corner to upgrade to a larger storage plan, which starts with 50GB for only $0.99 per month. The advantage of TM is that it creates recursive backups, so you can restore a file or the entire drive from a certain point in time. Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+. With this in mind, we would recommend a full system backup (such as Time Machine) that you run regularly, plus using cloud storage solutions (such as iCloud) to make additional copies of files. Copyright © 2023 Apeaksoft Studio. ga('send', 'event', { eventCategory: 'splash', eventAction: 'display', eventLabel: window.mangosplashConfig.eventLabel}); Join the only free daily newsletter that reveals new things you can do with your iPhone in just a minute a day. Fairfield, Iowa 52556, USA . The first time you use Time Machine to back up your Mac computer, it will take longer time to complete the MacBook backup process. For people who still want to backup MacBook Air and MacBook Pro using Time Machine, you can operate following steps to solve the problem. The problem with Time Machine is that it requires a large external storage device – your Time Machine drive needs much more storage space than your Mac. What's in This Article? Click iCloud in the sidebar. Backups are incremental, just like Time Machine. Learn how to restore a mac from an iCloud backup! Go back to the steps above and make sure to check everything you can under step 7. Time Machine backs up everything that's stored on your Mac, including personal files, preferences, installed apps, and photos. advagg_mod_2.count = ++advagg_mod_2.count || 1; Time Machine also makes hourly, daily, and weekly backups so you can use your Time Machine backup to go back to a previous version of a document, or to recover something you have deleted. Possible to backup MacBook Air to iCloud Drive? Select System Preferences. From what I can see, my Mac is set to back up to iCloud, but when I view the apps using iCloud, I'm not seeing the finder icon that references 'desktop and documents'. However, it’s not a backup because if you delete something that is in iCloud you cannot recover it. Step 3. try { If you create a Time Machine backup you can use it to recover your Mac if you wipe it due to a problem or if you buy a new one and want to set it up exactly the same. If you want to backup Mac without external hard drive, then iCloud is one of your best Mac backup software. There are many alternatives to Time Machine that you might prefer. Because your drive could fail and it can be particularly challenging to recover data from SSDs. Then click on Back Up Now. Mac with OS X Lion 10.7.5 or later (opens in a new tab) and the Photos app (opens in a new tab) Apple TV HD, or Apple TV (2nd generation or 3rd generation) with tvOS 5.0 or later PC with Windows 7 . How to Create a Backup for a Mac Without Time Machine, How to Download & Install MacOS on a Virtual Machine Using VirtualBox, 8 Easy Ways to Troubleshoot a Frozen or Unresponsive Mac, 4 Ways to Change Screen Resolution on a Mac, to do. Stay proactive and regularly check on your backup devices to check their integrity, ensure that your stored data is current, and to see if new, better methods for backing up your data are available. There are many alternatives to iCloud if you are looking for a way to sync and share your files. } % of people told us that this article helped them. best backup software for Mac. You can use a cloning software like SuperDuper! ChronoSync ($49.99/£36.00 at Econ Technologies) can also make versioned backups too. Macworld is your best source for all things Apple. This doesn't affect our editorial independence. In that case, open Disk Utility and with the external drive selected, click on Erase, choose the macOS Extended (Journaled) from the format options, and click Erase again. We explain the Choose "Done". Tap "OK" to save your change. Apple allows you to store the the most recent 1,000 photos or the last 30 days of images in iCloud for free, which means you can access them on all your devices. Apple’s iCloud is an easy to use solution for backing up photos, videos, documents and other important data from your iPhone, iPad and Mac. You may also want to look at whether your broadband service is capped for uploads and downloads, because you may tip it over the edge and encounter extra fees if you were to upload or download a few hundred gigabytes of data. It also allows you to organize your folders by finding similar folders and merging them. She specializes in iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Mac content and has authored a 60-page in-depth guide about the Apple Maps app. And this is where we hate to disappoint you, but the answer is no. Step 3. best hard drives here. JavaScript is disabled. Music, like photos, could be taking up a lot of space on your Mac. Register for an account with the service – you may have to sign up for a subscription rather than make an upfront payment as is often the case these days. In another word, your Mac can be attacked by many situations including malwares, system crashes, update failure, accidental deletion, etc. Enjoy! It usually takes about 1 hour. If you want a complete clone of your Mac, then you’ll either want to setup a Time Machine backup or use one of the packages included in our roundup of the Click Continue. If you have an iCloudaccount, you can backup your Mac Air to iCloud. Enable iCloud photos backup settings on Mac. It’s an exceptionally easy to use solution. Try It Free In this article: Part 1. Mac Studio MacBook Air MacBook Pro 13" MacBook Pro 14 & 16" macOS Ventura watchOS 10 watchOS 9 WWDC 2023 Guides. You can delve further into iCloud Drive by opening Finder and selecting iCloud Drive from the iCloud section. In the top left of your screen, in the menu bar, select the Apple icon. How To Get It Back, The Easy Way To Make a Group Chat in Your Messages App, If Notes Disappeared From iPhone, Recover the App & Lost Notes. Other Way to Restore Your Mac Helpful; Restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup To save space on your Mac, you can select, If you need to purchase more data storage and sign up for a monthly subscription, click. Having your files synced to iCloud is great though because you can access them on any of your Apple devices (and even from a PC if you go via iCloud.com). How do I back up my MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac? To start the conversation again, simply By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Learn how to back up your MacBook Pro, Air, or iMac in the easiest way possible! can I backup my MacBook air to the icloud? You can set your Mac to sync all everything on your Desktop and Documents folder to the cloud. Feel free to contact us if you have any problem during the Mac backup and restore process. If you were to delete a photo from your Mac you would also delete it from iCloud. Plug in hard drive or SSD (alternatively you can use a NAS drive). There’s a big difference between backing up and syncing content. Posted by Dorothy CollinsJanuary 13, 2021 18:40. Here you’ll see which types of files from your Mac (and other Apple devices) are currently being stored in iCloud. You need to make sure your MacBook is running the latest OS X version before backing up MacBook to iCloud. If only you had a back up and could recover an earlier version. Click Photos in the App menu in the upper left corner of your screen. iCloud Drive can be compared to Google Drive and DropBox, and it is compatible across various devices, even PCs and Android phones and tablets. In the case of Dropbox, sign up for a Dropbox account. Choose the storage device and click Use Disk. You won’t need as much iCloud space as you would on an external hard drive, but you’ll likely still need more than the free 5 GB of iCloud storage that every user can access by default. Apple unveils 15-inch MacBook Air, available to order today for $1299 Chance Miller Jun 5 2023 Apple announces iOS 17 with Journal, Standby, FaceTime voicemail, more Don't Miss: Best methods to find iPhone backup on Mac. If you're using a MacBook, you can choose whether Time Machine can make backups when your Mac isn't plugged in to a power source. Select the external hard drive that your cloned backup is stored next to "Restore From." Select your Mac's hard drive next to "Restore to." Click Restore. How To Check if Your iPhone Is Unlocked & What That Means, How To Get an App Back on Your Home Screen, App Store Missing on iPhone? You'll find your Desktop and Documents folders in the left panel of Finder under "iCloud.". Firs. Connect your Mac to an external hard drive. Choose Back up all the data on your iPhone to this Mac. It makes it really easy to set up a new Mac. How to Back Up Mac to iCloud How do I back up my MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac? Apple now splits the volume in two, separating data (which can be written) from the system volume (which is read-only and is where all your system settings and all the things macOS needs to work are stored). how to back up your Mac with Time Machine. Select the drive you want to use for backup, and you're all set. Some things, like photos, are impossible to replace or recreate so make sure they are stored safely. Click Time Machine. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor. If you get a new iPhone you can use the iCloud back up to recover all your settings and data to the new device. Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Zugu’s iconic iPad case is sleek and modern while providing military-grade drop protection. Open Time Machine menu and choose "Enter Time Machine" to find the specific file from your previous backup file. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot) License: Fair Use<\/a> (screenshot)
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a3\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a3\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-2-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/39\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/39\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-3-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b1\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-4-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c0\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c0\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-5-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/52\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/52\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-6-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/21\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/21\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-7-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-8-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-8-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-8-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-8-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-9-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-9-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d7\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-9-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-9-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/56\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-10-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-10-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/56\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-10-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-10-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c9\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-11-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-11-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c9\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-11-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-11-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e2\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-12-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-12-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e2\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-12-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-12-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-13-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-13-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b2\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-13-Version-4.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-13-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-14-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-14-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-14-Version-3.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-14-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"
\n<\/p><\/div>"}, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1f\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-15.jpg\/v4-460px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-15.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1f\/Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-15.jpg\/aid3362918-v4-728px-Back-Up-a-Mac-Step-15.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"