---
id: backups.how-do-i-back-up-to-a-cloud-account
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/how-do-i-back-up-to-a-cloud-account
category: "Backups & restore points"
subcategory: "Where backups go"
question: "How do I back up to a cloud account?"
alt_questions:
  - "backup to Google Drive with Storage Studio"
  - "cloud backup setup Data Backup"
  - "Can I back up my Mac folders to Dropbox?"
  - "use OneDrive as backup destination"
  - "back up to Amazon S3 from Mac"
  - "online backup Storage Studio"
short_answer: "Connect the account in Data Transfers, then choose it in the backup set's Destination menu and set a passphrase. Everything is encrypted on your Mac before it uploads."
tags: ["cloud", "destination", "passphrase"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/how-do-i-set-a-backup-passphrase", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/why-is-my-first-cloud-backup-taking-hours", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/which-bucket-should-i-choose-for-backups"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I back up to a cloud account?

First connect the account in Data Transfers. Then, on your backup set, open the **Destination** menu and pick that account. Storage Studio asks you to **set a passphrase** before the first cloud backup — it encrypts everything on your Mac before upload.

1. Connect the account (see [cloud accounts](https://storagestudio.us/faq/cloud-accounts/)).
2. In Data Backup, open the set's **Destination** menu and choose the account.
3. For bucket storage, pick one of your existing buckets from the list.
4. Type a passphrase twice, tick the box confirming you've saved it, and click **Save**.

The first cloud backup can take hours for a large folder; it's working, not stuck. See [first cloud backups](https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/why-is-my-first-cloud-backup-taking-hours).