What's the difference between Cloud Accounts and Data Transfers?

Q: What's the difference between Cloud Accounts and Data Transfers?

Cloud Accounts is where you connect and look after your sign-ins — add, test, edit and remove accounts. Data Transfers is where you actually copy, move or sync files between your Mac, your drives and those accounts. So the order is: add the account once in Cloud Accounts, then use it as often as you like in Data Transfers, Data Parking and Data Backup. See Data Transfers.

Short answer: Cloud Accounts is where you add, test, edit and remove sign-ins. Data Transfers is where you copy, move or sync files using them. Add an account once, then use it in transfers, Data Parking and Data Backup.

Cloud Accounts is where you connect and look after your sign-ins — add, test, edit and remove accounts. Data Transfers is where you actually copy, move or sync files between your Mac, your drives and those accounts.

So the order is: add the account once in Cloud Accounts, then use it as often as you like in Data Transfers, Data Parking and Data Backup. See Data Transfers.

Last reviewed October 1, 2026

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What's the difference between Cloud Accounts and Data Transfers?

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