iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud and external drives

How do I keep a copy of my iCloud Drive on an external drive?

Short answer: Download the files first (right-click → Download Now), then copy them to the drive in Finder, back them up with Time Machine, or add them to a Storage Studio Data Backup set that keeps restorable versions.

Make sure the files are downloaded, then copy them to the drive. An online-only file has no local contents to copy, so download what you want to keep first — right-click the folder in iCloud Drive and choose Download Now.

Ways to keep the copy:

  1. Copy in Finder — drag folders from iCloud Drive to the external drive. This is a one-off snapshot.
  2. Time Machine — backs up the iCloud files that are downloaded on your Mac.
  3. Storage Studio Data Backup — add the folders you want and pick another drive as the destination; each run keeps a new version you can restore from.

Check your free space before downloading a large iCloud Drive. See backups.

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