---
id: icloud.can-i-back-up-icloud-drive-to-an-external-drive
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/can-i-back-up-icloud-drive-to-an-external-drive
category: "iCloud & iCloud Photos"
subcategory: "iCloud and external drives"
question: "How do I keep a copy of my iCloud Drive on an external drive?"
alt_questions:
  - "Back up iCloud Drive to external hard drive"
  - "Copy iCloud Drive to SSD"
  - "Download all iCloud Drive files to a drive"
  - "Second copy of iCloud files"
  - "Archive iCloud Drive locally"
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."
tags: ["icloud drive", "backup", "external drive"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/is-icloud-drive-a-backup", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/should-i-use-icloud-or-an-external-drive"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

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

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](https://storagestudio.us/faq/backups/).