How to back up a Mac to iCloud

If you’re getting ready to update macOS or your Mac is running low on storage, it’s a smart move to rely on cloud storage. Apple’s iCloud is built for that purpose, and in this article, I’ll show you how to back up your Mac to iCloud in the simplest way possible.

If you already use iCloud but run into issues with backups, keep reading as well, as I also cover possible fixes and tips to make the process smoother.

Before you start

Before setting up iCloud backup, it’s worth checking what exactly you’ll be sending to the cloud. Since iCloud storage is paid (if you need more than 5 GB of space), you don’t want unnecessary files, duplicates, or old cache data taking up space.

One of the easiest ways to prepare your Mac for backup is to clean it with MacCleaner Pro by Nektony. MacCleaner Pro helps you clear system junk, mail attachments, and other hidden clutter so your iCloud space is used efficiently.

Make sure only the data you really need ends up in your backup.

MacCleaner Pro

Download

Understanding Mac backups and iCloud

Backups are essential because they let you recover your data and workflow if something goes wrong. Unexpected situations like flooding, power surges, or even theft can wipe out your files in an instant. A reliable backup ensures you can get back on track quickly.

At the moment, as per Apple’s docs, there’s no way to fully back up your Mac to iCloud. For complete backups, the company suggests using Time Machine. This built-in tool saves full copies of your drives to an external disk or a network volume. With a Time Machine backup, you can restore your Mac to its exact state as it was when the backup was created. (You can even use it to set up your new Mac!)

That said, people often want to use iCloud exactly as a backup storage, like in this forum thread. Indeed, with iCloud, you can sync your key files and folders, along with photos, mail, contacts, messages, calendars, notes, passwords, and most of your app data. This approach is especially useful if you use several Macs or do not need to back up system settings. With iCloud sync enabled, setting up a new Mac becomes much faster, since all your personal data and settings are automatically downloaded.

In the next section, I’ll show how to configure iCloud sync in a way that most closely resembles a backup of your Mac.

How to back up your Mac to iCloud

This method consists of two parts:

1. Tweaking macOS system settings so iCloud sync covers as much as possible.
2. Manually copying your key files and folders into iCloud via Finder so that future edits stay synced.

Below is a step-by-step guide for both tested on macOS Tahoe.

Part 1: Configure iCloud sync settings

1. On your Mac, click the Apple menu → System Settings.
2. Click your Apple account profile in the sidebar.
3. Select iCloud.
4. Next to Saved to iCloud, click See all.
5. In the opened dialog, toggle the automatic backup of all the types of data you consider critical.
6. Click iCloud Drive to set up the way it is backed up.
7. In the window that opens, make sure to have Sync this Mac and Desktop & Documents Folders enabled. You may also want to review which apps’ data you want to sync in iCloud via the Apps syncing to iCloud Drive option.
8. Click Done to close the Saved to iCloud dialogue.

Once you do this, the data on your Mac that you have selected will begin uploading to iCloud. Depending on file size and internet speed, this may take some time.

Important notes and caveats:

• If you disable the sync of Desktop & Documents folders afterward, your files will not magically vanish: they remain available in iCloud Drive and local copies may be restored to your Mac.
• The Optimize Mac Storage setting (if turned on) may cause some files to live only in the cloud, not locally, to save space. If you want local copies always available, consider leaving this off.
• Some users report issues when their local Desktop or Documents folder already exists in a non-iCloud state (macOS tries to “relink” them). Renaming the existing folder before enabling the setting may help avoid conflicts.

Part 2: Copy key files and work inside iCloud via Finder

Even with sync settings maximized, not everything on your Mac will be covered. To get as close as possible to a complete backup via iCloud, do the following:

1. Open Finder and locate iCloud Drive in the sidebar.
2. This is where you can move the folders and files you consider critical into iCloud Drive. Feel free to drag entire folders straight into this iCloud Drive folder.
3. After copying, try to use those files inside iCloud Drive (from Finder) rather than working on scattered local files. This ensures all edits, deletions, and new files stay synced.
4. If there are folders you didn’t originally sync (for instance, a custom “Notes” folder or “Projects”), keep them in iCloud Drive and use aliases or symbolic links if necessary to preserve your workflow paths (though this is more advanced and may have quirks).

Final note

If your Mac ever fails, and you switch to a new one, iCloud will make the transition far easier. Once you sign in with your Apple ID, your synced data starts to appear automatically: documents from iCloud Drive, photos, notes, messages, contacts, calendars, Safari data, and even passwords. Within minutes, much of your digital environment feels familiar again.

And to further speed up the syncing process, make use of MacCleaner Pro to ensure no unnecessary apps, outdated files, or leftovers fill up your cloud storage.

However, you’ll still need to reinstall your applications manually. System preferences like your chosen languages, wallpaper, Focus settings, and other custom tweaks might not be restored automatically either. These details take a few extra minutes to set up, but they don’t affect access to your key files and accounts.

While this approach doesn’t replace a full Time Machine restore, the differences are minor for most users. With iCloud taking care of the essentials, you’ll be back to your usual workflow quickly, without worrying about losing your important data.