Back up now!

Why do you need a backup now

You cannot imagine how often there is a question in the Apple Support Communities for which there is no other solution than reset to factory settings or send the device to be serviced or reinstall the operating system. Or the device has been stolen. And in most of these occasions, users complain because their beloved files cannot be retrieved.

Or your device is managed by your company and they decide to clean it up.

I talk from experience. I have felt the panic of a faulty laptop (or a faulty backup disk!) and saw myself assuming that whatever those files were, they are no more. Lost. Gone. Period.

Worse: often it's our only fault.

Fortunately, Apple offers free, built-in, fully integrated solutions, but still, we need to do our bit.

Here are some ideas you can apply immediately.

iCloud Backup

In iOS iCloud can back up some of your contents and settings but not every file like game progress, items created with third party apps, etc. In case you are wondering what will be in and what will not be in, see What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support

To enable iCloud Backup in your iPhone or iPad open the Settings app > tap on your name > iCloud > swipe a bit down > iCloud Backup > turn it on.

Time Machine

macOS does not have a setting, unlike iOS devices, backup in iCloud automatically.

However, there is Time Machine: it's free, embedded in the macOS, and you don't need to schedule anything. In addition, you can use as many external drives as you want for your copies, so in case one of those devices breaks the rest keep working, you have lost at most a few minutes of work. And we are not talking NAS here.

So first of all, make sure Time Machine is set up to automatically back up:

System Preferences > Time Machine > unlock with your admin password if needed > check "Back Up Automatically"

It's recommended that you are backing up in at least two drives, in case one fails or breaks. Check also that you are backing up at least the important files. By default, Time Machine backs up your entire hard disk, which is OK, but this takes time and can use a lot of space. (E.g.: do you want to include in Time Machine your virtual machines or video projects which might not change often?)

Of course, I strongly suggest to have a clone -a bootable image if possible- of your hard disk. But there is a tip already for that: How to create a boot clone

Then what?

Backing up needs not be complex. All it takes is to buy an external drive at least three times the size of your computer's main drive, you have plenty in your nearest Apple Store and also online (Amazon), plug it to your device and copy all the important files.

And do it now, because then the problem happens is usually too late.