How do I know if my macOS Ventura is backing up to the iCloud?

How do I know if my mac os ventura is backing up to the cloud?



[Re-Titled by Moderator]


iMac, OS X 10.11

Posted on Jul 5, 2023 4:41 PM

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Posted on Jul 8, 2023 4:10 PM

DH7523 wrote:

How do I know if my mac os ventura is backing up to the cloud?


Easy: it’s not. Not if you’re using the Apple-provided backup tool Time Machine.


macOS Time Machine doesn’t use iCloud for backups.


Here is: How to back up your Mac - Official Apple Support


For Time Machine, you’ll need a local storage device or network-attached storage.


Here are the: Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support


You can manually back up specific files to iCloud or elsewhere, can write scripts ro automate backup of your most important files, or can use third-party backup tools to back up elsewhere. But to back up with Time Machine, you need a locally-attached storage device, or network-attached storage you’ve added onto your local network.


You can use iCloud files and documents storage too of course, but that isn’t a backup. It’s a file sync service. You can’t restore and reboot from that. You only get one copy of the files involved too, which means changes can’t be reverted. Mistakenly replace a file you need, and the previous file copy is gone. And if you need to go back and recover a file that was deleted more than a month ago, you can’t.




6 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jul 8, 2023 4:10 PM in response to DH7523

DH7523 wrote:

How do I know if my mac os ventura is backing up to the cloud?


Easy: it’s not. Not if you’re using the Apple-provided backup tool Time Machine.


macOS Time Machine doesn’t use iCloud for backups.


Here is: How to back up your Mac - Official Apple Support


For Time Machine, you’ll need a local storage device or network-attached storage.


Here are the: Backup disks you can use with Time Machine - Apple Support


You can manually back up specific files to iCloud or elsewhere, can write scripts ro automate backup of your most important files, or can use third-party backup tools to back up elsewhere. But to back up with Time Machine, you need a locally-attached storage device, or network-attached storage you’ve added onto your local network.


You can use iCloud files and documents storage too of course, but that isn’t a backup. It’s a file sync service. You can’t restore and reboot from that. You only get one copy of the files involved too, which means changes can’t be reverted. Mistakenly replace a file you need, and the previous file copy is gone. And if you need to go back and recover a file that was deleted more than a month ago, you can’t.




Jul 8, 2023 4:10 PM in response to DH7523

Perhaps the User ( you ) need to read about iCloud and how it functions.


Not where is any of the information in suppled link to I see " Backup to iCloud "


I do see iCloud as only a conduit to have files on iCloud.


So when changes to a Data File is uploaded to iCloud, it is available to any other device that is signed into the same Apple can see and use that changed Data File


Sign in to iCloud on all your devices


If the user what to protect you important data - suggest  Back up your Mac with Time Machine


Or for more intense protection - have 3 Backups using 2 Different Methods and 1 Off Site incase of Natural or Un-Natural Disasters - sometimes called the 3-2-1 Recovery Method

Jul 8, 2023 4:10 PM in response to DH7523

Perfect example to show iCloud is not a backup (also includes other cloud based file syncing services such as One Drive, DropBox, etc.):

Files 'missing' in Finder, Ventura 13.4 - Apple Community


To be clear, there are actual cloud based backup services, but they should never be the only backup because you don't control anything in the cloud since terms can change with little notice, plus what happens if you or the cloud service is offline?

How do I know if my macOS Ventura is backing up to the iCloud?

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