MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS High Sierra (10.13.3)
No, there is no way to copy iCloud Data to a new Mac and then sync back to iCloud.
I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the question? If you are going to "sync back" to iCloud then why wouldn't you simply sync the iCloud data to the new Mac to begin with?
GB
Hi Thank you for the reply.
The purpose is to avoid using the data and the speed of the internet transfer my iclould is 200GB. take about 2 days
Apple loves to assume that all people have high-speed connectivity all the time...
I think it's a bit lazy on their design side...
Just because you have a 200GB iCloud Plan doesn't mean you have 200GB of data that needs to be transferred. If you don't want to have the phone down for a long time, then why not selectively turn on the various services to get them sync'd one at at time?
On the new device, sign into iCloud, and then turn off services you don't need right away to allow the more important ones to get downloaded first. Settings>your name>iCloud, and right below, you see the Apps using iCloud. Turn off the ones you don't need sync'd right away, and then turn them on as you get the other sync's completed.
Cheers,
GB
If the data is the same, iCloud shouldn't create duplicates. I agree with Gail that doing a selective sync would allow you to control how long the sync process is going on. Since you are using a computer, you can control what syncs in System Preferences/iCloud.
Thank you for the replies
I did see the logic in a selective sync but it still feels very comdersom to have to dig into my data so Heavely when it’s all already in the cloud. Don’t have an uncapped line.
I like what Eric was saying it should not duplicate data if it’s the same data. What I was hoping for was to usb copy all my data to the same location on the new Mac connect to iCloud and then the data would syn just by verifying it’s all the same!! I though that was a bit hopeful as google drive did not like that ! Duplicated everything.
Other surgestions I got was to use migration assistant and pull from time machine!! This sound like it should pull through all the iCloud setting and avoid duplicates? Any thoughts...
Thanks again a for all the advise.
Time Machine isn't going to help you. iCloud Data is in iCloud. It is not backed up. And you don't have to "dig heavily" anywhere. It's a matter of turning a button on or off for a particular piece. Turn on Photos first, if you are using iCloud Photo Library. When that is done, turn on Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, etc.
Normal iCloud syncing only takes a short time, regardless of line speed. The syncing that takes time would be your Photos Library (if you have a lot of stuff there).
I think you are making this a lot harder than you need to. Set up your Mac using Time Machine or Migration Assistant, then sign into iCloud and sync that stuff.
Best of luck,
GB
What I was hoping for was to usb copy all my data to the same location on the new Mac connect to iCloud and then the data would syn just by verifying it’s all the same!! I though that was a bit hopeful as google drive did not like that ! Duplicated everything.
That should, in theory, work and might cut down on the sync time.
You should also be able to restore the files from Time Machine. iCloud is a syncing system, not an external storage system. With the possible exception of Documents and Desktop syncing with Optimization on, all iCloud files remain on the computer.
Copy icloud data to a new mac manually and sync back to iCloud
