How to Back Up Your Data on macOS: 4 Safe & Easy Ways

Written by

Ojash

Reviewed by

Hashir Ibrahim

Last updated: October 1, 2024

Expert verified

I’ve learned the hard way that regular backups are not just a precaution but a necessity. So, I thought I’d put together a guide to show you how to back up your data on macOS. Whether it’s personal photos or work documents, these steps will protect your data.

4 Easy Ways to Backup Your Data on macOS

macOS offers not one, not two, but four different options for backing up your data. Let’s take a closer look at these backup options.

1. Back Up Your Data on macOS Using Time Machine

Time Machine, macOS’s built-in backup tool, automatically saves your entire system, including apps, settings, and files. It keeps hourly backups for the last 24 hours, daily for the past month, and weekly for each month. So, you can restore a previous version of a document when necessary.

Just follow these simple steps to set up and use Time Machine to back up your data on Mac:

1. Connect an external hard drive or SSD to your Mac.

2. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar and select System Settings.

3. Click General and select Time Machine.

4. Tap the Add Backup Disk button and choose the external hard drive you connected.

5. Once selected, Time Machine will automatically start backing up your data.

How to Restore a Mac From a Time Machine Backup

Restoring your Mac, specific applications, or individual files is straightforward when you have a Time Machine backup. To perform a full or partial restoration, the Migration Assistant is the ideal tool, available on every Mac by default.

Here’s how to use Migration Assistant on your Mac:

1. Connect your external drive to your Mac.
2. Open Migration Assistant, located in the Utilities folder.

3. Choose to transfer information From a Mac, Time Machine, or Startup disk.
4. Select your Time Machine backup and click Continue.
5. Select the data you wish to transfer and click Continue to initiate restoration.

Alternatively, Time Machine also allows you to retrieve a specific file version. Here’s how:

1. Open the folder where the file was previously located.
2. Click the Time Machine icon in the menu bar.
3. Choose Browse Time Machine backups.
4. Navigate back in time to the version of the file you need.
5. Select Restore to recover the file.

2. Back Up Your Mac Data Using iCloud

iCloud is a cloud-based backup option on macOS that securely stores your files, photos, and data online. Linked with your Apple ID, it lets you access your data from any device, anywhere, at any time, making it a convenient solution for keeping your information safe.

To set up iCloud and back up your data on macOS, follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple icon and select System Settings.

2. Click your Apple ID and select iCloud.

3. Next, select iCloud Drive.

4. On the window that appears, tap the Turn On button if your iCloud Drive is not turned on. If it is on, click the Options button to see which apps are syncing to the Drive.

5. You’ll see a list of apps. Check the little box next to each app to enable syncing to iCloud Drive. Then, click Done.

3. Back Up Your Mac Using an External Hard Drive

From my own experience, I’ve found that an external hard drive is a reliable partner for backing up my Mac. It’s a bit old school but keeps all my important files and folders safe.

Just a tip: these drives vary in size and storage capacity, so choose one that matches how much you need to store. Always ensure your drive has enough space and is formatted right for your Mac.

If you’re not sure how to format your drive on Mac to make it compatible, here’s how:

1. Connect an external hard drive to your Mac. If your external hard drive is not showing on Mac, you may need to troubleshoot.

2. Open the Disk Utility application, which can be found in the Applications > Utilities folder.

3. In the left sidebar of the Disk Utility window, select the external hard drive you want to format and click the Erase button at the top.

4. On the confirmation pop-up, type a name for your drive and select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as its format. Then, click Erase.

5. This will format the external hard drive and make it compatible with macOS. Remember that formatting the drive will erase all stored data, so be sure to back up important files before proceeding.

Now, follow these steps to back up your data to this drive:

1. Connect the external hard drive to your macOS device.

2. Open Time Machine or your third-party backup software and select the external hard drive as the destination for your backup.
3. The software will automatically begin backing your data to the external hard drive.

4. Back Up Your Data to Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive

If you’re using a third-party cloud storage service such as Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive, you can also use it for backing up your Mac. Below, I’ve shared the steps for each service.

a. Backup Using Google Drive

To use Google Drive for backing up your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Download and install Google Drive on your Mac.
2. After installing, follow the on-screen prompts to set up Google Drive on your Mac.
3. Once the Drive is set up, click the Google Drive icon in the menu bar.

4. Click the Settings icon and select Preferences.

5. Click Add folder in the Google Drive Preferences window.

6. Select a folder you want to backup on your Google Drive and click Open.

7. Select an option from Sync with Google Drive or Back up to Google Photos and click Done.

8. This will add the folder to the list. Click Save to start the backup process.

9. You can check the progress in the menu bar.

Once the files are backed up, you can open your Google Drive files from other devices, like a different Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

b. Backup Using Dropbox

Here’s the process for backing up your Mac using Dropbox:

1. Download and install the Dropbox desktop app on your Mac.
2. Sign in to your Dropbox account.
3. Click the Dropbox icon in the menu bar.

4. Open the Preferences from the dropdown menu or click Show me how on the Keep your Mac files backed up prompt.

5. Select a folder you want to back up and click Set up.

6. Once the folder is saved, you’ll get a Your folders are set up successfully notification and Dropbox will begin backing up the data.

c. Backup Using OneDrive

For backing up your Mac with OneDrive, follow these steps:

1. Download OneDrive on your Mac.
2. Sign in to your OneDrive account or create a new one.
3. Access Preferences in OneDrive from the menu bar.
4. Go to the Backups tab.
5. Choose Manage Back up.
6. Select a folder you wish to back up and click Start Backup.

How to Create a Bootable Backup of Your Mac

Besides regular backups, bootable backups for MacBooks are also great for protecting your data and system settings. A bootable backup is a full copy of your Mac, including a macOS installer. This means you can start your Mac with this backup, even if the macOS on your computer isn’t working.

Making a bootable backup takes more steps than regular backups, but it’s also more reliable. Before you can create one, make sure you have the following:

• 💽 An External Hard Drive: It should be large enough to store all the data from your Mac.
• 💾 Backup Software: Time Machine can create backups but not a bootable clone. Consider third-party software like Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper!, or similar for a bootable backup.

Here’s a simple way to create one:

1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.

2. Connect an external hard drive to your Mac.
3. Select your hard drive and choose Partition.

4. Click the + button.

5. Adjust the partition size by dragging the circle.
6. Provide a name for the partition and click Apply.

7. Next, use Terminal to get the installer. Type the following command and press Enter:

softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer

8. Save the installer in one section of your backup drive.
9. Use your preferred third-party software to back up your Mac to a different section of the external drive.

How to Clone Your Mac’s Hard Drive

Cloning your Mac’s hard drive allows you to create an exact copy of your current hard drive, including the operating system, applications, and personal files. This can be useful for backing up your data, upgrading your hard drive, or setting up a new Mac with the same settings and files as your current one.

Here’s a general guide on how to do it:

1. Choose a cloning tool. Several software options are available for cloning a Mac’s hard drive, such as Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper!, or Disk Drill. I will be using Disk Drill for this guide.
2. Prepare and format your external hard drive. To do this, open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

3. Select your external hard drive from the menu on the left.
4. Click the Erase option in the upper menu.

5. Choose the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.
6. Click Erase to complete the formatting process.

7. Connect the external hard drive to your Mac. You can connect the external hard drive to your Mac with a USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire cable.

8. Launch Disk Drill on your Mac from the Applications folder.

9. Click the Byte-to-byte Backup option in the left sidebar and tap OK, let’s do it in the right pane.

10. Next, choose the hard drive you wish to clone and tap the Create backup button.

11. Select a name for the backup and designate the preferred location for storing it. By default, Disk Drill suggests a name for the backup, but you can customize it if desired. Click Save.

12. Allow the backup process to complete. The duration will depend on the data being backed up, so it may take some time.

I backed up a mechanical hard drive instead of an SSD, which took approximately 4 hours despite the time displayed indicating just over an hour. If you have an SSD, the process will go faster.

13. You’ll receive a Disk image created! notification once the backup progress reaches 100%.
14. All your data is now securely cloned on your external hard drive.
15. To locate the clone on your external device, click the Show results in Finder option. This feature proves useful if the original drive had any issues, allowing you to access and examine the backup.

Delete Duplicates With MacKeeper to Save Time While Backing Up Your Data

Backing up your files can be time-consuming, especially if you have a lot of them. With MacKeeper, you can reduce the time a backup takes by deleting duplicate files. MacKeeper’s Duplicates Finder locates and deletes redundant copies of files, freeing up disk space.

Here’s how to use Duplicates Finder to delete duplicate files on your Mac:

1. Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
2. Open MacKeeper and select Duplicates Finder under the Cleaning section.

3. Click Start Scan.

4. After the scan is complete, select an individual file or click Check All. Then, tap the Remove Selected button.

5. Tap the Remove button on the confirmation pop-up.

6. This will delete the selected files and display a Removal Completed message. Click Continue to end the process.

Why Should You Back Up Your Mac?

Backing up your data on macOS is crucial for several reasons. Trust me, you don’t want to learn the hard way. Here are some key reasons that prove you need a solid backup solution:

1. 🛡️ Data Protection: Safeguard against data loss due to hardware failure, accidental deletion, or software issues, ensuring your important files are not permanently lost.
2. 🦠 Recovery from Malware: In case of malware or ransomware attacks, having a backup means you can restore your data without succumbing to cybercriminals’ demands.
3. 🕒 Version Control: Regular backups allow access to earlier versions of your documents, which is invaluable if you need to revert to a previous state or an update causes issues.
4. 🚨 Device Loss or Theft: If your Mac is lost or stolen, a backup ensures you can still access your important files, minimizing disruption in your work or personal activities.
5. 💼 Ease of Transition: If you decide to sell or give away your Mac and upgrade or replace it with a new one, backups make transferring your data, settings, and applications smoother.

Create A Back Up of Your Mac

Backing up your data is absolutely crucial to avoid accidental data loss. Here are some more tips for additional information about backing up and protecting your files:

• Learn how to restore deleted files on Mac using Time Machine to never lose your important data.
• If you’re running out of space on your Mac, delete old Time Machine backups or downloads.
• If you use iCloud to back up your data, you can easily access your iCloud photos on your Mac or any other device.

Frequently Asked Questions