Wondering how to keep your MacBook’s data safe? You may accomplish this by backing up your MacBook. In this article, we have mentioned four different ways how to back up a MacBook.
How to Back Up a MacBook (4 Ways)
We have listed four ways to backup a MacBook.
- Back up using Time Machine
- Sync your data to iCloud.
- Use a third-party service.
- Manually use another storage device.
1. Back Up Using Time Machine
Time Machine is Apple’s new built-in feature in the MacBook. It is one of the easiest ways to backup a MacBook and keep it safe in case of loss. To start backing up, you need an external storage device. Also, make sure that the disk is formatted so that MacOS can read it.
Once you have set it up, the Time Machine will automatically create a backup for all your data. Time Machine does hourly backups, monthly and weekly backups, and 24-hour daily backups for the past month. As a result, you can access your initial data if needed. It will only delete your oldest data when your backup disk is full.
Apple recommends using a storage disk that has twice the storage space of your MacBook.If your Mac has a capacity of 1TB, then your storage device should have a capacity of 2 TB.
Connect and Set Up Your Storage Device
To connect and set up your storage device to backup a MacBook, follow the given steps:
- To start with, plug in a hard drive.
- You will now be asked if you want to use the drive with a Time Machine. Click Use as Backup Disk.
If you don’t see any alerts, make sure that your device is formatted for macOS. Now, if you still don’t see any notifications, then:
Go to System Settings, click General, open Time Machine Settings, and choose Backup Disk. For older versions of macOS, go to System Preferences, open Time Machine Settings, and select Disk Backup.
Set Up Time Machine
- Click on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your Mac and open Time Machine.
- Now, click on the Add button (+) to add a backup disk.
- After selecting your connected storage device, click the option Set Up Disk.
Now, when your time machine is set up, it will start backup a MacBook by default.
2. Sync Your Data To iCloud
iCloud is the other way to backup a MacBook data and keep it safe. It’s an online cloud service that Apple owns, and you can back up all your Apple device data on the iCloud drive without any problem. You can easily create a backup of your data and get access to it anytime and anywhere by just signing in to your Apple ID through iCloud.
Every Apple user can get free access to 5 GB of data on the iCloud service. Apple also offers a total of 2 TB of data per Apple ID. This data can be accessed by upgrading to iCloud+ or by subscribing to Apple One. A user can back up some of their Mac data to iCloud by just copying it, and they can also sync all of their MacBook data to iCloud.
Although iCloud is an extremely safe option, there are some drawbacks to it, which are as follows:
- While Time Machine completely backup a MacBook data, iCloud can only store the parts that fall within its category.
- iCloud doesn’t work with Time Machine. You can also not back up your entire MacBook via iCloud.
| Note: When a file is deleted from any of the devices, it is deleted from everywhere and is only in your iCloud’s Recently Deleted folder or the Files app on your Mac. Thus, it clearly shows that iCloud can’t replace Time Machine but can only be used as an add-on to ensure any data loss. |
Syncing Your Data To iCloud
Here’s how you can sync your Mac data to iCloud.
- Go to the Apple menu, open System Settings (for older versions, System Preference), and then click Apple ID.
- Now, click on iCloud and sign in to your iCloud if you haven’t already.
- Go to the Apps section using the iCloud section and select everything you want to sync.
Your desktop and document folders can also be synced. To use this option, click on iCloud Drive and select your desktop and document folders.
Backing Up Your Data To iCloud
Before starting to backup a MacBook data, it is recommended that you upgrade your MacBook to the latest macOS. Also, note that this process is not automated as a sync, but you have to copy data that isn’t synced from time to time on iCloud. The steps to backup a MacBook to iCloud are as follows:
- Open the Finder and click on the iCloud Drive folder from the left sidebar.
- Now, open the second Finder window and locate any data that isn’t backed up in the iCloud.
- You can now copy any data you want into the iCloud folder, and that data will be automatically saved in the iCloud Storage.
- Once your data is backed up, it can be viewed on the web from any Apple or non-Apple device.
However, if you want to back up your data, you can use Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, or any other cloud storage service if you don’t want to use the iCloud.
3. Backup a MacBook via A Third-Party Service
Using a third-party service is also a backup solution to back up MacBook data. You can opt for the best backup software to save your data like EaseUS, Blackblaze, Carbonite, iDrive, etc. These are also online cloud servers that store all your data online. Third-party services also relieve the need for an external device. Also, these services have been in the backup business for a long time and can offer larger storage space at affordable prices.
Third-party services are a great option to store your Mac data if you have a lot of data to take care of. Also, most of the backing-up companies offer unlimited storage space at considerable prices.
When you backup a MacBook data for the first time, it may take a lot more time than usual, as a lot of MacBook data is being backed up. You might have to leave your Mac overnight to let the data be backed up. But once your data is backed up for the first time, the next backups will be quick, as only some files and data have to be backed up.
4. Manually Use Another Storage Device
The last option for backing up data from a Mac is to transfer it to other external storage devices manually. This process is very simple: drag all the files, images, documents, etc., from your Mac to your USB drive or any external storage device. Then, to restore them, you have to drag them back.
| Note: This method is only suitable if you want to back up a limited or certain number of files from your MacBook.Backing up large amounts of data can be very difficult to manage. |
Reasons To Backup a Mac
- Someone could steal your Mac, or you could lose it.
- Your Mac was accidentally damaged.
- Replacing the media files to keep them safe.
- Your Mac gets hit by Mac malware (which is rare).
- For accessing previous versions or old documents.
- Mac drives fail, and recovering data from SSDs is quite difficult.
- Setting up a new Mac.
FAQS
Q: How to know if my Mac is backed up to iCloud?
You can know that by viewing iCloud backups on your Mac. For further details, select the Apple menu, then choose System Settings, click Apple ID, and then click iCloud.
Q: What doesn’t get backed up to iCloud?
All the things that you buy with your Apple ID don’t get backed up. It includes apps or music.
Q: How do I free up iCloud storage?
You can free up iCloud storage by turning off the backup for unwanted apps.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed four different ways how to back up a MacBook. Find the way that best suits your requirements and preferences.
