Cloud storage
Store your vital files in the cloud
While we’ve established the many benefits of iCloud Drive, it may not be quite right for you. Here, we explore alternative cloud storage services, such as Dropbox.
Cloud storage options like Dropbox usually create a folder that you access in Finder, where you can store any content you like. Any files you place in the folder are synced to the provider’s servers. Any content outside the folder, such as your Pictures folder, will not be synced. For some cloud services, there is a workaround that enables you to sync other folders, though (see the box about MacDropAny on the opposite page).
If you choose to store your files in the cloud, remember that your files will exist both in the folder on your computer and online on the storage provider’s servers. This means that if you have 3GB of family photos in your Dropbox folder, for example, they will still take up 3GB of space on your hard drive. If you want to save space by storing data only online, consider using iCloud Drive instead.
Although there are other cloud storage providers out there, we have chosen Dropbox for the tutorial below as it has a good reputation.
Tiers of a cloud
Most storage providers offer a free tier of usage. Dropbox offers 2GB by default, but you can increase this by up to 16GB through referrals and linking your social media accounts. If you have a Google Account you can also make use of Google Drive’s 15GB free allowance. This probably won’t be enough to store all your documents and data, so you may need to pay for more capacity.
Although there are other cloud storage providers out there, we have chosen Dropbox for the walkthrough below as it has a good reputation.
Dropbox is also ideal for working with larger files such as videos, as it can upload only changes made to a file rather than try to sync it from scratch.
If you do choose Dropbox, each user of your Mac should register their own Dropbox account to avoid duplicates of files being synced to multiple accounts
on your Mac and wasting space. See our ‘Getting started’ guide opposite.
Sharing is caring
Once you have set up Dropbox on your Mac, you can start placing files inside its folder. A green tick will appear next to each file or folder as it is successfully uploaded to the cloud. Once this is done, you can ≈- click on any file or folder to share a link to the copy on Dropbox. You can send this link to other people to download a file/access a folder, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account.
You can also choose to share a file or folder by pointing your web browser at dropbox.com and signing in there. This enables you to customise the way you share files and folders, such as setting read-only access. You will need a Dropbox Pro subscription for more advanced features such as passwords and automatic link expiration.
Although using cloud storage is extremely convenient, your online data could be at risk of being seized by hackers. You can massively decrease the chance of hackers taking control of your Dropbox account by enabling two-step verification. This simply means that the first time you use a device to access your Dropbox account, you’ll need to provide a six-digit code sent to a known device as well as your password. Visit bit.ly/2ov6E5r for more info.
A word on security
If you are concerned about your data being subpoenaed or subjected to a warrantless search, you can encrypt it before placing it in the cloud. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use Disk Utility which is provided free with macOS, to create an encrypted disk image in which to store files. Without the correct password, no one else will be able to access the data in the image. See support.apple.com/kb/PH22247 for steps to achieve this. Make sure the image is no larger than your cloud storage account allows. For instance, Dropbox allows you 2GB for free, so the image needs to be no bigger than the storage you are willing to pay for.
If you feel your data shouldn’t be held by any large corporation in the first place, turn to the next page to explore other backup methods, such as setting up your own server to sync files securely.
Each user of the computer should have their own account