ICloud Drive

Store your most important data in Apple’s online storage

Let’s get one thing clear right from the get-go: iCloud Drive is not designed primarily for backup. You can set your Desktop and Documents folders to sync to iCloud Drive, and these can then be synced to other Macs, but that’s not really a backup in the strict sense: You can’t use that data to restore an entire Mac, and it doesn’t account for glitches in the system, such as documents accidentally being deleted, because this will be replicated. So you’ll still need to set up a robust backup system as well.

That being said, however, iCloud Drive can be an effective way to store copies of critical documents, which can then be accessed on pretty much any device you use: on an iOS device (using the Files app in iOS 11), on a Mac (there’s a shortcut to iCloud Drive in every Finder window sidebar, or you can jump straight there by pressing Cmd+Shift+I), and even on the web (at iCloud.com).

To enable iCloud Drive on an iOS device, open the Settings app, tap your name, then iCloud, and scroll down to this option. On your Mac, head to System Preferences > iCloud, sign in with your Apple ID if necessary, and check iCloud Drive. Note, though, that this will not automatically back up your data. To be sure a file is saved to iCloud, either use a supported app to save it there, or move your stuff there yourself. To do this, click Options and click the checkbox next to Desktop & Documents Folders. Your existing folders are moved to iCloud Drive, and new files will be saved there.

To save your Photos to iCloud, ensure Photos is checked, then click Options next to it. Make sure iCloud Photo Library is switched on. Check the upload status of existing pictures in Photos > Preferences > iCloud.

What about your music? iCloud Music Library requires a subscription to iTunes Match or Apple Music. In iTunes’ Account menu, sign in using your Apple ID, then go to iTunes > Preferences > General and ensure iCloud Music Library is checked.

Certain Mac apps will automatically save files to iCloud Drive if you are signed in. These include Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. By default, when you create a new document in any of these, it’s saved to iCloud unless you choose to save it elsewhere.

Not all apps act this way. To check, open the iCloud System Prefs pane and click the Manage button at bottom right. Even if an app isn’t listed, you can save a file to iCloud Drive by manually changing its save location. You can also copy or move files to iCloud Drive from any folder in Finder.