What Is the Best Way to Back Up Photos on Mac?

The best way to back up photos on Mac is using a recommended cloud storage service. This remains the most efficient and secure method of backing up the photos on your Mac. I recommend using services like IDrive or pCloud if you want the best protection for your files.

Does Time Machine Backup Photos?

Yes, you can use Time Machine to back up photos on your Mac and photos stored in your iCloud account. You’ll need to use an external hard drive as the location for your Time Machine backup.

How Do I Back Up My Mac Photos to My Computer?

The easiest way to back up your Mac photos to a computer is to download and install a cloud backup service and then download the backup on the other device. I recommend IDrive , as it can run continuous backups of your images.

How to Back Up Photos on Mac Devices to the Cloud or External Hard Drive

Apple users have several options available to protect their photos. In this guide, I’ll show you specifically how to backup photos on Mac in a few simple ways.

Written by Dan Ginn (Writer, Script Editor)

Reviewed by Valentina Bravo (Editor)

Facts checked by Simona Ivanovski (Fact-Checker, Formatter)

Last Updated: 24 Aug'25

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Key Takeaways: How to Backup Photos on Mac

The fastest and most reliable way to back up your photos is to download and install a cloud backup service.
If you don’t want to use the cloud, you can back up to an external drive; however, the process requires more manual work on your part.
iCloud sync allows you to access your photos on macOS and iOS devices. This may be the best option for those using the full Apple ecosystem.

Facts & Expert Analysis: The Best Mac Photo Backup Solutions

IDrive — IDrive is great because you can back up a lot of data on your Mac, and you can use it on iOS devices to automatically back up photos on your iPhone.
pCloud — pCloud has an excellent media playback tool and is cheap for long-term use thanks to its lifetime plans.
iCloud — iCloud is a good option for backing up photos, especially those in your Photos app. However, storage costs more than with other options, and navigation isn’t as smooth.

Best Online Backup for Photos on Mac

Managing all my photos on my Mac can feel like a mission, especially when Apple updates its UI design. That’s why I always back up my photo library — if I lose the photos on my device, I can still access them in my cloud storage. I’m sharing my experience and demonstrating how to backup photos on Mac so you can protect your images too.

I’ve tried and tested pretty much all the best cloud backup services. In my experience, they’re still the best way to back up all the photos on my Macbook. However, I know cloud storage isn’t for everyone. In addition to sharing a few services, I’ll dive into some ways to back up important files using hardware.

Meet the experts

Dan Ginn (Writer, Script Editor)

Dan Ginn is a seasoned tech writer with a specialized focus on project management software and cloud storage. With nearly seven years as a full-time freelancer, his insights have graced major tech publications like Digital Trends, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, and Android Authority. Serving as a writer at Cloudwards for over two and a half years, Dan combines his extensive writing experience with a deep-rooted passion for digital technology. At Cloudwards, he now also edits scripts for our YouTube videos. Beyond the professional realm, he indulges in photography and travel, and is an avid follower of football and UFC.

More about Dan Ginn

Valentina Bravo (Editor)

Valentina Bravo is an editor at Cloudwards with a rich background in technology topics, particularly productivity tools and online security. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and a triple Master’s degree in Literary and Cultural Studies. Her prior role as an academic writing instructor and over a decade of freelance editing across various fields, including academic publishing and tech education, have honed her skills in nurturing writers and producing strategically resonant content. Outside of work, she is a travel enthusiast, music lover and avid learner interested in global cultures, spirituality, psychology and neuroscience.

More about Valentina Bravo

Learn more about our editorial team and our research process.

07/18/2025 Facts checked

We updated the article to add recommendations for online backup providers.
08/24/2025 Facts checked

We have rewritten this article to reflect the backup process on the latest versions of macOS.
updates

How to Back Up Photos on Mac to the Cloud

The first backup process we’ll explore is using cloud storage. Now, I know some may believe it’s best to use Apple’s iCloud. However, in my opinion, it’s not the best option — especially if you want optimal privacy for your files and an easy-to-follow backup process. With that said, I’ll show you the backup process using IDrive.

Download the Desktop Application
Go to IDrive’s official website and download the dedicated application for macOS.
Grant IDrive Full Disk Access
Head to the privacy section in your Mac’s system preferences and select “full disk access.” You’ll need to toggle it on to ensure IDrive can continuously back up new photos in your pictures folder.
Modify Your Backup to Include Pictures
On the desktop app’s homepage, select “modify.” Then, tick the pictures folder so IDrive can back up existing pictures and any new images you drag and drop or save to this folder on your Mac.
Select “Online Backup”
Select “online backup” so IDrive can store your files in the cloud. From there, click “backup now” and let the process begin.

How to Back Up Photos on Mac to External Hard Drive

Backing up photos on Mac to an external drive is an easy process and doesn’t require an internet connection. However, you’ll need to connect a hard drive to your Mac each time you want to perform a backup, which means forgoing the automation you’d enjoy with cloud backup. Follow the process below, or read our guide on how to back up your entire Mac.

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Connect Your Hard Drive
To begin, connect your hard drive to your Mac. Ensure your computer is reading the disk by checking that it appears in Finder or on your desktop.
Select the Photos You Want to Back Up
Open your Photos app and select the photos you want to back up. You can hold the shift key to select several adjacent photos, or click while holding the command key to select non-adjacent photos. To back up your entire library, skip ahead to step five.
Export Your Photos
Once you’ve made your selection, go to “file,” then “export.” Choose “export photos” to select the current version of each photo, or select “export unmodified originals” to back up the originals without edits or metadata changes.
Choose Your Settings
Choose your settings, including file type and naming format. If you export unmodified originals, you can export a second file in XMP format in addition to the originals and change the naming format. To finish, click “export,” select your hard drive as the location and click “export” again.
Locate Your Photo Library
To locate your photo library in the Photos app, go to “photos” and click “settings.” To open the library in Finder, click the “show in Finder” button under “library location.”
Copy Your Library to Your Hard Drive
To create your backup, simply drag and drop your library to your hard drive and wait for the process to finish.

The Best Mac Photos Backup Solutions

Let’s take a look at the top backup solutions for Mac photos. I tried and tested all three, and I use them interchangeably to back up specific file types. IDrive is the best all-arounder, as it offers comprehensive backup options. pCloud is a favorite of mine for viewing multimedia files. iCloud gets the job done and comes preinstalled on macOS.

1. IDrive is the best option to back up photos to the cloud and back up your full operating system to ensure you protect all your essential data.

2. pCloud uses Zero-knowledge encryption to keep your photos and files safe, and the beautiful native media player is great if you’re also backing up videos.

3. iCloud is the simplest option for keeping everything within the Apple ecosystem, especially if you want to back up from Apple’s Photos app.

How to Use iCloud to Back Up Your Mac Photos

The process of backing up Mac photos to iCloud is clunky. You can’t back up your dedicated pictures folder — instead, you must create a folder on your desktop or within your documents folder. These are the only two local locations from which you can back up to iCloud via Mac.

I’ll show you the full process below. Before you start, though, make sure you have enough iCloud storage space to back up your images.

Go to System Settings
To begin backing up your pictures to iCloud, hover over the Apple logo in the menu bar and select “system settings.”
Navigate to iCloud
Once in system settings, click on your account in the top-left corner. Then, select “iCloud” in the middle menu.
Select “Drive”
You’ll back up local files on your desktop through iCloud Drive. Navigate to Drive and select it.
Toggle On Desktop and Documents
To make sure your photos are backed up to iCloud Drive, toggle on “desktop and documents folders.” Photos will back up to iCloud whenever you export them to these locations, and you can access them on all your Apple devices.

Final Thoughts

With the options available, there’s no reason you can’t back up your photos on a Mac computer. Cloud storage is the most seamless way to back up your photos, and it’s the easiest way to restore and download original files when you get a new device.

I’d argue it’s more reliable than an external drive. I’ve used apps like Google Drive and pCloud for more than a decade without failure, but physical drives have failed me countless times. If you’re unsure about the cloud storage options listed here, test-drive the free versions first so you can see how easy they make it to back up your precious memories.

Did you find this process useful? Which method will you use to back up your photos? Is there another guide you’d like us to write? Share your thoughts in the comments, and thanks for reading.

FAQ: Back Up Your Mac Photo Library

The best way to back up photos on Mac is using a recommended cloud storage service. This remains the most efficient and secure method of backing up the photos on your Mac. I recommend using services like IDrive or pCloud if you want the best protection for your files.
Yes, you can use Time Machine to back up photos on your Mac and photos stored in your iCloud account. You’ll need to use an external hard drive as the location for your Time Machine backup.
The easiest way to back up your Mac photos to a computer is to download and install a cloud backup service and then download the backup on the other device. I recommend IDrive, as it can run continuous backups of your images.