Backing up Time Machine SSD to iCloud storage

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Level 1

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Backing up Time Machine SSD to iCloud storage

I understand that I have to plug in an external drive to do Time Machine backups, what I don’t know how to do is to make an offsite in the cloud back up of that SSD that I backed up to. One of the golden rules is you always keep a copy of your backup offsite if the SSD is plugged in and heaven forbid a major catastrophe happens I would lose not only the MacBook but the backup as well. I have both Google Dr., OneDrive and iCloud with plenty of storage on all my question is how do I back the the drive itself to the cloud once time machine has backed up the Mac to the drive hope that makes sense. I’m sure it’s been asked before, but I was not finding any clear answers.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Backup Time Machine Backup

MacBook Air 15″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Oct 2, 2025 4:24 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 2, 2025 4:35 PM in response to markinhfx

Time Machine relies on hardcoded links between different parts of the same file to maintain structure. Copying a Time Machine backup to another location will render the backup nonfunctional, which defeats the purpose of duplicating it.

Alternate approach would be to use iCloud syncing of desktop and documents, which would give another copy of files in those locations stored offsite.b that’s a sink and not a backup, so it may not be the solution you’re looking for and it is certainly different from Time Machine.

Personally, for my offsite backup I use Time Machine with a pair of SSD‘s, and swap them out to a drawer in my office once a week.

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Answer 2

markinhfx Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 3, 2025 1:56 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Thank you for answering I guess in the same line of questioning. What about doing a direct image of the SSD? Do you think that would work?

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