Archive or make copies of the information you store in iCloud

Learn how to archive or make copies of your iCloud Drive files, photos and videos, Safari bookmarks, and more.

Making an archive of what you keep in iCloud is one more way to keep an extra copy of your information. Then if you accidentally delete an important contact, email, or document, you can restore it from iCloud or from another copy that you have.

iCloud Drive files

You can copy iCloud Drive files from your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iCloud.com. If you copy a file from a shared folder in iCloud Drive to another folder, it doesn't copy sharing access.

Copy files from iCloud Drive to your Mac

  1. Click iCloud Drive in the sidebar of any Finder window.

  2. Select the files that you want to copy.

  3. From the Edit menu, click Copy [items].

  4. Paste the files in the new location.

Copy files from the Files app on your iPhone

  1. Open the Files app and choose Browse to show locations.

  2. Tap iCloud Drive in Locations, then tap the More button.

  3. Tap Select, then choose the files and folders you want to copy.

  4. Choose how you want to send a copy of the file. Tap More, then tap Copy Items.

  5. Go to On my Device or another cloud service in Locations.

  6. Touch and hold a folder in the new location, then tap Paste.

Copy files from the Files app on your iPad

  1. Open the Files app and choose iCloud Drive under Locations in the sidebar.

  2. Tap Select, then choose the files and folders that you want to copy.

  3. Tap More, then tap Copy Items.

  4. Go to On My iPad or another cloud service in Locations.

  5. Touch and hold a folder in the new location, then tap Paste.

If the new location doesn't appear in Locations, you can send a copy of the files using AirDrop, Messages, or Mail.

If a file is optimized in iCloud Drive, it downloads to your device before being copied to the new location.

Copy files from iCloud.com

  1. Sign in to iCloud.com.

  2. Open iCloud Drive.

  3. Find and select the file.

  4. Click the Download button at the top of the page or double-click the file. The document downloads to your default downloads location.

If you need help with any third-party data that is stored on iCloud, contact the app developer directly. Third-party data might use your iCloud storage, even if you can't see the details.

Photos and videos

If you use iCloud Photos, your photos and videos automatically upload to iCloud at full resolution.

Download copies of your photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad

  1. Connect an external storage device to your iPhone or iPad.

  2. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.

  3. Tap iCloud, then tap Photos.

  4. Select Download and Keep Originals.

  5. Go to your library in the Photos app.

  6. Select the photos and videos that you want to copy.

  7. Tap the Share button, then tap Export Unmodified Original.

  8. Under Locations, tap your external storage device.

  9. Tap Save.

Download copies of your photos and videos from your Mac

  1. Open the Photos app.

  2. Select the photos and videos that you want to copy.

  3. Choose File > Export.

After you export your photos, you might want to back up your library. You can store them as a separate library on your computer or on a different drive.

Download copies of your photos and videos from iCloud.com

If you want to download a few photos or videos, use iCloud.com to download the most recent version of photos and videos.

On your iPhone or iPad

  1. Connect an external storage device to your iPhone or iPad.

  2. Go to iCloud.com, tap Photos, then tap Select.

  3. Select the photos and videos that you want to download.

  4. Tap the More button, then select Download.

  5. Tap Download again to confirm. Your photos and videos download as a .zip file to iCloud Drive.

  6. Open iCloud Drive, then tap the Downloads folder.

  7. Tap and hold the .zip file, then tap Move.

  8. Tap the back arrow. Under Locations, tap your external storage device.

  9. Tap Copy.

On your Mac

  1. Go to iCloud.com and click Photos.

  2. Select the photos and videos you want to download.

  3. Click the Download button.

Copy photos from Shared Albums

When you copy photos and videos from a Shared Album, they don't save at full resolution, and comments or likes aren't saved.

Copy photos from Shared Albums on your iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the Photos app.

  2. In iOS 26 or later, tap Collections, then scroll down to Shared Albums. In iOS 18, scroll down to the Shared Album section. In iOS 17 or earlier, tap Albums.

  3. Tap the name of the album that you want. You might need to swipe left to find the shared album.

  4. Save photos from the album using one of these methods:

    • Tap an image to open it, then tap the Share buttonShare. To select more images, scroll the images left or right and tap the ones you want to save. Tap Save Image.

    • Tap Select, then tap the images that you want to save. Tap the Share buttonShare, then tap Save Image.

  5. Import the photos to your computer.

Copy photos and videos from Shared Albums on your Mac

  1. Open Photos and select Shared Albums.

  2. Double-click a shared album.

  3. Control click (or right-click) a photo and choose Import.

After you import your photos, you might want to back up your library. You can store them as a separate library on your computer or on a different drive.

Mail

Learn how to move, delete, or copy iCloud email on your Mac

Safari bookmarks

  1. On your Mac, choose File > Export Browsing Data to File.

  2. Select the data that you want to export.

  3. Click Export. In macOS Sequoia or earlier, click Download.

  4. Follow the onscreen instructions to choose where you want to export the file, then click Save.

To export a copy of your Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge bookmarks, see the Mozilla, Google, or Microsoft steps for exporting bookmarks.

Contacts

You can export contacts from your Mac or iCloud.com.

Export contacts on your Mac

  1. Open Contacts, then select All Contacts.

  2. Click a contact in the Contacts list.

  3. Choose File > Export > Export vCard or choose Edit > Select All to select all cards for export.

  4. Choose where you want to save the files, then click Save.

If you use lists, consider archiving your entire Contacts or Address Book database as well as exporting vCards. The vCard method above copies your contacts, but not lists. Archives are more complex, but you might not be able to restore data using Archives while connected to the Internet and signed in to iCloud.

To export an archive, open Contacts and choose File > Export > Contacts Archive.

Export contacts from iCloud.com

Export iCloud contact information as a vCard

Calendars

You can export a calendar on your Mac, or download a calendar from iCloud.com.

Export a calendar on your Mac

  1. In Calendar, click the calendar’s name. If you don’t see your calendars, click Calendars.

  2. Choose File > Export > Export.

  3. Choose a location for the file, and then click Export.

Download a calendar from iCloud.com

  1. Go to iCloud.com and sign in using your Apple Account email and password.

  2. Open Calendar, then publicly share the calendar. Until you turn off sharing, anyone who is provided with the calendar link has read-only access.

  3. Copy the URL of the shared calendar and paste it into the address field in your browser. Don't click Enter or Return.

  4. Change "webcal" to "http" and click Enter or Return. An ICS file downloads to your default download location.

  5. Add the calendar to a calendar client, such as Calendar on Mac or Outlook on a Windows computer.

  6. Stop sharing the calendar.

iCloud Calendar keeps information from the last six months, and up to three years in the future.

Reminders

  1. On a Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier, open Reminders.

  2. Go to the reminder list that you want to export.

  3. Choose File > Export.

  4. Enter a name, choose a location, and then click Export.

In newer versions of macOS, tap the Share button to share a reminder via Mail or Messages, or invite others to collaborate.

Notes

  1. On your Mac, open the Notes app and select the note that you want.

  2. In macOS Tahoe or later, click File > Export as > PDF. In macOS Sequoia or earlier, click File > Export as PDF.

  3. Choose where to save the document to your computer.

  4. Click Save.

Voice Memos

You can make a copy of a Voice Memo on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

On your iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the Voice Memos app and tap the recording that you want to duplicate.

  2. Tap the More button, then Duplicate. You can also tap Share to send the recording via Messages or Mail, or to save it to Files.

On your Mac

  • Drag the recording that you want to duplicate to copy it to a new location.

  • Or click the Share buttonShare to send the recording via Messages or Mail.

FaceTime video messages

  1. In iOS or iPadOS 17 or later, open the FaceTime app.

  2. Scroll through your FaceTime call history until you find the video message that you want to save.

  3. Tap Video, then tap Save in the top-right corner.

If you plan to delete FaceTime from iCloud to save storage space, you can also export the videos.

Remember to back up your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

iCloud backs up your iPhone or iPad automatically each day when it's connected to a power source and Wi-Fi, and your device's screen is locked. If you choose to keep another copy, you can back up to your computer. If you have a backup, you can restore your data if your computer or device is damaged or lost.

Learn how to back up your iPhone or iPad

Learn how to back up your Mac

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Published Date: