Backblaze no longer backups up iCloud Desktop & Documents. Alternatives?

[mt.london]

Hi all,
I just learned that Backblaze no longer backs up iCloud Desktop & Documents, along with most, if not all popular cloud storage services.

See here: Back Up iCloud Drive, where Backblaze says, "iCloud's most recent update prevents Backblaze from backing up files that iCloud synced. To back up these files, download them to another local location where Backblaze can read them."

Also worth scanning this Reddit thread.

I'm shocked, as i wasn't aware, yet it's been this way for some months, while i've been recommending it to people who need a simple cloud based backup.

The above mentioned reddit thread suggests Arq still supports backups of cloud storage / sync services, and also IDrive looks promising. I will contact the sales departments of these services but thought i'd also ask here:

Does anyone have a recommendation for a cloud backup service that backs up iCloud Desktop & Documents (where 'optimise storage..' is switched off / the files are stored locally), and other such cloud services (Dropbox, etc) are actually included in the backup?

Any info much appreciated!

 

[MayflyMaven]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a cloud backup service that backs up iCloud Desktop & Documents (where 'optimise storage..' is switched off / the files are stored locally)

Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't use Backblaze so I don't know what actually happens), but according to the link to their Kbase that you provided:

> On a Mac, you can back up iCloud Drive files to Backblaze Computer Backup as long as the files are saved locally on your computer and are not stored solely on iCloud Drive remote servers.

So if "Optimize Mac Storage" is disabled on your Mac, all of your files are stored locally, and therefore should be backed up to Backblaze, correct?

That said, this statement in the yellow box at the top is definitely ambiguous:

> iCloud's most recent update prevents Backblaze from backing up files that iCloud synced.

Everything in iCloud Drive is "synced", of course. Are they unable to back up files that are stored locally too, simply because they are "synced"? Or do they mean what's stated just underneath that yellow box, that "cloud-only" files can't be backed up to Backblaze?

 

[mt.london]

Correct me if I'm wrong (I don't use Backblaze so I don't know what actually happens), but according to the link to their Kbase that you provided:

> On a Mac, you can back up iCloud Drive files to Backblaze Computer Backup as long as the files are saved locally on your computer and are not stored solely on iCloud Drive remote servers.

So if "Optimize Mac Storage" is disabled on your Mac, all of your files are stored locally, and therefore should be backed up to Backblaze, correct?

That said, this statement in the yellow box at the top is definitely ambiguous:

> iCloud's most recent update prevents Backblaze from backing up files that iCloud synced.

Everything in iCloud Drive is "synced", of course. Are they unable to back up files that are stored locally too, simply because they are "synced"? Or do they mean what's stated just underneath that yellow box, that "cloud-only" files can't be backed up to Backblaze?

Thanks for your reply. Due to conflicting info in articles, and laziness, i got AI to read, research, and here's the conclusion:

Can Backblaze Back Up iCloud Drive Desktop & Documents?

No — not anymore, as of a recent update.**

What Changed

Backblaze's own release notes (version 9.2.2.877) state plainly:

> "The Backup Client now excludes popular cloud storage providers from backup, including both mount points and cache directories. This prevents performance issues, excessive data usage, and unintended uploads from services like OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, iDrive, and others. This change aligns with Backblaze's policy to back up only local and directly connected storage."

Source: https://www.backblaze.com/computer-...lease-notes-windows#release-version-9.2.2.877

This explicitly covers **iCloud Drive** — including Desktop & Documents when those are synced via iCloud.

Backblaze's Own Note (from their iCloud Drive docs)

> "iCloud's most recent update prevents Backblaze from backing up files that iCloud synced. To back up these files, download them to another local location where Backblaze can read them."

Source: https://www.backblaze.com/computer-backup/docs/back-up-icloud-drive

So Backblaze itself confirms it **cannot** back up iCloud-synced files.

The Community Reaction

(Via r/backblaze:

https://www.reddit.com/r/backblaze/comments/1rnxh2g/doesnt_back_up_dropbox_folder

)

- **No announcement** — customers only found out via Reddit or by checking release notes
- **Crashplan did the same thing** — so it's an industry shift, not just Backblaze
- **Arq Backup** is mentioned as still working for cloud-synced folders
- Workaround suggested: duplicate the iCloud/Dropbox folder to a non-synced location, let Backblaze back that up instead — but everyone agrees it's a poor solution
- Strong criticism of Backblaze dropping features (also dropped VeraCrypt encrypted drives) without notifying paying customers
- Backblaze also quietly rewrote a blog post that previously stated Backblaze *would* back up cloud sync services: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/cloud-backup-vs-cloud-sync/

Practical Takeaway

If you use **iCloud Desktop & Documents** and rely on Backblaze as your offsite backup — **you have a gap in your backup strategy.** Your iCloud data is only protected by iCloud itself (which is sync, not backup — deletions propagate).

Alternatives worth considering:
- **Arq Backup** — still backs up cloud sync folders [I've emailed Arq for confirmation of this, will report back once i receive a reply]
- **Time Machine** — covers local copies if iCloud files are downloaded
- **Manual duplicate** to a local folder — inelegant but works

 

[BrianBaughn]

It has always made some sense to me that a synced folder (any service) might be difficult to back up properly using a different service. It's potentially two processes going on at once, after all.

If one could somehow turn off the syncing service for a period of time and limit the backup service to run during that same period of time you'd think it would work. No way exists with iCloud Drive, I'm pretty sure.

 

[mt.london]

It has always made some sense to me that a synced folder (any service) might be difficult to back up properly using a different service. It's potentially two processes going on at once, after all.

If one could somehow turn off the syncing service for a period of time and limit the backup service to run during that same period of time you'd think it would work. No way exists with iCloud Drive, I'm pretty sure.

Without a deep technical understanding, I can grasp the sense in this but, Time Machine seems to manage. If a file is open, or not fully downloaded then surely a backup service could figure out how to temporarily ignore it.

I should hear from Arq within "1 business day"

 

[FreakinEurekan]

iDrive manages it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ that's what I use.

 

[mt.london]

iDrive manages it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ that's what I use.

OK thanks, very clear on the link you provided to their FAQs. If Apple changed something preventing Backblaze.., why wouldn't it affect IDrive, Arq etc? / Why wouldn't Backblaze work around it , like Idrive and Arq?

 

[BrianBaughn]

I don't use iCloud Drive but I do use iDrive and just re-upped my subscription as it seemed to work well for the first year.

OK thanks, very clear on the link you provided to their FAQs. If Apple changed something preventing Backblaze.., why wouldn't it affect IDrive, Arq etc? / Why wouldn't Backblaze work around it , like Idrive and Arq?

I'd be surprised if anyone here knows. Perhaps your contact at Backblaze can explain the details or say if something is amiss with the iDrive claim. What version of macOS is in the screenshots on the iDrive FAQ? However, that may not be relevant to the facts.

 

[mt.london]

I don't use iCloud Drive but I do use iDrive and just re-upped my subscription as it seemed to work well for the first year.



I'd be surprised if anyone here knows. Perhaps your contact at Backblaze can explain the details or say if something is amiss with the iDrive claim. What version of macOS is in the screenshots on the iDrive FAQ? However, that may not be relevant to the facts.

On the BB link i provided above they don't explicitly say which macOS version introduced the change that caused BB's inability to backup cloud synced folders. I've just messaged Backblaze to see if they can confirm, comment or explain further.

I contacted Arq:

"We added the ability to either ignore or "materialize" dataless files to Arq 7.21. Please click on your backup plan (top left), click “Edit” on the right, click on the Options tab, and change the dateless-files behavior to ignore or materialize as you wish.

If you choose “materialize”, Arq opens the file with a flag that tells macOS to tell the "file provider" to make the file data local. Then Arq reads it. Where the file provider stores the data, and how long the file provider keeps the file data around, is up to the file provider.”

And IDrive:

"Yes. With IDrive, files located in iCloud Drive, Desktop, and Documents can still be backed up as long as the files are available locally on the Mac.

If macOS or iCloud is using “Optimize Mac Storage” and the files are only stored in the cloud (not downloaded locally), IDrive cannot back them up. In that case, you must download the files to your Mac first, and then they can be included in the backup set.

The same principle applies to other cloud-sync services like Dropbox or OneDrive:

If the files are stored locally on the system, IDrive can back them up.
If they are online-only placeholders, they must be made available offline before backup.”

 

[NoBoMac]

If Apple changed something preventing Backblaze..

Not all on Apple but how others are using Apple's File Provider API (aka. cloud sync protocols) is how I read it.

File Provider seems to have been introduced at WWDC 2021 (Monterey). In Monterey 12.3, Dropbox and OneDrive had their custom non-File Provider extensions depreciated. Most had converted to File Provider at this time.

Dropbox, from my limited searching, released their fully File Provider enabled software in 2024.

Just some history on this and does not answer when BB "stopped working".

But as other's have mentioned, "is it local or not" is the big issue and seems to be up to the developer on how it will happen and let MacOS do the heavy lifting. Ditto for iCloud (guess all sharing a big chunk of the same code to do this, and have similar yet different public APIs, Cloud Kit and File Provider).

Per File Provider developer doc:

The local copy can contain either dataless or materialized copies of these items. A dataless copy just stores the information needed to display the item in the UI, while a materialized copy includes the item’s content.

For documents, a dataless copy means the system just saves the item’s metadata—such as its name, file size, and last used date—while a materialized document includes both the metadata and the content. For folders, the situation is somewhat more abstract. For a dataless folder, the system knows the folder exists, but it hasn’t enumerated its content yet. If the user opens the folder, the system needs to enumerate the content before displaying it to the user. A materialized folder means the system has already enumerated the folder. Therefore, it has either a dataless or a materialized copy of every item in the folder and can display the folder’s content without requiring any additional information.

The system uses dataless copies where possible to preserve both disk space and bandwidth. However, users can open materialized copies immediately, without requiring additional access to your remote storage. It’s important, therefore, to keep materialized copies of any items the user is likely to access frequently or when they’re offline.

This Dropbox note mentions:

• Sync performance is now regulated by macOS
• Sync performance may slow to preserve battery life when your computer has low battery, isn't plugged in, or is running hot.
• Dropbox files or folders not previously set to Make available offline may be automatically set to online-only when your hard drive is low on disk space.

So as I read this and some of the other dev docs, boils down to if the file is not local would need to wait around to tell cloud service to get the file by telling MacOS to go get the file. And MacOS controls what's local or not to preserve space, tries to do syncs in a more efficient manner. And when and how much to download accounting for, for example, battery levels, network speed, etc.

All adds up to a mega hassle for backup solutions.

 

[mt.london]

Not all on Apple but how others are using Apple's File Provider API (aka. cloud sync protocols) is how I read it.

File Provider seems to have been introduced at WWDC 2021 (Monterey). In Monterey 12.3, Dropbox and OneDrive had their custom non-File Provider extensions depreciated. Most had converted to File Provider at this time.

Dropbox, from my limited searching, released their fully File Provider enabled software in 2024.

Just some history on this and does not answer when BB "stopped working".

But as other's have mentioned, "is it local or not" is the big issue and seems to be up to the developer on how it will happen and let MacOS do the heavy lifting. Ditto for iCloud (guess all sharing a big chunk of the same code to do this, and have similar yet different public APIs, Cloud Kit and File Provider).

Per File Provider developer doc:



This Dropbox note mentions:

• Sync performance is now regulated by macOS
• Sync performance may slow to preserve battery life when your computer has low battery, isn't plugged in, or is running hot.
• Dropbox files or folders not previously set to Make available offline may be automatically set to online-only when your hard drive is low on disk space.

So as I read this and some of the other dev docs, boils down to if the file is not local would need to wait around to tell cloud service to get the file by telling MacOS to go get the file. And MacOS controls what's local or not to preserve space, tries to do syncs in a more efficient manner. And when and how much to download accounting for, for example, battery levels, network speed, etc.

All adds up to a mega hassle for backup solutions.

Thanks, that's very useful and interesting insight. So Backblaze, no longer having full control of how it handles those synced folders, is likely a contributing factor to their decision to exclude them from backups.

 

[NoBoMac]

So Backblaze, no longer having full control of how it handles those synced folders

Not just BB but also, to some extent, the sync services themselves. Default settings for File Provider seems to have a "optimize storage" option on ala iCloud Drive.

 

[MayflyMaven]

All adds up to a mega hassle for backup solutions.

Maybe? It sounds like Arq is handling it fine, and FWIW, I have Carbon Copy Cloner configured to make local backups of my cloud-only files (Dropbox and iCloud) and it has been working fine for a long while now. I like the CCC has figured out how to make the files cloud-only again after downloading them (I get the impression that Arq doesn't do that).

It seems like Backblaze just made different choices.