So I heard on Connected that Backblaze has changed how it backs up cloud-based files (they say it is a change in how Apple handles these files locally), and then sent a note to Backblaze to clarify.
Perhaps this is old news and I just missed it here (but I did a search and didn’t see anything), so just in case anyone is in the same boat as me and doesn’t check their Backblaze files often…
Question to Backblaze support:
Is it true you are no longer backing up locally-stored files that are also in iCloud? I can’t see them in my Backblaze anymore.
Answer from Backblaze support:
Hi there,
I’m Janet, and I’m well-trained to answer your questions.
Yes, that’s correct. Recent updates to macOS and iCloud prevent us from backing up files that remain iCloud-managed, even if they appear “downloaded” in Finder.
This change affects files stored in iCloud Drive folders that macOS controls via cloud sync, including the ~/Library/Mobile Documents directory. Simply disabling “Optimize Mac Storage” alone is not sufficient anymore - files that remain inside iCloud-managed folders cannot be backed up due to Apple’s iCloud architecture restrictions.
To make sure your files are backed up with Backblaze:
- Open Finder and navigate to your iCloud Drive
- Select the files or folders you want backed up
- Move them to a local folder such as ~/Documents or ~/Desktop
- Make sure the Documents and Desktop folders are also not synced with iCloud Drive
- Confirm the files no longer show an iCloud icon
- Allow Backblaze time to scan and upload the new local copies
Once files are stored in fully local, non-iCloud locations, Backblaze will back them up normally. Files left in iCloud-managed locations will not appear in your backup or restore options.
This limitation is caused by Apple’s recent iCloud updates that restrict third-party backup access to cloud-managed locations. We can only back up local data and cannot override Apple’s iCloud controls.
To be clear, my iCloud files are all set to download locally (and are completely stored on my hard drive for just this purpose). So now I’m back in the hunt for another cloud-based backup service because I certainly don’t like their “fix”. I may look into Arq Backup to see if that will work for my purposes. I have my files in iCloud, backed up via Time Machine, and then cloned to another external drive. So I have 2 local copies and one iCloud copy. Perhaps that’s enough and I should just be happy with that…but I feel like a true cloud backup would still be smart.
Hope this is helpful. Like I said, I’m sure I missed some kind of drama when they made this change, but I certainly don’t remember an email about it. So I’m less than thrilled with Backblaze (but perhaps it’s true that it’s Apple’s fault??).
