The best way to back up your iCloud Photo Library is to download its content to your Mac.
Open thePhotosapp on your Mac by clicking its icon in theDock.
ClickPhotosin the menu bar and selectPreferencesfrom the drop-down menu.
Choose theiCloudtab in the preferences screen.
Check the box in front ofiCloud Photos.
ClickDownload Originals to this Macto store your photos on your Mac as well as in iCloud.
you might opt to download full-resolution images from iCloud whenever you need them.
While that’s a good starting point, you may want to consider additional backups, and heres why.
With digital cameras and smartphones, the original is stored on the camera’s flash storage or mobile machine.
The originals end up on your Mac and nowhere else.
Here’s how to make a copy manually.
Open aFinderwindow, select yourhome directoryin the sidebar and choosePictures.
Inside the Pictures folder, you’ll see a file called eitherPhotos LibraryoriPhoto Library.
You may have both.
Do not, however, overwrite any existing backup as this would defeat the archival process.
Lifewire / Derek Abella
Instead, give each backup a unique name.
If you createdmultiple iPhoto libraries, be sure to back up each iPhoto Library file.
What About Images Not Stored in the Photos Library?
Photos supports multiple libraries.
If you created additional libraries, they need to be backed up, just like the default Photos Library.
Additionally, Photos allows you to store images outside of the Photos Library.
This is referred to as using reference files.
Reference files are convenient, but they present a problem when you back up.
LaunchPhotoslocated in theApplicationsfolder or from the Dock.
choose the photos that you want to move to the Photos Library by clicking each one.
SelectFile>Consolidateand then click theCopybutton.
The wordarchivehas different meanings depending on how it is used.
Several backup apps can handle this scenario, includingCarbon Copy Cloner 4.xor later.
