How to Transfer iCloud to External Hard Drive – Easy Guide

  • Written By  

  • Updated on May 10th, 2025

5/5 - (1 vote)

iCloud Mail is a popular email client that saves emails, events, and calendars in EML and MBOX format. Nevertheless, saving emails from iCloud to an external hard drive ensures secure backup and data safeguarding. Saving to a hard drive enhances usability, ensuring compatibility with various systems. Through this blog, we discuss the iCloud Email Backup Tool and an appropriate method to transfer iCloud to external hard drive safely. But before that, let’s identify key advantages users can gain with this transition.

Reasons to Move Files From iCloud to Hard Drive

Here are several important reasons to move files from iCloud to a hard drive:

  • Transferring files to a hard drive helps reduce iCloud usage and avoid storage upgrade costs.
  • Files stored on a hard drive are accessible without an internet connection.
  • Storing files locally gives you more control and reduces dependence on systems.
  • A hard drive acts as a physical backup in case of iCloud sync issues.
  • Managing and organizing files can be quicker and more flexible on a local hard drive.
  • Moving files to a hard drive simplifies transferring data when switching or upgrading devices.

Manual Method to Backup iCloud to External Hard Drive

The simplest way to backup iCloud to an external hard drive is using the Finder option on your Mac application. iCloud information is kept locally within the finder application. These are the steps to save it manually:

  1. Plug your external hard drive into an available USB port on your Mac.
  2. After that, install and launch Finder by clicking on its icon in the Dock.
  3. In the Finder sidebar, click on iCloud Drive under the “iCloud” section. 
  4. After that, look through the contents of your iCloud Drive.
  5. Next, click once to select a single item, or hold Command to select multiple files or folders.
  6. After that, click and drag the selected iCloud items over to your drive.
  7. The file transfer may take some time depending on the size and number of files.

Instant Ways to Transfer iCloud to External Hard Drive

The iCloud Email Backup Tool offers an automated solution to back up iCloud Drive to an external hard drive efficiently. It allows users to download iCloud emails in bulk without risking data loss or corruption during the process. The tool supports selective backup, enabling users to save time by downloading only specific data. It preserves email integrity and maintains the original folder hierarchy during transfer. No advanced technical skills are required, making it user-friendly for individuals with varying levels of experience.

Steps to Transfer iCloud to External Hard Drive

  1. First, install the iCloud Email Backup Tool and run it as an administrator.
  2. Subsequently, enter your iCloud Credentials in the respective section.
  3. Here you can Preview all iCloud Emails in a preview panel and choose your desired one.
  4. Besides, choose PDF as a saving format in the file format option.
  5. Next, click the Path to Save button and define the destination of your External Drive.
  6. Finally, click the Convert button to save iCloud emails locally.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, moving iCloud to an external hard drive makes your emails safe and accessible. There are some manual techniques and automated software to transfer iCloud to external hard drive. Still, professional software is comparatively the simplest and safest way. Moreover, it ensures the conversion of emails and attachments without any problem. You can use its demo version to test and evaluate its functionality and rich features.

Related Guide: Outlook Keeps Asking for Password.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Can I transfer files directly from iCloud to an external hard drive?

Ans: Yes, users can download files manually from iCloud to the local system. After downloading, the files can be moved to an external hard drive. No extra software is needed for this process, and it provides flexible file management and offline access on various devices.

Q. Do I need an internet connection to iCloud backup to external hard drive?

Ans: Yes, you need an active internet connection to access your iCloud account and the files stored in it. Downloading files from iCloud also requires a stable connection to transfer files completely and without errors. Without the internet, you are unable to download or manage files stored in iCloud Drive.

About The Author:

Raj is a skilled technical writer who makes complicated topics easy to understand. With experience in email and cloud migration, he creates clear and engaging content that helps readers learn about technology. His work is trusted by many and has been featured on well-known tech sites.

Related Post

© Copyrights 2017-2025 by FileRecoveryTips is an affiliate partner of Cigati Solutions - All Rights Reserved.