Support and Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers about setting up backups, encryption, scheduling, restoring files, subscriptions and supported storage providers.

The CloudChute Difference

How is this different from general backup tools?

Unlike tools that sync files between locations, CloudChute creates a separate backup in your own cloud storage. Changes on your Mac don't automatically change or delete the backup. If you accidentally delete a file, or your Mac's drive fails, your backed-up copy remains available to restore.

CloudChute stores backups in an application-specific location within your chosen storage account, separate from your normal files.

Version history depends on the provider. Google Drive retains revisions created by each update, while Dropbox and Box follow their own account version history. On Amazon S3 and S3-compatible storage, older copies are available in Restore only if bucket versioning is already enabled; CloudChute does not enable it. Restore can recover a whole folder or a specific file version when the provider has one available.

Why use CloudChute instead of my provider’s official app?

Official apps from Google, Dropbox, and Box are designed for mirroring. Whether they "sync" or "stream," their goal is to make your cloud match your Mac. If you delete a file to save space, or a file becomes corrupted, that change is immediately sent to the cloud.

CloudChute is a vault, not a mirror. It is a one-way backup tool that ignores local deletions. When you send a file through the Chute, it stays in the cloud regardless of what happens to the original on your Mac. We use your existing storage but keep your backups in a protected, hidden directory to avoid cluttering your main file view.

Comparison between Official Cloud Apps and CloudChute
Feature	Official Apps (Google Drive, Dropbox, Box)	CloudChute
Direction	Two-Way Sync / Streaming	One-Way (Archiving)
Local Deletion	Deletes from Cloud (Sync) or Vanishes from View (Stream)	Kept safe in Cloud
Purpose	Collaboration & Access	Data Protection & Recovery
Accidental Deletion	High Risk Mistakes are mirrored instantly	Zero Risk
Security	Provider-side scanning may apply	End-to-End Encrypted

Why should I trust CloudChute with my data?

Unlike standard sync tools that mingle with your active files, CloudChute operates in a dedicated vault. It uses a specific, isolated directory within your cloud account that other apps and sync engines aren't invited to. This ensures that even if your main folders are hit by a sync error or a local wipe, your backups remain untouched and segregated.

As a native Swift application, CloudChute is built for performance with zero third-party tracking or telemetry—meeting strict enterprise data governance policies. Your data, and how you use it, stays private.

Is my data secure?

CloudChute transfers files directly from your Mac to your storage provider over an encrypted connection. CloudChute never sees, stores, or has access to your content. Encryption is optional and stays off until you turn it on. When it is on, files are encrypted on the Mac before upload, and the providers receive that encrypted data. The master encryption key, not the Master Password, is saved in the macOS Keychain. encryption_config.json holds wrapped copies of that key, so the Master Password or the 24-word recovery phrase can unlock the backup after the Keychain copy is gone. CloudChute's own service does not keep the key. On Box, Amazon S3, and S3-compatible storage that file is .cloudchute/encryption_config.json. On Google Drive it is stored in appDataFolder, so it is not a normal download from the Drive website. On Dropbox it is stored in /Apps/CloudChute/.cloudchute/encryption_config.json.

Comparison between Encrypted and Standard Vaults
CloudChute Feature	Encrypted The Hidden Vault (Recommended)	Standard The Visible Backup
Description	By enabling Zero-Knowledge Encryption, CloudChute encrypts your files locally before they leave your Mac.	If you leave encryption disabled, your data is readable by your provider, their AI, business cost saving algorithms and possibly their staff. Your provider can see your file content when encryption is disabled.
Benefit	Total privacy for files.	Providers use "delta syncing" to save themselves bandwidth and storage costs. They scan your files to find only the "chunks" that have changed—but they can only do this if they can read your data.
Trade-off	Absolute responsibility. The Master Password or the 24-word Recovery Phrase unwraps the backup. If you lose both and must reinstall macOS, your backups are mathematically locked. Since we hold no keys, there is no recovery.	Your data is not "Zero-Knowledge" encrypted.

Does CloudChute replace Apple Time Machine?

We recommend using both. Time Machine is excellent for local system recovery. However, it relies on a physical drive that can fail, be stolen alongside your Mac, or be destroyed in a fire or flood. CloudChute provides essential "off-site" protection, ensuring your files are safe in the cloud regardless of what happens to your physical hardware.

How does CloudChute help with UK privacy and compliance concerns?

AES-256 encryption is optional and off until you turn it on. When you enable it, CloudChute encrypts files on your Mac before they are uploaded, so your cloud provider only receives unreadable data. That gives you a different privacy model from standard provider-side encryption, where the provider may still control or mediate access in some workflows. For a fuller explanation of why that matters in the UK, you can read our note on the Online Safety Act and client-side encryption.

Technical Specs & Setup

Does CloudChute work on Apple Silicon?

CloudChute is a Universal Binary, meaning it is natively compiled for both Apple Silicon and Intel-based Macs, ensuring maximum performance and battery efficiency.

Why does CloudChute ask to "See and Manage" files?

When you connect your account, your provider will ask you to check a few boxes. Please ensure "Select All" is checked. While the language sounds broad, your provider technically restricts CloudChute's access to only the files it creates. Here is what those permissions actually do:

Create the Vault: Allows the app to set up a dedicated, isolated directory for your backups so they don't clutter your main folders.
Secure Transfer: Enables the "one-way chute" to move your backup from your Mac to your cloud storage. Files are encrypted first only if you have turned encryption on.
Total Isolation: CloudChute has zero access to your data.
Google Drive: Backups are stored in appDataFolder, so the vault is hidden from the normal Drive web interface whether or not client-side encryption is enabled. Sign-in also requests drive.file. With encryption off, you can copy those backups into the visible My Drive folder.

Does CloudChute work with Business or Workspace accounts?

Yes. CloudChute is purpose-built for Google Workspace, Dropbox Business, Box Business, Amazon S3 and S3-compatible object storage environments. Because we use official provider authentication (or your S3 credentials / custom endpoint), your vault is treated as a secure, professional-grade extension of your existing corporate storage. See volume licensing information below.

How do I set up an Amazon S3 bucket for CloudChute?

Follow Back up your Mac to Amazon S3. It covers the bucket, the IAM user, the policy, the access key, and connecting CloudChute.

If the bucket uses SSE-KMS encryption, the IAM user also needs permission to use that KMS key. For Wasabi, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, MinIO, and similar hosts, see S3-compatible storage.

Does CloudChute support Wasabi, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, MinIO, or other S3-compatible storage?

Yes. Alongside Amazon S3, CloudChute can back up to S3-compatible object storage when you configure a custom endpoint in the S3 connection flow — for example Wasabi, Backblaze B2 (S3 API), Cloudflare R2, or MinIO.

Follow Back up your Mac to S3-compatible storage. It links to each provider's documentation for creating a bucket and an access key, and covers what to enter in CloudChute.

Amazon S3 needs an access key, secret, region, and bucket name. An S3-compatible service uses those same fields plus its endpoint, and it should work when it provides them. See the Technical Specifications.

Amazon S3 counts a bucket. S3-compatible storage counts an endpoint and bucket together, so the same endpoint can be used with a different bucket. See multiple machines.

Can I back up external hard drives?

Yes. As long as the external drive is connected to your Mac, you can add folders from it to your CloudChute backup list. If the drive is disconnected, CloudChute simply skips those files until the drive is re-connected.

Can I exclude specific folders from my backup?

Yes. In Settings under Storage, you can define ignored paths by folder or file name — such as "node_modules" or ".git". CloudChute skips matching names during backup and pre-backup analysis. That works alongside upload tuning in Settings to keep backups lean and backup windows short.

Can I tune upload speed, concurrency, and retries?

Yes. After you connect storage, Settings includes Upload Strategy and Concurrency & Retries. Use them to match backups to your Mac and your network — lower parallelism on shared Wi‑Fi, higher on a fast wired link, gentler retry settings on unstable connections, or lower memory buffers on older hardware.

Preferences are saved separately for each provider, so switching from Google Drive to Dropbox (for example) does not overwrite another provider's tuning.

CloudChute does not apply one generic upload profile. Each backend exposes controls aligned with how that API works:

Google Drive: Large-file mode with resumable chunked uploads, chunk size, parallel files and folders, network connection limits, and retry wait time.
Dropbox: Parallel transfer limit, small-file high-efficiency mode, immediate vs. batch upload commitment, and optional deep integrity checks when encryption is disabled.
Box: Large-file threshold for chunked uploads, memory buffer size for chunk preparation, max concurrent uploads, and conservative / standard / aggressive error recovery.
Amazon S3 & S3-compatible: Max concurrent uploads, multipart upload threshold and part size, and the same error-recovery presets as Box. Tunables appear under Concurrency & Retries (there is no separate Upload Strategy panel for S3). S3-compatible hosts use the same controls via a custom endpoint.

For a provider-by-provider breakdown, see our Technical Specifications page.

Where is my data stored?

Your data stays exactly where it belongs: in your own Google, Dropbox, Box, Amazon S3 or S3-compatible object storage account. CloudChute creates a dedicated, isolated vault for your backups, ensuring your main file view remains uncluttered where the provider supports it. You retain 100% ownership and control of your data.

How It Works

Does CloudChute have a menu bar icon?

Yes. CloudChute can sit in the Mac menu bar. The icon is on by default, and you can hide it in Settings.

Click it to see whether automatic backup is on and how often it runs — hourly, daily, weekly, or on a custom schedule — plus when the last backup finished and when the next one is due.

While CloudChute is open, the same menu lists recent activity, including how many files were uploaded, left unchanged, or failed. From there you can open Reports or bring the CloudChute window forward.

With a schedule turned on, the icon stays in the menu bar after you quit CloudChute, so last and next backup times remain visible and you can open the app again from the menu.

Can I add a folder from Finder?

Yes. Folders can be added from Finder with Send to CloudChute in the right-click menu (Mac App Store: Send to CloudChute MAS). That adds the folder only. It does not start a backup. Start one with Backup All, or wait for the scheduled backup.

Enable the extension in System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Finder Extensions. It stays enabled after app updates.

Can I use CloudChute on multiple machines?

Yes. Monthly, yearly, and two-year plans cover up to four backup destinations. Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box each count a provider account as a destination. Amazon S3 counts a bucket. S3-compatible storage counts an endpoint and bucket together, so the same endpoint can be used with a different bucket. A standard subscription covers up to four storage destinations. If another Mac signs in to a destination already in use, it becomes the recorded Mac for that destination. The first Mac can sign in again to take over that destination.

Enterprise subscriptions record one Mac per storage provider.

How do I restore my files?

Restoration is handled securely within the CloudChute app. Restore can return a whole folder or a specific file version when that provider has one to return. When viewing a file, versions are listed with the newest at the top.

If that Mac no longer has CloudChute, you can decrypt a downloaded copy from Dropbox, Box, Amazon S3, or S3-compatible storage. See how to decrypt a backup without CloudChute.

How do I decrypt a backup without CloudChute?

You can decrypt files you download from Dropbox, Box, Amazon S3, or S3-compatible storage on a computer that does not have CloudChute installed. You need encryption_config.json from that vault, and the Master Password you created in Settings, or the 24-word recovery phrase.

Google Drive stores the same config in appDataFolder. The Drive website hides that folder, so use CloudChute to restore a Google Drive backup.

The vault folder is named .cloudchute. The name begins with a full stop, so show hidden items if the file list hides it, or search the account for encryption_config.json.

Dropbox: /Apps/CloudChute/.cloudchute/encryption_config.json
Box: .cloudchute/encryption_config.json at the top of All Files
Amazon S3 and S3-compatible: the object .cloudchute/encryption_config.json in the backup bucket

The folders you backed up sit next to that file, with the same names they had on the Mac. Download encryption_config.json and the file or folder you want to recover, and keep the folder structure. Each file there is the latest copy. When your provider keeps older versions of that same file, download the version you want and decrypt that copy.

The JSON is readable text. It holds a wrapped key. The Master Password or the recovery phrase unwraps it.

Encrypted uploads begin with the letters CLDCH. Opening one in Preview or TextEdit shows unreadable data until you decrypt it.

Install Python 3 if this computer does not already have it. In Terminal, run python3 --version. If that command is missing, install Python 3 from python.org and open a new Terminal window.
Download decrypt_cloudchute.py.
Save the script next to the files you downloaded, or pass full paths in the commands below.
Install the one dependency, then run the script on the config plus one file or a folder.

python3 -m pip install cryptography
python3 decrypt_cloudchute.py encryption_config.json photo.jpg
python3 decrypt_cloudchute.py encryption_config.json ./CloudChute-download --output ./plain
python3 decrypt_cloudchute.py encryption_config.json photo.jpg --recovery

If pip says the environment is externally managed, run python3 -m pip install --user cryptography.

The script asks for the Master Password, and nothing appears as you type. Type it exactly as you created it in Settings, including any spaces at the start or end.

For the recovery phrase, add --recovery and type the 24 words separated by single spaces.

A single file is written beside the download as photo.jpg.decrypted. A folder is written to --output, or to a sibling folder named <folder>-decrypted, with the original relative paths. Encrypted files become the original files. Files stored without encryption are copied unchanged. Your downloaded copies stay where they are. Add --force when a decrypted file is already there and you want to replace it.

The script keeps the master key off the screen. A wrong password or phrase stops the script and leaves the downloads unchanged.

A large file needs enough free memory for the encrypted copy and the decrypted copy at the same time. A multi-gigabyte video can fail when the computer does not have that much free RAM.

Can I view my backup files directly in my cloud provider?

It depends on your provider and your encryption settings:

Google Drive: Backups are stored in appDataFolder, so the vault is hidden from the normal Drive web interface whether or not client-side encryption is enabled. Sign-in also requests drive.file. With encryption off, you can copy those backups into the visible My Drive folder.
Box: Yes, provided encryption is disabled. Your backups are stored in a dedicated folder that you can browse and share via their web or mobile apps. Box backups are stored in a .cloudchute folder.
Dropbox: Yes, provided encryption is disabled. Your backups are stored in a dedicated folder that you can browse and share via their web or mobile apps. Dropbox backups are stored in a /Apps/CloudChute/.cloudchute folder.
Amazon S3 & S3-compatible: Yes, provided encryption is disabled. Your backups are stored under a .cloudchute/ prefix in your bucket, which you can browse in the Amazon S3 console or your S3-compatible provider's console.
With Encryption Enabled: Files appear as unreadable data. Restore them in CloudChute, or decrypt a downloaded copy from Dropbox, Box, Amazon S3, or S3-compatible storage. See how to decrypt a backup without CloudChute.

What happens if my cloud storage runs out of space?

If the configured storage is full, the upload fails and CloudChute reports that the provider is out of space. It does not pause the backup schedule until space is freed. You can upgrade your storage plan directly with your provider.

What happens if I disconnect CloudChute from my storage provider?

Disconnecting signs CloudChute out of that provider on your Mac. It does not delete your backup. Your files stay in Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or your S3 bucket. You can reconnect later and restore as long as you use the same account (and the same bucket, for S3).

Private encryption: Keep a safe copy of your encryption key. Without it, CloudChute cannot decrypt files even though they still exist in the cloud.

When is a backup permanently gone? Only if you delete the CloudChute backup folder or objects in the provider yourself, or — on Google Drive — if you remove CloudChute's app access in your Google Account (Google may permanently remove app-private data from appDataFolder). Those actions are different from Disconnect in CloudChute Settings.

Manually deleted vault data often does not go to Trash or Bin, especially for Google's restricted app vault and for paths removed through the provider API.

Warning: Only revoke Google app access or manually delete vault data if you intend to wipe that backup.

Plans & Billing

Why pay a subscription instead of buying backup software once?

A one-time purchase is permanent access to the version you buy. On the Mac, that commonly includes updates for the first 12 months. After that, compatibility updates are a separate yearly charge.

Apple releases a major macOS every autumn. Those releases change security permissions, how apps are allowed to read files, and parts of the file system. Backup software has to work inside those layers. When the included updates end, you are running a version that no longer tracks the system your backups depend on.

The CloudChute subscription funds that ongoing work. The monthly, yearly, or 2-year price includes macOS compatibility updates and product improvements for as long as you subscribe. There is no separate annual update fee.

If you cancel, new backups stop at the end of the period you have paid for. You can still browse and restore what is already in your vault, including on the Mac App Store, without an active subscription.

Compare the cost of staying compatible with macOS. Add a one-time license's published yearly update fee after the first year, and set that against the CloudChute subscription price.

Do I need a credit card to start the trial?

No. You can establish your professional backup vault immediately without providing any payment details. We believe the performance of our native Swift engine should speak for itself before any commitment is made.

By keeping our operational infrastructure lean, we are able to focus our resources entirely on the core engineering and security of the backup engine. Most importantly, we do not harvest, profile, or sell user data of any kind. Our business model is built on transparent maintenance fees for professional-grade software, not the monetisation of your information.

If you choose to continue after the 10-day evaluation, you can simply select a plan and subscribe via the application or this website.

Do you offer volume licensing for teams?

Yes. Teams & Business licensing with unified billing, dedicated support, and managed deployments are available for organisations requiring 3 or more seats. Please contact us at [Show Email] to discuss your requirements and setup.

How do I cancel my subscription?

You can cancel at any time using the "Manage Subscription" link in the app or, for direct subscriptions, through our website.

For subscriptions purchased directly from CloudChute, scheduled backups continue until the end of the current billing period. After that, no new backups are performed, but you can still use CloudChute to browse and restore files from your existing backup vault.

For subscriptions purchased through the Mac App Store, scheduled backups continue until the end of the current billing period. After that, no new backups are performed, but you can still use CloudChute to browse and restore files from your existing backup vault. An active App Store subscription is not required to restore.

Additional Support

Do all CloudChute plans include support?

Yes. All plans include support by email. Annual and 2-year plans include priority support. If you need help with setup, restore, or billing, you can contact us anytime.

How do I contact support?

If you have a question that is not answered here, or if you need help with something else, please contact us at [Show Email].

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