Time Machine vs. iCloud for backup

rs646 wrote:

On a new MacBook Air M3 I have backed up files, photos, etc to iCloud. Should Time Machine be "turned off" or is that not possible?

If you have your files and photos synced to iCloud, you will be able to access them from other devices logged into the same Apple ID. You will also be able to re-load them on your Mac if, for example, it gets lost or stolen and you replace it.

What's important to understand, though, is that, if you delete something off of the Mac, it is also deleted from iCloud. So, it's not a back up. There is no way to go back to a previous version or recover a file that you deleted. For that, you need an actual backup such as TimeMachine.

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

iCloud is not a backup solution. It is a synchronization service. TimeMachine is a backup solution as is other third party apps such as Carbon Copy Cloner.

Glad it helped!