- Time Machine combines incremental backups to an external disk with local APFS snapshots to protect your files and the entire system.
- The first copy is complete and subsequent copies only save changes, with a configurable frequency (hour, day or week) and the possibility of manual copies.
- Copies can be saved to disks USB, NAS or My Cloud OS 5, following good network practices and avoiding simultaneous access to the backup volume.
- Time Machine allows you to restore individual files or the entire system. Mac and works as a perfect complement to cloud services like iCloud or Dropbox.
Losing important documents on your Mac is one of those experiences no one wants to go through.And yet it still happens more often than we'd like: a file deleted by mistake, a disk that stops working, an update that goes wrong… The good news is that macOS includes a very powerful tool to avoid unpleasant surprises: Time Machine and its snapshots.
Time Machine turns your Mac into a real digital time machinecapable of storing full copies of the system, of your apps and your data, and also previous versions of your files so you can "go back" when you make a mistake. Furthermore, it integrates with external drives, network devices like My Cloud, and works seamlessly with cloud services such as iCloud, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
What is Time Machine and how does it differ from snapshots in macOS?
Time Machine is the backup system built into macOSIt comes activated and available on any modern Mac and takes care of making automatic backups to an external disk, a compatible NAS, or specific devices like the old Time Capsule.
Time Machine backups are not a simple "copy and paste" of your foldersThe system creates an initial full backup of your Mac and then saves only the changes that occur. This optimizes storage space and allows you to navigate between different points in time to recover files or restore the entire system.
macOS also uses local snapshots when the system drive is in APFS formatThese snapshots are saved on the Mac's internal disk and capture the state of your computer at regular intervals, usually every hour, and are retained for about 24 hours or until the system needs to free up space.
The combination of Time Machine backups on an external drive and local snapshots on APFS is what makes this system so powerful.Even if you don't have the backup disk connected, you can recover recent versions of files thanks to snapshots, and when you plug the external disk back in, the backups are automatically updated.
How Time Machine works: frequency, copy types, and space management
By default, Time Machine follows a programming very clear automaticIt creates hourly backups of the last 24 hours, daily backups of the last month, and weekly backups of all previous months. As the backup disk fills up, the oldest backups are automatically deleted to make room for new ones.
The first copy usually takes the longest, because it clones virtually all the contents of the Mac.The backup includes: system, applications, user accounts, photos, documents, email, and settings. From then on, only changes made since the previous backup are saved, so subsequent backups typically complete much faster.
Time Machine is designed so you can continue using your Mac normally while it makes backups.The system prioritizes its processes, and unless you're copying huge amounts of data, you'll barely notice any slowdowns. Even so, for the first copy, it's a good idea to leave your Mac running uninterrupted, for example, overnight.
If you disconnect the external drive, Time Machine stops without making a fuss.When you reconnect it, backups will automatically resume and any accumulated changes will be added. However, before unplugging the drive, it's important to eject it from the Finder or shut down your Mac to avoid corruption issues.
In macOS Ventura and later versions, you can customize the backup frequency.From the Time Machine settings, you can choose between hourly, daily, or weekly backups, or even disable them to make manual backups only when you want.
APFS local snapshots: what they are and why you should care
In addition to backing up to an external drive, Time Machine leverages the APFS file system to create local snapshotsThese snapshots capture the state of your data on the internal disk, so you can recover previous versions even when the backup disk is not connected.
Local snapshots are generated silently (usually every hour) and saved on the same disk where the original data resides.They remain available for about 24 hours or until the system detects that it needs space, at which point the oldest ones are deleted.
It's important to understand that snapshots don't replace backups on an external drive.They are a kind of "quick safety net" for undoing recent changes, but if the internal disk fails or the Mac suffers serious damage, the snapshots are lost along with it.
For this reason, Apple and experts recommend always having an additional external copy.Whether on a USB drive, a My Cloud NAS, a network server, or a dedicated device, you can completely restore your Mac on another computer if something goes wrong.
The best part is that Time Machine seamlessly integrates these snapshots with the external hard drive backups.When restores come into play, you only see a timeline with days and hours; macOS decides whether to use a local snapshot or the copy saved on the backup disk.
Choosing and preparing the disk for Time Machine
To truly get the most out of Time Machine, you'll need a drive of storage externalBoth mechanical hard drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs) can be used.SSD), connected via USB, Thunderbolt or network (NAS, My Cloud, router with USB port, etc.).
Ideally, the backup disk should have a capacity equal to or greater than that of the Mac's internal disk.For example, if your Mac has 512 GB of storage, it's highly recommended to use a 1 TB or larger hard drive for backups. This way, there will be enough space not only for the current backup but also for a good history of previous versions.
It's a good idea to dedicate the entire album to Time Machinewithout mixing it with other data. Although macOS allows you to create additional volumes or share the drive to store regular files, the simplest and safest setup is to reserve that drive only for backups.
Before using the disk, it's advisable to format it from your Mac using Disk Utility.In the sidebar, select the drive, choose the "Erase" option, give it a clear name (for example, "Time Machine Copy"), and choose APFS as the format, which is the modern file system that macOS uses to get the most out of snapshots.
Once formatted, the disk is ready to be associated with Time Machine without disconnecting it from the computer.From that moment on, the system will recognize it as a backup drive and guide you through a wizard to finish setting it up.
Setting up Time Machine step by step on modern macOS
In macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and later versions, Time Machine is managed from System SettingsIt is not a standalone app visible in the Applications folder, but a panel within the system settings.
The typical setup process is very simpleGo to the Apple menu, enter System Settings, select the "General" section, and then "Time Machine." From there you can add a backup disk, manage options, and launch manual backups.
To begin, click on “Add backup disk” and select the drive you just connected.Then you choose "Configure disk" so that macOS adapts it to Time Machine, including formatting if the file system is not compatible.
The wizard also gives you the option to encrypt the backupIf the drive is going to leave home, travel with you, or you use a portable Mac that you move around a lot, enabling encryption is almost mandatory: if someone gets hold of that drive, they won't be able to read your data without the password.
During advanced setup, you can adjust the space reserved for snapshots and customize which items are excluded from the copy.For example, you can exclude temporary folders, Virtual machines very heavy or volumes that you are not interested in backing up.
Automatic and manual copies and frequency control
Time Machine is designed to work almost always in automatic mode.But you still have the final say on when and how you make the copies.
Automatic backups are activated by selecting the option to back up regularly in the Time Machine panel. From there, they will run according to the configured frequency: every hour, every day, or every week, as you prefer.
If you need more control, you can change the frequency from the Time Machine “Options” button.This way you can, for example, space out backups on a computer that rarely changes, or leave it in "manual only" mode if you prefer to run backups yourself at specific times.
Manual backups are initiated from the Time Machine settings or from the icon in the menu bar.Simply right-click (or long-press) on the configured disk and choose "Back up now", or use the Time Machine icon menu at the top of the screen.
Activating the Time Machine icon in the menu bar is a very convenient trickThis is done from System Settings > Control Center, by choosing to always show Time Machine in the taskbar. From that icon, you'll see when the last backup was made, be able to instantly start a new one, or access the restore interface.
Recover files and previous versions with Time Machine
The true magic of Time Machine is revealed when you need to recover something you've accidentally deleted or modified.You don't need to restore your entire Mac: you can recover just one or several specific files.
To enter the "time machine", you can use the Time Machine icon in the top bar or search for it from Spotlight by clicking CMD + Space and type “Time Machine”. When you open it, the Mac interface changes and a Finder window appears with a kind of timeline on one side.
That timeline allows you to go back hours, days, weeks, or even months.provided copies exist from those dates. You just need to navigate to the folder where the lost file was located (for example, "Documents") and scroll through the different dates until you find the version you're looking for.
Once you locate the file, select it and click the "Restore" button.The system will restore it to its original location on your current Mac. If the latest version of the file is already on disk, the restore button may appear grayed out; if it has been deleted, it will be active and ready to use.
If you don't remember exactly where the file was saved, you can use the built-in search function.First you search for it with Spotlight, then you go into Time Machine and the search continues to show you all related versions, making it easier to locate that document you thought was lost.
Restore a complete Mac or migrate to another computer with Time Machine
Time Machine isn't just for rescuing individual documents; it also lets you restore your Mac to a complete previous state.This is very useful if an update has broken something or if the system has become unstable due to a software bug.
On Boot From your Mac, you can access the macOS recovery tools and choose to restore from a Time Machine backupThe process rebuilds the system exactly as it was at the time of the backup, including apps, accounts, preferences, and files.
If you're getting a new Mac, Time Machine is a super easy way to migrate everything you had on your old one.In the initial setup wizard, macOS will ask if you want to transfer your information from another Mac or from a Time Machine backup; simply connect the drive and select what data you want to take (users, applications, documents, etc.).
Even if you've already finished setting up your new Mac, you can use Migration Assistant later.You find it by searching for it with Spotlight; then you connect the Time Machine drive (or connect both Macs over the network) and follow the steps to transfer your data at your convenience.
This migration system is particularly convenient if you have multiple Macs at home or in the office.A single disk can store backups of several computers, provided it has sufficient capacity, and then you can restore each one independently when needed.
Use Time Machine with cloud services like iCloud, Dropbox, or OneDrive
Today, many users work almost exclusively with cloud storage.: iCloud Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive… That makes more than one person wonder if it's worth continuing to use Time Machine.
The answer is yes: Time Machine remains a very valuable tool even if everything moves to the cloud.The synchronized folders (Documents, Desktop, Dropbox locations, etc.) are stored locally on your Mac, and Time Machine also makes a copy of that data.
This protects you in scenarios where the cloud won't save you.This could include a mass deletion that spreads to all synced devices or the eventual loss of access to your account on the service in question. Time Machine snapshots will preserve previous versions even after they have been deleted from the cloud.
You can easily mix Time Machine with any online storage serviceIn fact, many people work this way: they sync what's important with iCloud to have it on all their devices and, in addition, let Time Machine generate incremental local snapshots in case something goes very wrong someday.
There is even the possibility of reading Time Machine drives from WindowsUsing third-party tools like APFS for Windows, which allow you to mount APFS disks in read-only mode, is not for everyone, but it can be a lifesaver in a mixed Mac-PC environment.
Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.