Connect a storage device to your Mac

Connect an external storage device, such as a USB drive or Thunderbolt drive.

• Use a storage device with at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac. For example, if your Mac has 1TB of storage, your backup disk should ideally have at least 2TB of storage. If Time Machine needs more storage space, your Mac will let you know.

• Use your Time Machine backup disk only for Time Machine backups, not for storage of other files.*

Set up the storage device as your backup disk

Find out the setup steps in your version of macOS, or follow these steps in macOS Ventura or later:

1. From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings.

2. Click General in the sidebar, then click Time Machine on the right-hand side.

3. Click Add Backup Disk or click the Add button (+).

4. Select your connected storage device and click Set Up Disk.

5. During the setup process:

   • Your Mac may ask if you want to erase the storage device so that it can be used for Time Machine. Either erase it or select a different backup disk or volume.

   • Your Mac may ask whether this computer should claim existing backups that were created on a different computer. Claim the backups if you want them to become part of the backups for this Mac.

After completing the setup process, your Mac will immediately start using the storage device to make backups.

Make a backup

To back up now, choose Back Up Now from the Time Machine menu in the menu bar. Or wait for the next automatic backup.

Use the same menu to stop or skip a backup or check its progress. The top of the menu shows how much of the current backup has been completed, or the date and time of the latest backup:

If you can’t see this menu, make sure that Control Centre settings (macOS Ventura or later) or Desktop & Menu Bar preferences (macOS Monterey or earlier) are set to show Time Machine in the menu bar.

Backup frequency and duration

Time Machine will automatically make hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month and weekly backups for all previous months. The oldest backups will be deleted when your backup disk is full.

To change the backup frequency in macOS Ventura or later, choose Open Time Machine Settings from the Time Machine menu. Click Options, then choose an option from the “Back up frequency” menu.

The first backup may take longer than you expect, but you can continue using your Mac while a backup is under way. Time Machine will only back up the files that have changed since the previous backup, so future backups will be faster.

Restore your Mac from a backup

When you have a Time Machine backup, you can use it to restore any or all of your files to the same Mac or a different Mac.

How to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup

Learn more

• If you can’t make a backup

• If you want to add or remove items to be excluded from backups

• If you want to back up to multiple disks