Time Machine settings on Mac
On your Mac, use Time Machine settings to add or remove a backup disk, and specify options such as when to back up and which items to exclude from a backup.
Popular topics
Exclude files and folders from backups
Browse through the options below for details about customising your settings.
To change these settings, choose Apple menu 
in the sidebar, then click Time Machine on the right.
Option | Description |
|---|---|
Add Backup Disk | If you haven’t set up Time Machine, click Add Backup Disk to set up a backup disk. |
Add or Remove Backup Disk | If you already set up Time Machine, do either of the following: Add a backup disk: Click the Add button Remove a backup disk: Click the Remove button |
Options | Click Options, then click any of the following to customise backup settings: Back up frequency: Choose whether to back up manually, or select how often Time Machine backs up your files automatically. Back up on battery power: Turn on to create backups every hour even if your Mac is on battery power. This option only appears when an automatic backup schedule is selected on a Mac laptop. Exclude these items from backups: Exclude files from a backup to save space on your backup disk, or to exclude items you back up using another method. Click the Add button |
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, Note: If you create a backup on a Mac, you can only use that backup on Mac computers. If you partition with macOS 12 or later, you can only use the partitions with macOS 11 or later.