You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Leaving external hard drive plugged in to do Time machine backup

I have a new iMac - which I love - but just wondering Is it worth leaving my external hard drive plugged in all the time for the Time Machine backups, which do seem a bit OTT every hour - or do people just do a weekly backup? I'm not working from home but just use my iMac for pleasure and photographs.


Thanks

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jan 24, 2021 11:08 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 24, 2021 11:13 AM

Typically, most people leave their external hard drive plugged in all the time to their desktop Macs. This way, Power Nap, What is Power Nap on Mac? - Apple Support, can function, and you’ll always have up to date Time Machine backups. And even if you don’t have it plugged in all the time, you should make backups more often than once a week, ideally.


Cheers,


Jack

4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 24, 2021 11:13 AM in response to Honeycombebeach

Typically, most people leave their external hard drive plugged in all the time to their desktop Macs. This way, Power Nap, What is Power Nap on Mac? - Apple Support, can function, and you’ll always have up to date Time Machine backups. And even if you don’t have it plugged in all the time, you should make backups more often than once a week, ideally.


Cheers,


Jack

Jan 24, 2021 11:14 AM in response to Honeycombebeach

That is how Time Machine in intended to function. With the drive attached all the time, you can never lose more that one hour's work.


The very first backup takes a while because it must copy everything. However, once the first one is done, the rest are much faster incremental backups. If you use a USB3 or USB-C external drive, the incremental ones are almost unnoticeable and certainly unobtrusive.

Leaving external hard drive plugged in to do Time machine backup

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.