On the other hand, the process of preserving and discarding the backups is still handled by Time Machine since the Editor will only modify the schedule. Other schedule modifications can also be done from the Time Machine Editor. Using the Time Machine Editor, you don’t need to keep Time Machine running all the time. There’s an “ON/OFF” button at the bottom-left of the app. Remember to set the app to “ON,” otherwise your modifications won’t take effect, and the default hourly backup settings will still be applied. If you want to set a more sophisticated backup schedule based on various dates, times, weeks, months, etc., you need to go into “Calendar Intervals” mode.

You can also disable the backup when your laptop is using battery power to conserve energy. For example, you can turn off the process during your work hours. The default one-hour interval backup time of Time Machine can be changed to longer or shorter depending on your needs.īoth “Inactive” and “Interval” mode have the additional setting to disable the process within a set period.

While in the “Interval” mode the setting is modified to operate at a set interval of time. In the “Inactive” mode the tool will set your Time Machine to automatically run backups when you are not actively using your computer. The app provides you with three modes of operation: “Inactive,” “Interval,” and “Calendar Intervals.” This app is compatible with Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) and above.Īfter downloading and installing the app, open it, and you will see its main interface. To change the backup frequency interval or create a more sophisticated scheduling, you need a little help from a free application called TimeMachineEditor. The only available options are selecting the backup disk and selecting folders to exclude from the backups. One thing is for sure: you can’t alter the backup frequency from within Time Machine’s System Preferences.

Setup time machine on mac