Backing up your Mac is simple and important. We recommend it for everyone.

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Back up with Time Machine

Apple makes two laptop computers, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Both do well in our ratings, but they’re aimed at different audiences. The Air, which starts at $1,000 and comes in one size. Apple’s MacBook line of laptops is the Gold Standard of portable computing — they seamlessly blend power, versatility, and elegant designs to deliver some of the most impressive (and priciest) hardware available. Nowadays, when Apple launches a new feature or design element, you can expect other manufacturers to copy it within six months.

Time Machine is the built-in backup feature of your Mac. It’s a complete backup solution, but you can use other backup methods as well.

Create a backup

Store files in iCloud

You can also use iCloud and iCloud Drive to store files, such as your photos, documents, and music.

Set up iCloud and iCloud Drive

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Restore your Mac from a backup

When you have a backup, you can use it to restore your files at any time, including after the original files are deleted from your Mac.

Restore from a backup

Prepare your Mac for service

Making a backup is an important part of preparing your Mac for service, especially because some types of repair might require erasing or replacing your hard drive.

Get your Mac ready for service

How much space do I need for a backup?

To see the size of a specific file or folder, click it once and then press Command-I. To see storage information about your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left of your screen. Choose About This Mac and click the Storage tab. For Time Machine backups, it's good to use a drive that has at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac.

Related topics

Free up storage on your Mac

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macOS can save space by storing your content in the cloud. This isn't a backup, but it includes new tools to make it easier to find and remove large or unwanted files before you make a backup.

Use Optimized Storage in macOS

Erase or format a storage device

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You can use Disk Utility if you need to erase or format a storage device.

Learn how to use Disk Utility

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macOS Community

If you can't back up your Mac

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We'll find the best support options for you.