This article explains how to back up the files on your Mac computer using an external hard drive and Time Machine. We also discuss alternative backup methods.

There are a bunch of ways to back up your Mac, from manually copying files to one-time and continuous Time Machine backups to iCloud and even third-party apps. Here are your primary options:

Manually backing up files on a Mac is easy, but it’s also time-consuming and inconvenient. It’s useful if you only want to back up specific, important files, and if those files aren’t likely to change between the time you back them up and the time your hard drive is likely to fail in the future. Files that change frequently aren’t a good fit for this method, since you’ll have to back up the file every time you change it.

Connect an external hard drive or USB flash drive to your Mac.