{"id":"freeing-space.what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean","url":"/faq/freeing-space/what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean","category":{"id":"freeing-space","title":"Freeing up space"},"subcategory":{"id":"snapshots-held-space","title":"Local snapshots and held space"},"question":"What do the icons next to each snapshot in Local Snapshots mean?","alt_questions":["Green check snapshot meaning","Orange warning snapshot local only","Grey lock snapshot required","Question mark snapshot backup status unknown","Snapshot status icons"],"short_answer":"Green check: already on Time Machine, safe to delete. Orange warning: only on this Mac. Grey lock: required by macOS, can't be deleted. Question mark: status unknown, treat as Mac-only.","answer_markdown":"Each snapshot has a status icon telling you whether it's safe to delete:\n\n- **Green check** — already backed up to Time Machine; safe to delete.\n- **Orange warning** — on this Mac only, not yet backed up; deleting it would lose that point in time.\n- **Grey lock** — required by macOS for a system update; can't be deleted.\n- **Grey question mark** — backup status unknown (no Time Machine destination set up); treat it as on-this-Mac-only.\n\nEach row also says how long ago it was taken and has a plain-English status line. See [is it safe to delete a snapshot](/faq/freeing-space/is-it-safe-to-delete-a-local-snapshot).","answer_html":"

Each snapshot has a status icon telling you whether it's safe to delete:

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Each row also says how long ago it was taken and has a plain-English status line. See is it safe to delete a snapshot.

","answer_text":"Each snapshot has a status icon telling you whether it's safe to delete:\n\n- Green check — already backed up to Time Machine; safe to delete.\n- Orange warning — on this Mac only, not yet backed up; deleting it would lose that point in time.\n- Grey lock — required by macOS for a system update; can't be deleted.\n- Grey question mark — backup status unknown (no Time Machine destination set up); treat it as on-this-Mac-only.\n\nEach row also says how long ago it was taken and has a plain-English status line. See is it safe to delete a snapshot.","tags":["local snapshots","icons","time machine"],"related":[{"id":"freeing-space.is-it-safe-to-delete-a-local-snapshot","question":"Is it safe to delete local snapshots with Storage Studio?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/is-it-safe-to-delete-a-local-snapshot"},{"id":"freeing-space.why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot","question":"Why can't I delete a snapshot marked Required?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What do the icons next to each snapshot in Local Snapshots mean? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Green check: already on Time Machine, safe to delete. Orange warning: only on this Mac. Grey lock: required by macOS, can't be deleted. Question mark: status unknown, treat as Mac-only.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Freeing up space","path":"/faq/freeing-space/"},{"name":"What do the icons next to each snapshot in Local Snapshots mean?","path":"/faq/freeing-space/what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What do the icons next to each snapshot in Local Snapshots mean?","alternateName":["Green check snapshot meaning","Orange warning snapshot local only","Grey lock snapshot required","Question mark snapshot backup status unknown","Snapshot status icons"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Each snapshot has a status icon telling you whether it's safe to delete:\n\n- Green check — already backed up to Time Machine; safe to delete.\n- Orange warning — on this Mac only, not yet backed up; deleting it would lose that point in time.\n- Grey lock — required by macOS for a system update; can't be deleted.\n- Grey question mark — backup status unknown (no Time Machine destination set up); treat it as on-this-Mac-only.\n\nEach row also says how long ago it was taken and has a plain-English status line. See is it safe to delete a snapshot.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean"}}]},"fragment":"
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Freeing up space · Local snapshots and held space

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What do the icons next to each snapshot in Local Snapshots mean?

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Short answer: Green check: already on Time Machine, safe to delete. Orange warning: only on this Mac. Grey lock: required by macOS, can't be deleted. Question mark: status unknown, treat as Mac-only.

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Each snapshot has a status icon telling you whether it's safe to delete:

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  • Green check — already backed up to Time Machine; safe to delete.
  • Orange warning — on this Mac only, not yet backed up; deleting it would lose that point in time.
  • Grey lock — required by macOS for a system update; can't be deleted.
  • Grey question mark — backup status unknown (no Time Machine destination set up); treat it as on-this-Mac-only.
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Each row also says how long ago it was taken and has a plain-English status line. See is it safe to delete a snapshot.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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