---
id: freeing-space.what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/what-do-the-snapshot-icons-mean
category: "Freeing up space"
subcategory: "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."
tags: ["local snapshots", "icons", "time machine"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/is-it-safe-to-delete-a-local-snapshot", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/why-cant-i-delete-a-required-snapshot"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

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

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

- **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.

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](https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/is-it-safe-to-delete-a-local-snapshot).