{"id":"mac-storage-basics.does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives","category":{"id":"mac-storage-basics","title":"Mac storage basics"},"subcategory":{"id":"time-machine","title":"Time Machine basics"},"question":"Does Time Machine back up my other external drives?","alt_questions":["time machine include external drive","back up external drive with time machine","time machine excludes external drives","add external disk to time machine backup"],"short_answer":"Not by default — external drives are on Time Machine's exclusion list. Remove a drive from the list in Time Machine's Options to include it; it must be connected during backups.","answer_markdown":"Not by default — Time Machine adds external drives to its exclusion list. To include one, open Time Machine's **Options…** in System Settings and remove the drive from the exclusion list. The drive must be connected during backups for its changes to be saved.\n\nMake sure your backup drive is big enough for the extra data.","answer_html":"

Not by default — Time Machine adds external drives to its exclusion list. To include one, open Time Machine's Options… in System Settings and remove the drive from the exclusion list. The drive must be connected during backups for its changes to be saved.

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Make sure your backup drive is big enough for the extra data.

","answer_text":"Not by default — Time Machine adds external drives to its exclusion list. To include one, open Time Machine's Options… in System Settings and remove the drive from the exclusion list. The drive must be connected during backups for its changes to be saved.\n\nMake sure your backup drive is big enough for the extra data.","tags":["time machine","external drive","backup"],"related":[{"id":"mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine","question":"How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine"},{"id":"mac-storage-basics.how-big-should-a-time-machine-drive-be","question":"How big should my Time Machine backup drive be?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-big-should-a-time-machine-drive-be"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Does Time Machine back up my other external drives? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"Not by default — external drives are on Time Machine's exclusion list. Remove a drive from the list in Time Machine's Options to include it; it must be connected during backups.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Mac storage basics","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/"},{"name":"Does Time Machine back up my other external drives?","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Does Time Machine back up my other external drives?","alternateName":["time machine include external drive","back up external drive with time machine","time machine excludes external drives","add external disk to time machine backup"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not by default — Time Machine adds external drives to its exclusion list. To include one, open Time Machine's Options… in System Settings and remove the drive from the exclusion list. The drive must be connected during backups for its changes to be saved.\n\nMake sure your backup drive is big enough for the extra data.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives"}}]},"fragment":"
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Mac storage basics · Time Machine basics

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Does Time Machine back up my other external drives?

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Short answer: Not by default — external drives are on Time Machine's exclusion list. Remove a drive from the list in Time Machine's Options to include it; it must be connected during backups.

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Not by default — Time Machine adds external drives to its exclusion list. To include one, open Time Machine's Options… in System Settings and remove the drive from the exclusion list. The drive must be connected during backups for its changes to be saved.

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Make sure your backup drive is big enough for the extra data.

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Last reviewed

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