{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Backup schedules and triggers",
  "slug": "backup-schedules",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-schedules",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-schedules.md",
  "category": "Backups",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backups/",
  "tags": [
    "backups",
    "schedule",
    "battery"
  ],
  "summary": "Each backup set runs as things change, on a schedule, or only when you ask, with optional conditions — only when plugged in, not on a personal hotspot, not during working hours. Missed times are caught up once, and Back up now always works.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-01T05:53:31.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-01T05:31:43.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Changing it",
      "id": "changing-it"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "The three modes",
      "id": "the-three-modes"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Missed times and catch-up",
      "id": "missed-times-and-catch-up"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "Conditions",
      "id": "conditions"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "backup-speed-and-power",
      "label": "Backup speed, battery and the network",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-speed-and-power"
    },
    {
      "slug": "performance-modes",
      "label": "Performance modes",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/performance-modes"
    },
    {
      "slug": "data-backup",
      "label": "Data Backup",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-backup"
    },
    {
      "slug": "backup-messages",
      "label": "What backup messages mean",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-messages"
    },
    {
      "slug": "a-backup-didnt-run",
      "label": "A backup didn't run",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-backup-didnt-run"
    },
    {
      "slug": "battery-and-power",
      "label": "Battery and power",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/battery-and-power"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "a-backup-didnt-run",
      "title": "A backup didn't run",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-backup-didnt-run"
    },
    {
      "slug": "backup-speed-and-power",
      "title": "Backup speed, battery and the network",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-speed-and-power"
    },
    {
      "slug": "data-backup",
      "title": "Data Backup",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-backup"
    },
    {
      "slug": "quiet-hours",
      "title": "Quiet Hours",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/quiet-hours"
    },
    {
      "slug": "backup-messages",
      "title": "What backup messages mean",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-messages"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [
    {
      "kind": "flowchart",
      "caption": "How an automatic or scheduled backup decides whether to start",
      "outline": "- A change settles, a scheduled time arrives, or the app starts\n  - leads to Is Back up automatically on?\n- Is Back up automatically on?\n  - No: leads to No backup\n  - Yes: leads to Are the set's conditions met?\n- Are the set's conditions met?\n  - No: leads to The card says what it's waiting for\n  - Yes: leads to Is the Mac very busy right now?\n- The card says what it's waiting for\n  - leads to Are the set's conditions met?\n- Is the Mac very busy right now?\n  - Yes: leads to The card says what it's waiting for\n  - No: leads to The backup starts at low priority\n",
      "source": "%% caption: How an automatic or scheduled backup decides whether to start\nflowchart TD\n  A[A change settles, a scheduled time arrives, or the app starts] --> B{Is Back up automatically on?}\n  B -->|No| N[No backup]\n  B -->|Yes| C{Are the set's conditions met?}\n  C -->|No| H[The card says what it's waiting for]\n  H --> C\n  C -->|Yes| D{Is the Mac very busy right now?}\n  D -->|Yes| H\n  D -->|No| E[The backup starts at low priority]"
    }
  ],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [
    {
      "alt": "The \"When to back up\" popover open from a backup set card, with On a schedule selected, Every day at 02:00 chosen, and The Mac is plugged in ticked under Only when",
      "caption": "Choosing when a set backs up"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "Can I move my iPhone backups to an external drive on a Mac?",
      "answer": "Yes. Finder has no setting for where it keeps iPhone and iPad backups, but Storage Studio can move them to your external drive from What's Using Space: it copies them, checks every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac. Finder keeps backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep…",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "What is purgeable space on a Mac and how do I clear it?",
      "answer": "Purgeable space is storage macOS is holding — old snapshots, cached cloud files, optimised media — that it frees automatically when you need room, which is why \"free\" space can look smaller than expected. Storage Studio reclaims a lot of it on demand instead of making you wait.",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "How do I reclaim space from local Time Machine snapshots on a Mac?",
      "answer": "macOS keeps point-in-time APFS local snapshots so Time Machine can restore even when your backup drive is away — useful, but they can hold a lot of space. Storage Studio lists every snapshot, shows which are already safely backed up, and reclaims the space you choose in one click.",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    }
  ],
  "text": "Each backup set decides for itself when to run. Choose As things change , On a schedule or Only when I ask , and optionally add conditions such as only when the Mac is plugged in . Whatever you choose, Back up now on the set's card starts a backup straight away. Changing it On the set's card, the line under its folders says when it runs — for example \"Backs up as things change\" or \"Every day at 02:00 · only on power\" . Click Change… beside it to open When to back up , make your choice and click Done . The line only appears once the set has a destination and something to back up. Automatic and scheduled runs only happen while Back up automatically is on for the set. The three modes Mode What happens As things change Backs up shortly after you change something in the set's folders. This is the default. On a schedule Backs up at the times you choose, and nothing in between. Only when I ask Nothing happens until you press Back up now . As things change waits for a quiet moment — about a minute and a half after your changes stop — so a burst of saving becomes one version, not dozens. For folders you edit all day, where that quiet moment may never come, tick Also make one version a day and pick a time. On a schedule offers Every hour , Every few hours (every 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 or 12 hours, counted from midnight so the times stay the same each day), Every day at a time you pick, or Every week on a day and time you pick. Minutes can be :00, :15, :30 or :45. The card shows when the next backup is due, such as \"Next backup tomorrow at 02:00\" . Missed times and catch-up If your Mac is asleep or away at a scheduled time , it backs up once when it's next able — not once for every slot it missed. When Storage Studio starts , each set that backs up automatically or on a schedule gets one catch-up backup a few seconds later. That picks up anything that changed while the app was closed and finishes a backup that was interrupted. Sets on Only when I ask are left alone. A catch-up is cheap when nothing changed , because only new and changed data is stored. How an automatic or scheduled backup decides whether to start Flowchart outline: How an automatic or scheduled backup decides whether to start A change settles, a scheduled time arrives, or the app starts leads to Is Back up automatically on? Is Back up automatically on? No: leads to No backup Yes: leads to Are the set's conditions met? Are the set's conditions met? No: leads to The card says what it's waiting for Yes: leads to Is the Mac very busy right now? The card says what it's waiting for leads to Are the set's conditions met? Is the Mac very busy right now? Yes: leads to The card says what it's waiting for No: leads to The backup starts at low priority Conditions Under Only when you can hold automatic and scheduled backups until the moment suits you: The Mac is plugged in — waits for mains power. A Mac without a battery always counts as plugged in. Not on a personal hotspot — for cloud destinations only, so a backup never uses up a phone's data allowance. It goes by what macOS reports as an expensive or low-data connection. Stay out of my working hours — pick a start and end hour (09:00 to 18:00 to begin with). A period can run past midnight, such as 22:00 to 07:00. When a condition is holding a backup, the card says so in orange, for example \"Waiting for power — you asked for backups to run only when plugged in.\" The backup starts by itself once the condition clears. Conditions never apply to Back up now , and they're cleared if you choose Only when I ask . Storage Studio also holds automatic backups while your Mac is under heavy load — \"Waiting until your Mac is less busy.\" See Backup speed, battery and the network and Performance modes . Common questions Can I move my iPhone backups to an external drive on a Mac? Yes. Finder has no setting for where it keeps iPhone and iPad backups, but Storage Studio can move them to your external drive from What's Using Space: it copies them, checks every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac. Finder keeps backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep… What is purgeable space on a Mac and how do I clear it? Purgeable space is storage macOS is holding — old snapshots, cached cloud files, optimised media — that it frees automatically when you need room, which is why \"free\" space can look smaller than expected. Storage Studio reclaims a lot of it on demand instead of making you wait. How do I reclaim space from local Time Machine snapshots on a Mac? macOS keeps point-in-time APFS local snapshots so Time Machine can restore even when your backup drive is away — useful, but they can hold a lot of space. Storage Studio lists every snapshot, shows which are already safely backed up, and reclaims the space you choose in one click. See also: Data Backup · What backup messages mean · A backup didn't run · Battery and power",
  "markdown": "Each backup set decides for itself when to run. Choose **As things change**, **On a schedule** or **Only when I ask**, and optionally add conditions such as *only when the Mac is plugged in*. Whatever you choose, **Back up now** on the set's card starts a backup straight away.\n\n## Changing it\n\nOn the set's card, the line under its folders says when it runs — for example *\"Backs up as things change\"* or *\"Every day at 02:00 · only on power\"*. Click **Change…** beside it to open **When to back up**, make your choice and click **Done**. The line only appears once the set has a destination and something to back up.\n\nAutomatic and scheduled runs only happen while **Back up automatically** is on for the set.\n\n## The three modes\n\n| Mode | What happens |\n| --- | --- |\n| **As things change** | Backs up shortly after you change something in the set's folders. This is the default. |\n| **On a schedule** | Backs up at the times you choose, and nothing in between. |\n| **Only when I ask** | Nothing happens until you press **Back up now**. |\n\n**As things change** waits for a quiet moment — about a minute and a half after your changes stop — so a burst of saving becomes one version, not dozens. For folders you edit all day, where that quiet moment may never come, tick **Also make one version a day** and pick a time.\n\n**On a schedule** offers **Every hour**, **Every few hours** (every 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 or 12 hours, counted from midnight so the times stay the same each day), **Every day** at a time you pick, or **Every week** on a day and time you pick. Minutes can be :00, :15, :30 or :45. The card shows when the next backup is due, such as *\"Next backup tomorrow at 02:00\"*.\n\n## Missed times and catch-up\n\n- **If your Mac is asleep or away at a scheduled time**, it backs up once when it's next able — not once for every slot it missed.\n- **When Storage Studio starts**, each set that backs up automatically or on a schedule gets one catch-up backup a few seconds later. That picks up anything that changed while the app was closed and finishes a backup that was interrupted. Sets on **Only when I ask** are left alone.\n- **A catch-up is cheap when nothing changed**, because only new and changed data is stored.\n\n```mermaid\n%% caption: How an automatic or scheduled backup decides whether to start\nflowchart TD\n  A[A change settles, a scheduled time arrives, or the app starts] --> B{Is Back up automatically on?}\n  B -->|No| N[No backup]\n  B -->|Yes| C{Are the set's conditions met?}\n  C -->|No| H[The card says what it's waiting for]\n  H --> C\n  C -->|Yes| D{Is the Mac very busy right now?}\n  D -->|Yes| H\n  D -->|No| E[The backup starts at low priority]\n```\n\n*Flowchart — How an automatic or scheduled backup decides whether to start. Outline:*\n\n- A change settles, a scheduled time arrives, or the app starts\n  - leads to Is Back up automatically on?\n- Is Back up automatically on?\n  - No: leads to No backup\n  - Yes: leads to Are the set's conditions met?\n- Are the set's conditions met?\n  - No: leads to The card says what it's waiting for\n  - Yes: leads to Is the Mac very busy right now?\n- The card says what it's waiting for\n  - leads to Are the set's conditions met?\n- Is the Mac very busy right now?\n  - Yes: leads to The card says what it's waiting for\n  - No: leads to The backup starts at low priority\n\n## Conditions\n\nUnder **Only when** you can hold automatic and scheduled backups until the moment suits you:\n\n- **The Mac is plugged in** — waits for mains power. A Mac without a battery always counts as plugged in.\n- **Not on a personal hotspot** — for cloud destinations only, so a backup never uses up a phone's data allowance. It goes by what macOS reports as an expensive or low-data connection.\n- **Stay out of my working hours** — pick a start and end hour (09:00 to 18:00 to begin with). A period can run past midnight, such as 22:00 to 07:00.\n\nWhen a condition is holding a backup, the card says so in orange, for example *\"Waiting for power — you asked for backups to run only when plugged in.\"* The backup starts by itself once the condition clears. Conditions never apply to **Back up now**, and they're cleared if you choose **Only when I ask**.\n\nStorage Studio also holds automatic backups while your Mac is under heavy load — *\"Waiting until your Mac is less busy.\"* See [Backup speed, battery and the network](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-speed-and-power) and [Performance modes](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/performance-modes).\n\n- **Can I move my iPhone backups to an external drive on a Mac?** Yes. Finder has no setting for where it keeps iPhone and iPad backups, but Storage Studio can move them to your external drive from What's Using Space: it copies them, checks every file arrived, and only then frees the space on your Mac. Finder keeps backing up to the drive afterwards, so keep… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **What is purgeable space on a Mac and how do I clear it?** Purgeable space is storage macOS is holding — old snapshots, cached cloud files, optimised media — that it frees automatically when you need room, which is why \"free\" space can look smaller than expected. Storage Studio reclaims a lot of it on demand instead of making you wait. (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **How do I reclaim space from local Time Machine snapshots on a Mac?** macOS keeps point-in-time APFS local snapshots so Time Machine can restore even when your backup drive is away — useful, but they can hold a lot of space. Storage Studio lists every snapshot, shows which are already safely backed up, and reclaims the space you choose in one click. (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n\nSee also: [Data Backup](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/data-backup) · [What backup messages mean](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/backup-messages) · [A backup didn't run](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/a-backup-didnt-run) · [Battery and power](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/battery-and-power)\n"
}