How to backup Mac without Time Machine: 3 methods I tried

Backups are the surest way to keep your data secure. If, for some reason, your Mac got corrupted, you can easily recover them from the backup. Although Time Machine can help you to create recovery points, expect some drawbacks. But are there other methods?  

If you’re searching for the same solution — how to back up your Mac without Time Machine — I’ve got your back. Since getting my Mac, I’ve been backing up my data with different methods.

Easiest way to back up a Mac without the Time Machine  

Some users cited that Time Machine can slow down the Mac experience. I must admit, Time Machine can be a drag when you’re creating backups for the first time. Plus, it doesn’t save all types of data, including logs and apps. Despite the drawback, Time Machine is undeniably convenient because it’s built right into MacOS. 

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of Time Machine. For someone who enjoys flexibility and avoids anything that slows down my work, I’m always on the hunt for alternate ways to back up my Mac. After much searching, I finally found some that work equally great, if not better, than Time Machine. 

So, how do I back up my Macbook without Time Machine?

Well, it’s pretty simple. If you’re not aware of this, you can find several third-party backup managers that let you create backups easily. Get Backup Pro is my personal favorite. It’s simple and powerful and lets me create and schedule Mac backups with a few clicks.

Let me show you how easy it is to back up your Mac with Get Backup Pro:

1. Install and open Get Backup Pro.
2. Choose Backup at the left panel.
3. Click the + button at the bottom left to create a new project.
4. Choose the backup destination. 
5. Click OK.
6. On the main window, click File+ and Apps Data+ to choose the data type you want to back up.
7. Click the start button to start backing up the selected files to the destination.

Since using Get Backup Pro, I no longer have to worry about losing the work I save locally. After setting up the backup manager once, it’ll automatically create a backup and save it on iCloud. Of course, you can also save the backup to an external hard disk, especially if you don’t like the idea of saving sensitive data on the cloud.

How to back up Mac to an external hard drive without Time Machine 

Does the adage ‘don’t put all eggs in the same basket’ sound familiar? Well, the same wisdom applies when you’re backing up your Mac, with or without Time Machine. Here’s why: if you store your backups on the same hard disk as your operating system, you’ll lose all data, including the backups, if the hard drive fails. 

Time Machine retains local time shots on the hard disk while allowing users to back up to an external hard drive. So, if you’re using it for backups, you can’t recover those local snapshots if your HD failed. Your only hope is to remember to save the backup on an external hard drive.

But again, don’t limit your backup option to Time Machine. If you intend to store your Mac data on an external hard drive, you can do it without Time Machine, too. The simplest way is to:

1. Buy an external hard disk.
2. Plug it into your Mac.
3. Save specific files and folders onto it. 

How to prepare your external hard disk before backing up 

Before you back up to an external hard disk, make sure there is enough space. For example, if you want to clone the entire Mac hard disk of, say, 512GB, you’ll need to prepare a 1TB hard disk. But that’s not all. You’ll also need to format the external hard disk so that it works with your Mac. 

To do that.

1. Connect the external hard disk to your Mac.
2. Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
3. Click Erase at the top.
4. Select the external hard drive.
5. Give it a name and choose Mac OS Extended as the format.
6. Click Erase. Wait for MacOS to format the external hard disk.
7. Click Done to close the window.

Now, the external hard drive is ready for backups. Just plug it into your Mac, and you’ll be able to save files onto it from the Finder app. You can also learn more about formatting your external hard disk.

Backup a Mac without the Time Machine using iCloud  

Want a more flexible way of backing up your Mac? Use iCloud. As you know, iCloud lets you store up to 5GB of data for free. After which, if you need more storage, you’ll need to pay for it. But that’s beside the point. 

With iCloud, you can sync and backup apps, documents, and files, mostly without manually doing so. For example, if you use Pages for journaling, iCloud will store a copy of your notes and make them available on all Apple Devices with the same Apple ID.

Here’s how to back up your Mac data to iCloud:

1. Open System Settings on your Mac.
2. Click your Apple ID.
3. Turn on apps that you want to sync with iCloud at Apps using Cloud. When turned on, the apps will automatically store a copy of their files on iCloud. 

And if you feel that some data is clogging up your iCloud space, you can stop specific apps from synching. Just click Show More Apps and turn off the app’s syncing mode. 

Now you know how to backup Mac without Time Machine 

Backups are important, but Time Machine is only one of several ways to keep your Mac data safe. Sometimes, the easiest way how to back up Mac without Time Machine is to drag them to an external hard disk or upload them to iCloud. 

But if you want more control and flexibility, use a powerful backup manager like Get Backup Pro. With the app, the backup is pretty much automated after the first time it is set up. Plus, the process runs in the background, which doesn’t slow down your Mac. 

Besides backing up your data safely, it’s also important to prevent data losses. I’ve shared a couple of apps that help with that. Here’s a recap. 

• ChronoSync Express lets you sync files across all Apple devices you own, so you’ll always have the updated version.  
• Disk Drill can recover lost data, regardless of how they were wiped off from your Mac. 

You can download these apps on Setapp, along with dozens of others that make file management on Mac easier. Try them for 7 days for now.