Tested: TimeMachineEditor, a more flexible way to schedule Mac backups

I like Time Machine. As the old phrase has it, the only trusted backup is a completely automated one, whichs what Apples Time Machine energy supplies. … its possibly a little too automated for some circumstances– and thats an issue the totally free TimeMachineEditor app sets out to fix.
Unless you desire to do them absolutely manually, Time Machine offers you no control over when backups occur …

Apple determines the schedule:

As the old saying has it, the only reputable backup is a totally automated one, and thats what Apples Time Machine utility provides. For much of my Mac usage, I do not require hourly backups. Many of my 9to5Mac writing is done straight into an online content management system (CMS), and the CMS does its own backups. An even better choice– and one Ive found works dependably– is the Backup When Inactive alternative. The app waits up until it finds no activity on the Mac and carries out a backup then.

Local pictures as area permits
Per hour backups for the previous 24 hours
Daily backups for the previous month
Weekly backups for all previous months

Which implies your Mac is going to do a backup every hour, and as big spinning metal drives are a lot less expensive than large SSDs, the majority of us are going to hear an external disk drive or NAS chuntering away noisily every hour.
That can be a problem if you need silence– for example, while tape-recording voiceover for a video– and it can simply end up being a bit of a background irritation.
It would be fantastic if the Time Machine app provided greater flexibility, and TimeMachineEditor offers exactly that.
For much of my Mac usage, I dont need per hour backups. Most of my 9to5Mac writing is done straight into an online content management system (CMS), and the CMS does its own backups. Its really unusual to lose more than a sentence or more if the worst occurs.
TimeMachineEditor provides 3 methods of managing it. One is to change the interval to a less regular time, for example every 2 hours, or once a day. You can also decrease drive wear by having it just perform backups on weekdays.
Second, if you require silence for a particular time period, you can examine the “Do not backup from _ to _” choice and put in the hours you d like it to avoid.
An even better choice– and one Ive found works dependably– is the Backup When Inactive option. This is what I have actually chosen as standard. The app waits until it finds no activity on the Mac and performs a backup then.
Utilizing the app could not be simpler. Open it, set the options you desire and then open Time Machine and uncheck the Back Up Automatically box.
As the developer notes, Time Machine itself still deals with the actual backups: What TimeMachineEditor does is effectively inform Time Machine to do a manual backup when required.
Designer Thomas Clement things to paying Apple $99/year to join the developer program, which suggests the app does not have an Apple designer certificate. (Obviously, you ought to only do this for apps you trust– I did my own due diligence by Googling to see who else recommends it.).
TImeMachineEditor is a totally free download from the developers site. You can make a contribution by method of thanks if you value it.
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