How to Delete Old Time Machine Backups in Three Possible Ways

There's no denying that Time Machine is the best option to back up your Mac and keep your data safe. It performs incremental backups to store your data securely and lets you restore when needed. The problem arises when you run out of storage space due to its backups.

In such a scenario, you must learn how to delete old Time Machine backups to free up space. This blog from Tools will share the most effective ways to accomplish the task and achieve better results.

When and why should I delete old Time Machine backups? When and why should I delete old Time Machine backups?

Time Machine is the built-in utility on Apple devices to backup Mac. Before learning how to delete backup files from Time Machine, it's better to know when you might need to do this. So, we've listed some common reasons to delete these files.

One significant factor is your device's storage capacity. When it keeps storing multiple files on the device storage, you might encounter several issues with your Mac. For instance, it might slow down due to lack of space.

This is where you need to delete old backups and free up space taken by unnecessary or less important files. Another reason to remove old files from Time Machine backup is when you add new apps.

As your library or app collection grows, your backup preferences might change. It's a good idea to adjust settings and remove old backups you no longer need. Read on to learn how to delete old Time Machine backups.

How to Delete Old Backups in Time Machine

By now, you should be aware of the instances when you need to remove old backup files from your Mac. It's high time you learn the ways to carry out this deletion process.

1. Method 1: Delete Old Backups Using Time Machine
2. Method 2: Remove Old Backups from Time Machine via Finder
3. Method 3: Delete Time Machine Backups Through Terminal

Method 1: Delete Old Backups from Time Machine Click on an outdated backup in the Time Machine backup.

Undoubtedly, Time Machine is set to delete old backups automatically when the hard drive runs out of space. However, some users reported that they can't make this backup software for Mac perform the task automatically.

If you're running into the same issue, you can delete old backups via the Time Machine menu bar. You can see the steps to do that over here.

Step 1: First, connect your external drive to your Mac.

Step 2: Search for "Time Machine" and open it.

Step 3: Find the "backup files" you need to remove.

Step 4: Select all the files, then click on the Gear icon.

Step 5: Click the "Delete Backup" option to start the deletion process.

Click "Delete backup."

Step 6: Type the administrator password to confirm.

After you enter the password, the time machine will start deleting the backup files.

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Method 2: Delete Old Backups in Time Machine with Finder

Apple provides a built-in file manager for Mac users called Finder, which you can use to do this. It's easy to learn how to delete old Time Machine backups using Finder.

Just follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Connect your external drive, then launch Finder.

Step 2: Locate "Backups.backupdb" and select it.

Step 3: Inside that folder, you'll see a subfolder with the name of your Mac.

Click on your device's name to find the backup file.

Step 5: All backup files will be displayed in the format of YYYY-MM-DD.

<Step 6> Select all the files you want to delete.

Step 7: Click "Move to Trash" to finish the process.

Click “Move to Trash.”

By now, you've probably deleted all the files on the device that you don't need. However, before you eject the drive from your Mac, you should empty the Trash.

Method 3: Delete Time Machine Backups from the Terminal

If the above two methods don't work for you to delete backup files from Time Machine, you can also try using the Mac Terminal. You can remove any file by inputting some commands and following the steps below.

Step 1: Press "Command + Spacebar" to open the search bar.

Step 2. Type "Terminal" in the search bar, then open "Terminal.app" from the available list.

Step 3: Type "tmutil listbackups" in the Terminal, and then press "Enter".

When you enter the tmutil listbackups command in Terminal, you see output similar to the following:

<Step 4> You will see the paths of all backup files. Copy the path of the file you want to delete.

5) Now, in Terminal, paste the sudo tmutil delete command.

Paste the `sudo tmutil delete` command in your terminal.

Replace "" with the actual path of the file you want to delete. Doing so will remove the old backup files from your Mac, freeing up storage space.

How to Back Up Your Mac Without Time Machine

From the above sections, you have read extensively about how to delete Time Machine backups on Mac. Isn't it a daunting task? Because you have to manually follow these methods to get the job done. Moreover, Time Machine is not as powerful as you think. While using it to create backups on your Mac device, you may come across the Time Machine can't find backup disk error.

To feel comfortable with the backup process, you should pick software that doesn't take up too much space on your Mac. If you're looking for a reliable option, Todo Backup for Mac might be a good choice.

This backup software is tailored specifically for Mac users. It allows you to save your files in cloud storage as a backup and easily create disk images on your Mac. This means your device's storage won't be occupied by the backups. Additionally, it performs incremental backups and compresses files to minimize the storage space used on the cloud.

It is considered top-notch in other backup software for the following main reasons:

Equipped with these effective and advanced features, this backup software is a perfect choice. We recommend downloading it to your Mac device and trying it out to witness the efficiency of data backup that can be accomplished in just 3 simple steps.

Step 1: Launch and run Todo Backup for Mac. Click on the first "Backup" tab, or directly hit the + button at the bottom left to create a backup task – name your backup task and then click OK.

Step 2: Set the backup destination, choose where to save your Mac file backup, how often to back up automatically, etc., then click OK.

Step 3: Add files and folders to the backup set.
Click Add Files+ to selectively include files and folders in the backup, then hit the blue Start button to back up your Mac to another drive or external device.

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Additional Tip: How to Delete Time Machine Snapshots

In addition to backing up to an external drive, Time Machine saves snapshots of your Mac's main storage. Like a Time Machine backup, these are deleted automatically when the disk is disconnected.

However, some users have complained that the snapshots are not getting removed from their Mac devices. To assist all such users, here are the steps to delete snapshots manually from the device.

Step 1: Open Terminal and enter the command “tmutil listlocalsnapshots /.”

Enter the command `tmutil listlocalsnapshots /` in Terminal:

When you click “Enter Time Machine,” you'll see a list of all the snapshots that it has taken.

Step 3: Copy the date and time of the snapshot, and paste it after the command "sudo tmutil deletelocalsnapshots".

Step 4. If prompted, press Enter and your password.

Follow these steps to delete local snapshots of Time Machine on your Mac. You will have to repeat this process for each snapshot that you want to delete.

In summary

By reading this guide, you now know how to delete old Time Machine backups. You should find these methods easy to understand and choose the one that seems simplest to you. However, to skip the steps of deleting manually, you should try using the Todo Backup for Mac tool. It will never let you encounter issues like insufficient Mac storage space or slow processing speed that would prompt you to delete old backup files.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Delete Time Machine Backups

1. Can I delete old Time Machine backups on an external drive?

You can delete old Time Machine backups from an external disk by following these steps:

1. Open "Time Machine" and connect your external hard drive. 2. Locate the backup files you want to delete and select them. 3. Click on the "Gear" icon, then choose "Delete Backup."

2. Is it safe to clean up old Time Machine backups?

It can be risky to delete old Time Machine backups, as you might delete important files along with them. For safety, make sure all your important files are backed up before you begin.

3. Where are the local Time Machine backups stored?

"Time Machine" creates local backups of your Mac's main storage. It performs these backups hourly, and once they're stored on an external drive, they're deleted after 24 hours.