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  • Overview
  • Getting started
    • Meshnet explained
    • How to start using Meshnet
      • Using Meshnet on Windows
      • Using Meshnet on Android
      • Using Meshnet on iPhone/iPad
      • Using Meshnet on macOS
      • Using Meshnet on Linux
      • Using Meshnet on Android TV
    • How to use Meshnet securely
  • Features
    • Linking devices in Meshnet
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Windows
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Android
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on iPhone/iPad
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on macOS
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Linux
      • Linking external Meshnet devices on Android TV
    • Explaining permissions
      • Remote access permissions
      • File sharing permissions
      • Traffic routing permissions
      • Local network permissions
    • Renaming devices in Meshnet
      • Renaming devices on Windows
      • Renaming devices on Android
      • Renaming devices on iPhone/iPad
      • Renaming devices on macOS
      • Renaming devices on Linux
    • Sharing files in Meshnet
      • Sharing files on Windows
      • Sharing files on Android
      • Sharing files on iPhone/iPad
      • Sharing files on macOS
      • Sharing files on Linux
      • Sharing files on Android TV
    • Routing traffic in Meshnet
      • Routing traffic from Windows
      • Routing traffic from Android
      • Routing traffic from iPhone/iPad
      • Routing traffic from macOS
      • Routing traffic from Linux
      • Routing traffic from Android TV
  • How-to guides
    • Gaming
      • How to set up a private Minecraft server with Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Stardew Valley server with Meshnet
      • How to play Quake 3 Arena over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Team Fortress 2 server with Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote game-streaming server for Moonlight
      • How to set up a Palworld dedicated server
      • How to play Fallout: New Vegas multiplayer over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Factorio server with Meshnet
    • Remote files and media access
      • How to set up and access shared folders
        • Configure and access shared folders on Windows
        • Configure and access shared folders on macOS
        • Configure and access shared folders on Linux
        • Access shared folders from Android
        • Access shared folders from iPhone/iPad
        • Access shared folders from Android TV
      • How to watch videos over Meshnet using Kodi
      • How to configure and access a Jellyfin media server remotely
      • How to set up a Plex media server and access it remotely
      • How to set up a remote NAS using OpenMediaVault and Meshnet
      • How to set up a remote picture library with LibrePhotos and Meshnet
      • How to use Syncthing for remote continuous file synchronization
      • How to set up a remote Airsonic music server
      • How to set up HTTP File Server for remote file access
      • How to set up a remote audiobook server
      • How to host a remote Kavita e-book server
      • How to set up and remotely access Immich using Meshnet
    • Remote device access
      • How to log in to your PC remotely over Meshnet
        • Connect to a Windows device
        • Connect to a macOS device
        • Connect to a Linux device
      • How to access remote systems over Meshnet using SSH
      • How to access your IP camera over Meshnet
      • How to use Home Assistant remotely over Meshnet
      • How to make secure macOS Time Machine backups from anywhere
      • How to use Ansible over Meshnet
      • How to access files in your NAS from anywhere without compromising its security
      • How to set up a phone as a security camera with remote access
      • How to assign custom host names to Meshnet services using Nginx proxy manager
      • How to use Proxmox VE remotely over Meshnet
      • How to set up a remotely controlled 3D printer
      • How to set up and remotely access a CasaOS server
    • Joint projects
      • How to set up an NGINX web server and remotely access it over Meshnet
      • How to use Nextcloud file syncing with Meshnet
      • How to set up pair programming using tmux
      • How to set up a Visual Studio Code server for remote development over Meshnet
      • How to host a Focalboard server for remote project management
      • How to use Meshnet for multi-screen Node.js development
      • How to use the Multi-user editing plugin in Unreal Engine over Meshnet
      • How to set up a private Mumble voice chat server
      • How to host a private Rocket.Chat server
    • Own VPN server setup
      • How to set up a VPN server through self-hosting or with DigitalOcean
      • How to create a VPN server with Microsoft Azure
      • How to create a VPN server with AWS
      • How to create a VPN server with Google Cloud
      • How to create a VPN server with Linode
      • How to create a VPN server with Hetzner
    • Network protection
      • How to set up your network protection with Pi-hole
      • How to set up your own DNS server
      • How to protect your network with AdGuard Home
      • How to use the self-hosted Whoogle search engine remotely
      • How to set up a VPN router using Meshnet
  • Troubleshooting
    • Common issues on Windows
    • Common issues on Android
    • Common issues on iPhone/iPad
    • Common issues on macOS
    • Common issues on Linux
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On this page
  • Introduction
  • Before you begin
  • Configure a shared folder
  • Connect to your remote storage location
  • Set up Time Machine and make a backup

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  1. How-to guides
  2. Remote device access

How to make secure macOS Time Machine backups from anywhere

Discover how to create remote Time Machine backups for your Mac with Meshnet.

PreviousHow to use Home Assistant remotely over MeshnetNextHow to use Ansible over Meshnet

Last updated 9 months ago

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Introduction

Making regular backups of the information on your Mac helps protect your files against accidental deletion or other types of data loss events, such as hardware failure, malware infections, or power surges. Apple’s Time Machine tool that comes pre-installed on Mac devices provides a convenient way to recover your data after these types of incidents. It periodically backs up all the information on your Mac, keeping multiple versions of your files.

To store backups, Time Machine requires . The advantage of using in the context of backup creation is that your storage device can be accessed from anywhere. Meshnet facilitates remote file transfer and ensures secure connectivity between devices, irrespective of where they are located.

This guide describes how you can use another Mac as a Time Machine backup destination and access it over Meshnet for regular backups.

Before you begin

Make sure that:

  • Your backup disk has at least twice the storage capacity of the disk you're backing up with Time Machine. This will provide you with the flexibility to continue backing up your Mac regularly.

  • The other Mac is turned on and has whenever you want to back up your data.

Configure a shared folder

To use another Mac on your Meshnet as a backup destination, you need to configure a network share on the other Mac.

  1. Choose the Apple menu > System settings > General, and then click Sharing.

  2. Turn on File sharing.

  3. Click the Infobutton next to File sharing.

  4. Click the Add button(+) under Shared folders, and then choose or create a folder to use for Time Machine backups.

  5. Control-click the folder you've added and choose Advanced options.

  6. Select Share as a Time Machine backup destination, and then click OK.

  1. Click General in the sidebar, and then click Sharing on the right.

  2. Turn on File sharing.

  3. Click the Add button(+) under Shared folders, and then choose or create a folder to use for Time Machine backups.

  4. Control-click the folder you've added and choose Advanced options.

  5. Select Share as a Time Machine backup destination, and then click OK.

  1. Click Sharing, and then select the File sharing checkbox.

  2. Click the Add (+) button under Shared Folders on the right, and then choose or create a folder to use for Time Machine backups.

  3. Control-click the folder you've added and choose Advanced options.

  4. Select Share as a Time Machine backup destination, and then click OK.

Connect to your remote storage location

Once you’ve set up your remote folder, you can access it as a network drive using Meshnet.

  1. Copy the device’s Nord name or Meshnet IP address from the NordVPN app.

  2. In the server address box, enter smb://, paste the Nord name or IP address of the Mac you want to access, and then click Connect.

  3. Click Connect again to confirm the connection.

  4. Enter your username and password for the other Mac.

  5. Select the shared folder you configured earlier.

Tip

To make it easier to connect to the remote drive in the future, select Remember this password in my keychain to save your username and password for this connection.

Set up Time Machine and make a backup

After you have connected to your remote storage location, you can set up Time Machine to use it as your backup destination.

  1. Click Add backup disk and select the folder you configured earlier from the list of available disks.

  2. Click Set up disk.

  3. Select Registered user, enter your credentials for the remote Mac, and click Connect.

  4. If you want Time Machine to encrypt your backup disk, turn on the Encrypt backup toggle and create a password for the backup bundle.

  5. Control-click your mounted disk and select Back up now to start your backup immediately.

Tip

You can click on the Options button to customize the backup frequency.

  1. Click Add backup disk and select the folder you configured earlier from the list of available disks.

  2. Click Set up disk.

  3. Select Registered user, enter your credentials for the remote Mac, and click Connect.

  4. If you want Time Machine to encrypt your backup disk, turn on the Encrypt backup toggle and create a password for the backup bundle.

  5. Control-click your mounted disk and select Back up now to start your backup immediately.

Tip

You can click on the Options button to customize the backup frequency.

  1. Click Select backup disk.

  2. Select the folder you configured earlier from the list of available disks and click Use disk.

  3. If you want Time Machine to encrypt your backup disk, select the Encrypt backups checkbox and create a password for the backup bundle.

  4. Select Registered user, enter your credentials for the remote Mac, and click Connect.

  5. Control-click your mounted disk and select Back up now to start your backup immediately.

Choose the Apple menu > System settings.

Click the Infobutton next to File sharing.

Choose the Apple menu > System preferences.

Control-click Finder and choose Connect to server.

Choose the Apple menu > System Settings > General, and then click Time Machine.

Choose the Apple menu > System Settings > General, and then click Time Machine.

Choose the Apple menu > System preferences, and then click Time Machine.

a separate storage medium
Meshnet
Meshnet enabled
"File sharing" toggle enabled.
"File sharing" toggle enabled.
"Advanced options" are selected in the shortcut menu
"Advanced options" are selected in the shortcut menu
"File sharing" toggle turned on.
"File sharing" toggle turned on.
"Advanced options" are selected in the shortcut menu
"Advanced options" are selected in the shortcut menu
The Advanced options menu item is selected
The Connect to server option is selected in Finder's shortcut menu.
The server address is entered
"Encrypt backup" toggle enabled.
"Encrypt backup" toggle enabled.
Backup is preparing.
Backup is preparing.
The encrypt backup toggle is selected
The initial backup is in progress
Time Machine is set up to use the Meshnet device as a backup destination