BackupThe one manual step
BackupTempo can only control when backups happen if Apple's own automatic schedule is off. macOS doesn't allow apps to change this for you:
- Open System Settings › General › Time Machine
- Click Options… (bottom-right of the pane)
- Set Back up frequency to Manually
The app's setup guide detects this setting live and turns green the moment it's done. That's it — BackupTempo now owns the schedule.
Keep BackupTempo running
BackupTempo schedules backups only while it's running. Enable Launch BackupTempo at login (Settings › General, or during setup) so a restart never silently stops your backups. If you quit the app, scheduled backups stop — the quit button warns you, since with Apple's automation off, nothing backs up until BackupTempo returns or you re-enable Apple's schedule.
Your first backup
BackupTempo starts with a sensible default: a backup every 4 hours, counted from the end of the previous one. Change it anytime in Settings › Schedule. Back Up Now in the menu always works immediately, regardless of schedules or conditions.
What "snapshot verified" means
BackupTempo doesn't trust Time Machine's word for it. After every backup, it checks the backup disk's own records to confirm a new snapshot actually exists before reporting success. A backup that ends without producing a snapshot is counted — and reported — as a failure. Many Time Machine problems fail silently for days; this is how BackupTempo makes silence impossible.