- Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – Red USB 3.0 for PC Laptop and Mac, 1 year Mylio Create, 2 Months Adobe CC Photography, (STHN2000403) 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,129 $59.99 $ 59. 99 $79.99 $79.99.
- May 09, 2019 The Best External Hard Drives and SSDs for Mac in 2020. Looking to add storage, or for a smart way to back up your Mac? Here's what you need to know, along with our top-rated Apple-friendly drives.
Backing up your Mac is simple and important. We recommend it for everyone.
External Backup Hard Drive For Mac
Back up with Time Machine
The best external hard drive and SSD in 2020 for Mac, PC, PS4 and Xbox. Need a backup option - or just more space? Here are our top picks for external storage options.
Time Machine is the built-in backup feature of your Mac. It’s a complete backup solution, but you can use other backup methods as well.
Create a backupStore files in iCloud
You can also use iCloud and iCloud Drive to store files, such as your photos, documents, and music.
Set up iCloud and iCloud DriveRestore your Mac from a backup
When you have a backup, you can use it to restore your files at any time, including after the original files are deleted from your Mac.
Restore from a backupRestore Backup External Hard Drive Mac
Prepare your Mac for service
Making a backup is an important part of preparing your Mac for service, especially because some types of repair might require erasing or replacing your hard drive.
Get your Mac ready for serviceHow much space do I need for a backup?
To see the size of a specific file or folder, click it once and then press Command-I. To see storage information about your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left of your screen. Choose About This Mac and click the Storage tab. For Time Machine backups, it's good to use a drive that has at least twice the storage capacity of your Mac.
Related topics
Free up storage on your Mac
macOS can save space by storing your content in the cloud. This isn't a backup, but it includes new tools to make it easier to find and remove large or unwanted files before you make a backup.
Use Optimized Storage in macOSErase or format a storage device
You can use Disk Utility if you need to erase or format a storage device.
Learn how to use Disk UtilitymacOS Community
If you can't back up your Mac
We'll find the best support options for you.