What to do when Time Machine incorrectly says your Mac is on battery
Time Machine Backup Errors: The "No Backups for X Days" Mystery
Time Machine backups should be automatic and trouble-free. macOS only alerts you when problems occur. However, some users inexplicably receive the "No Backups for X Days" warning, even when their Mac is plugged in, citing battery power as the reason for backup failure. This message, while sometimes accurate, frequently appears incorrectly, even after successful backups.
A Macworld reader encountered this issue, prompting this troubleshooting guide. Several solutions exist, though none guarantee a fix.
Possible Causes and Solutions:
- Drive Issues: A faulty Time Machine drive (internal or external, networked or directly connected) might trigger the alert. Use Disk Utility to repair the drive. You may need to temporarily disable Time Machine in System Settings > General > Time Machine to repair the volume.
- Optimized Charging or Low Power Mode: Apple's Optimized Battery Charging can limit charging to 80% when plugged in, potentially confusing Time Machine. Disable this feature (and Low Power Mode if set to anything other than "Never" or "Only on Battery") in System Settings > Battery by clicking the info (i) icon next to "Battery Health." Note: Disabling Optimized Charging may impact long-term battery health.
-
Networked Backup Issues: If backing up to a networked drive on another Mac (especially a laptop), ensure that the destination Mac isn't on battery power and that Optimized Charging/Low Power Mode settings are checked on that machine as well.
-
"Back up on battery power" Setting: In System Settings > General > Time Machine > Options, check the "Back up on battery power" setting. Enabling it should allow backups even on battery, but this isn't always the case.
Persistent Problems:
Even after trying all these steps, the alert might persist. This issue has been reported since at least macOS Ventura, suggesting a potential bug.
Troubleshooting Tip: Use the Time Machine menu bar icon (add it via System Settings > Control Center > Menu Bar Only) to manually check the last backup time. Backups might still fail, incorrectly reporting battery power usage.
This article addresses a question from Macworld reader Robert. For more frequently asked questions and answers, consult our comprehensive FAQ. Submit your own Mac questions to mac911@macworld.com (include screenshots and specify name usage preference). Note: Not all questions can be answered, and we cannot offer direct troubleshooting support.
The above is the detailed content of What to do when Time Machine incorrectly says your Mac is on battery. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!
Hot AI Tools
Undresser.AI Undress
AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos
AI Clothes Remover
Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.
Undress AI Tool
Undress images for free
Clothoff.io
AI clothes remover
Video Face Swap
Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!
Hot Article
Hot Tools
Notepad++7.3.1
Easy-to-use and free code editor
SublimeText3 Chinese version
Chinese version, very easy to use
Zend Studio 13.0.1
Powerful PHP integrated development environment
Dreamweaver CS6
Visual web development tools
SublimeText3 Mac version
God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)
Hot Topics
Spotify on Apple Watch: How to use it in 2025
Apr 04, 2025 am 09:55 AM
With the support of Apple devices' interconnected ecosystem, managing and synchronizing your Apple devices has become a breeze. Unlock Mac with Apple Watch? Simple! (If you haven't set this unlocking method yet, you should really try it, it's very time-saving). Can you pay with Apple Watch without using iPhone? Apple can handle it easily! Today we will focus on how to download the Spotify playlist to an Apple Watch and play without an iPhone. Spoiler: This is possible. How to use Spotify on Apple Watch: A quick overview Let's dive into the key issues and their solutions directly. If this form helps you, that would be great! If you
How to get rid of 'Your screen is being observed' error
Apr 05, 2025 am 10:19 AM
When you see the message "Your screen is being monitored", the first thing you think of is someone hacking into your computer. But that's not always the case. Let's try to find out if there are any issues that need you to worry about. Protect your Mac With Setapp, you don't need to worry about choosing a tool to protect your computer. You can quickly form your own suite of privacy and security software on Setapp. Free Trial Security Test What does "Your screen is being monitored" mean? There are many reasons why there is a Mac lock screen message that appears with “Your screen is being monitored”. You are sharing the screen with others You are recording the screen You are using AirPlay You are using some apps that try to access your screen Your computer is infected with evil
Email is not syncing? How to refresh the Mail app on Mac
Apr 04, 2025 am 09:45 AM
Mac mail synchronization failed? Quick solution! Many Mac users rely on the included Mail app because it is simple and convenient. But even reliable software can have problems. One of the most common problems is that Mail cannot be synced, resulting in recent emails not being displayed. This article will guide you through email synchronization issues and provide some practical tips to prevent such issues. How to refresh the Mail app on your Mac Operation steps Click the envelope icon Open the Mail app > View > Show Tab Bar > Click the Envelope icon to refresh. Use shortcut keys or menu options Press Shift Command N. Or open the Mail app
How to show only active apps in Dock on Mac
Apr 09, 2025 am 11:44 AM
Mac Dockbar Optimization Guide: Show only running applications The dock bar of your Mac is the core of the system, from which you can launch Finder, Trash, recently used apps, active apps, and bookmark apps, and even add folders such as Document and Downloads. By default, the Mac dock bar will display more than a dozen Apple-owned applications. Most users will add more applications, but rarely delete any applications, resulting in the dock bar being cluttered and difficult to use effectively. This article will introduce several ways to help you organize and clean up your Mac dock bar in just a few minutes. Method 1: Manually organize the dock bar You can manually remove unused applications and keep only commonly used applications. Remove the application: Right-click on the application
How to reduce WindowServer Mac CPU usage
Apr 16, 2025 pm 12:07 PM
macOS WindowServer: Understanding High CPU Usage and Solutions Have you noticed WindowServer consuming significant CPU resources on your Mac? This process is crucial for your Mac's graphical interface, rendering everything you see on screen. High C
