Back up Files to Synology NAS With Time Machine

TL;DR:

To back up your Mac to a Synology NAS with Time Machine: 1) create a Shared Folder in DSM, 2) enable SMB and turn on Bonjour Time Machine broadcast in File Services, 3) set the folder as the Time Machine backup destination, 4) open Time Machine on your Mac, click Select Backup Disk, choose the folder, and enter your credentials. Note: macOS Tahoe (26) is the last version supporting AFP; from macOS Golden Gate (27) onward, Time Machine works over SMB 2 or later only. If you lost files without a backup, Wondershare Recoverit for Mac can recover them.

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Your Mac and a Synology NAS are a great backup pair: with Apple's built-in Time Machine, you can back up your entire Mac — documents, photos, apps, and system — to a shared folder on your Synology NAS automatically, over your home or office network. This guide walks you through the whole setup: create the folder, enable the right file services, connect Time Machine, and restore files later.

Part 1. What Is Time Machine?

Time Machine is the built-in macOS backup tool that automatically keeps hourly, daily, and weekly backups of your Mac. It works with local disks (external drives via Thunderbolt or USB) and network shares, and it was introduced in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard in 2007.

Since macOS Big Sur, Time Machine stores backups on APFS, which makes backups faster, more reliable, and more compact. It keeps incremental snapshots, so you can restore a single file, a folder, or your entire system to any point in time.

Time Machine works with thousands of apps — including iWork and Mail — so you can back up and restore presentations, text documents, contracts, and more.

How Does Time Machine Work?

Time Machine backs up your Mac over the network to NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices like your Synology NAS. It supports the SMB and AFP protocols. On a NAS, Time Machine stores backups in a sparse bundle disk image inside your shared folder; each new backup adds only what changed, which keeps network traffic low after the first full backup.

Before connecting Time Machine to your Synology NAS, create a dedicated user account for backups:

1. Go to the Control Panel and click on User.
2. Once you're here, you can click on User Creation Wizard.
3. Fill out all the required information and add the name TimeMachine with your desired password.

Part 2. How To Back up on Mac to Synology NAS Using Time Machine

Here is a step-by-step guide on using Synology and Time Machine together to back up files to your NAS device using macOS.

Step 1: Create a Shared Folder on Synology NAS

Time Machine needs a Shared Folder on your NAS to store the backup image.

1. Open your Synology NAS DSM as Administrator
2. Go through Control Panel > Shared Folder > Create to enter the Shared Folder Creation Wizard.
3. Give a suitable name for this folder (e.g., Time Machine Synology NAS Device) and choose your desired location.
4. Modify the advanced setups for the shared folder as appropriate and then continue through the wizard to finalize the procedure.

Step 2. Set the Shared Folder as Time Machine Backup Destination

After creating the Shared Folder, enable the file service and turn on the Time Machine broadcast so your Mac can find the folder automatically:

1. Open the Control Panel > File Services in Synology DSM.
2. Enable the file service based on your DSM version:

• DSM 7.0 and after: For SMB, move to the SMB tab and check the Enable SMB service. For AFP, go to the AFP tab and click on the Enable AFP service choice.
• DSM 6.2 and prior: Travel to the SMB/AFP/NFS tab. Check the Enable SMB service box for SMB or the Enable AFP service box for AFP.

3. Then, click the Advanced tab and pick the Enable Bonjour Time Machine broadcast via SMB or Enable Bonjour Time Machine broadcast via AFP option based upon what file service is used. After that, hit on Set Time Machine Folders.
4. Select the Shared Folder you just created from the Time Machine directory and save your settings.

After that, you need to create a user for Time Machine in DSM. Additionally, assigning a quota to your backup records is recommended to avoid backup data taking up too much space on your volume. You can visit the Synology tutorial center to learn how to limit the space taken up by Mac Time Machine.

Note: macOS Tahoe (macOS 26) is the last version that supports AFP for Time Machine backups. From macOS Golden Gate (macOS 27) onward, Time Machine backs up over SMB 2 or later only. If your Mac runs a newer macOS, enable SMB instead of AFP in the steps above.

Step 3: Start Time Machine

Now, you can start Time Machine on your Mac to proceed with the backup. Go to System Preferences (or System Settings on macOS Ventura and later), look for Time Machine, and then click on it. If you can't find Time Machine in System Preferences, you can search for it in the upper right corner and press Return/Enter to get the desired results.

Step 4: Select Synology NAS as the Backup Disk

Once you've opened your Time Machine, you will see two backup options: Back Up Automatically and Select Backup Disk. Click on Select Backup Disk and choose the Shared Folder (e.g. Time Machine Synology NAS Device) you just created on your Synology NAS device to use.

Of course, you will have to connect your NAS first to your Mac device so that you can select it. You can also check the Back Up Automatically option if you want Time Machine to back up your Mac constantly.

Step 5: Add Your Credentials

You will be asked to provide account credentials to connect to the Shared Folder. Enter the username and password of the user you just created in Step 2. Then, select "Use Disk," and you will get a popup that asks you to confirm your connection.

Step 6: Start Backup

That's all! Simple as that, your Mac Time Machine will start backing up to Synology NAS. Depending on the size of files, your NAS device, and the performance of your computer, you will have to wait until Time Machine finishes backing up.

You may also be interested in: Best NAS for Mac Time Machine

Part 3. How To Restore Lost Mac Files From Synology NAS Backup

Once your backups are on the NAS, restoring a lost file is just as easy:

1. Go to "System Preferences" and Launch Time Machine.
   

   

2. Browse through the timeline using arrows to find local backups and snapshots.
   

   

3. Select the files or folders you would like to restore, then click on them and click on the "Restore" button. Your files will be restored to their original location.
   

   

Part 4. How To Restore Lost Files From Mac Without Backup

If you never set up a Time Machine backup — or the backup was lost with the NAS — you can still recover your files with a third-party tool like Wondershare Recoverit for Mac. It scans your drive or NAS for deleted or lost files and lets you preview and restore them:

Wondershare Recoverit

• Recover over 1000 file types from almost any storage media, such as Windows/Mac/Linux computers, NAS servers, SD cards, USB drives, etc.
• Efficiently handle 500+ data loss scenarios, including accidental deletion, formatting, lost partition, virus attack, and factory reset.
• Preview the files before recovery. No payment is required if the files are unrecoverable.

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Here's how you can use Wondershare Recoverit to recover files from Mac:

1. Select the File Location — Launch the program after downloading and installing it on your Mac. Choose the disk or location where you lost your files under the Hard Drives and Locations tab.
   

   

2. Scan for Lost Files — Recoverit will start scanning for deleted or lost files in the selected location immediately. You can stop the scanning process conveniently if you find your desired files.
   

   

3. Preview and Recover — You can preview recoverable files before commencing the recovery stage. Finally, select the files you want and press the "Recover" button to have them back with you.
   

   

Suppose you accidentally delete important files in your Synology NAS; you can also follow the video tutorial below to get your files back in no time.

Video Tutorial on How to Recover Deleted Files on Mac without Backup

Conclusion

Setting up Time Machine to back up your Mac to a Synology NAS takes about ten minutes: create a shared folder, enable SMB with Bonjour Time Machine broadcast, and select the folder in Time Machine. Use a dedicated backup user and a storage quota to keep the NAS tidy, and keep a recovery tool like Wondershare Recoverit handy in case a restore ever fails.