Here’s a quick list of all the reasons why backups matter: A backup will help you restore all the files for when you fix your Mac or get the new one. Maybe it just suddenly goes black screen one day, you spill a cup of coffee on it, or else. Backups should be part of your digital life permanently because they guarantee quick file recovery, no matter what happens to your Mac. It’s absolutely necessary to know how to backup your Mac if you ever update macOS, especially if you install betas, which are often unstable and can cause accidental data loss. Also, we’ll recommend the best tools to backup Mac fast, without wasting tons of storage. In this guide, we explain how to backup Mac to external hard drive, when you’ll need a bootable copy of your drive, and how to schedule regular backups.