Capsule Backup FAQ — Cloud Time Machine Backup

Capsule Backup is a cloud storage service designed specifically for macOS. It provides a network drive that appears natively in Finder, allowing you to use Apple's built-in Time Machine for automatic cloud backups — no extra software needed. Capsule Backup is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.

iCloud syncs files but doesn't provide full-disk Time Machine backups. Capsule Backup gives you a complete Time Machine backup in the cloud, including full OS restore capability via Migration Assistant. You can restore your entire Mac, not just files.

No. Capsule Backup is a network drive that mounts natively in Finder using the SMB3 protocol. You connect to it the same way you'd connect to any network share, then point Time Machine at it.

Unlimited. All plans are storage-based, not per-device. Back up as many Macs as your storage allows.

Yes. You can use Migration Assistant or boot into Time Machine Recovery to restore your complete system — apps, settings, files, everything.

Yes, on two levels. SMB3 encrypts all data in transit. Additionally, you can enable Time Machine's built-in encryption to encrypt your backup data at rest.

We send email alerts at 80%, 90%, 95%, and 100% capacity. When full, Time Machine will pause backups. You can upgrade your plan or free up space to resume.

You choose your data region during signup: Germany, Finland, or the USA. Your data stays exclusively in your selected region.

Yes. All plans include a 7-day free trial with full storage capacity. Your credit card is not charged until the trial ends.

Your service continues until the end of your billing period. After that, your data is securely destroyed using DoD 5220.22-M compliant 3-pass wiping.

Yes! For every user you refer who completes their trial and subscribes, you get one free month of service matching their plan value.

Capsule Backup works with macOS Monterey (12) and newer. We use the SMB3 protocol, which is fully supported on these versions.

Two reasons. First, end-to-end security. The WireGuard tunnel encrypts your traffic from your Mac to our datacenter. Combined with Time Machine's encryption at rest, that means your backups are protected in transit and on disk — no weak link. Second, universal access. Many ISPs (Free, Orange, and others) block SMB on port 445 outbound, a relic of old Windows worms. Without the VPN, those customers simply could not back up. With WireGuard, it works from any network: home fiber, mobile, hotel, public Wi-Fi.

No. WireGuard is one of the fastest VPN protocols ever built — modern crypto, kernel-level on macOS, minimal overhead. In real-world testing, throughput stays within 5% of a direct SMB connection. The reliability gain (works on every network) far outweighs the tiny cost.

No. The config only routes traffic to your Capsule Backup bucket. Everything else — web, mail, streaming, work — goes through your normal connection. It is a targeted tunnel, not a full proxy.

Use the On-Demand option in the WireGuard app for macOS. Open WireGuard, select your Capsule Backup tunnel and click Edit. In the On-Demand section, check Wi-Fi and Ethernet (you can optionally limit it to specific SSIDs), then save. From now on, macOS brings the tunnel up by itself as soon as your Mac has a network connection — right after you log in, after waking from sleep, and whenever you switch networks. You do not need to open the app or click Activate: Time Machine finds your Capsule Backup volume every time.

Indirectly, yes — and it works well. Back your iPhone up to your Mac with Finder (“Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac”, with encrypted backups enabled). That backup is stored on your Mac, so Time Machine includes it automatically and Capsule Backup keeps it versioned and off-site. Our step-by-step iPhone guide on the blog covers the five steps.

Yes. Time Machine natively supports multiple backup destinations: keep your USB drive and add your Capsule Backup volume in System Settings → General → Time Machine. macOS automatically rotates backups between the two. That combination — a fast local copy plus an off-site cloud copy — is the classic 3-2-1 strategy, and it needs no extra software.