If you've been using your Mac for a while, you might still have an AirPort Time Capsule. These devices used to be popular because they combined wireless internet with automatic backups. But that's coming to an end. Apple has announced that the upcoming macOS version 27 will no longer support Time Capsule backups. This also applies to other storage devices that use the legacy Apple Filing Protocol (AFP).
With macOS 27, the successor to macOS 26 Tahoe, a feature that many Mac users have long taken for granted is no longer available. Support for Time Machine backups on the AirPort Time Capsule is being discontinued. Apple indirectly confirmed this in the beta version of macOS 26. System Preferences indicates that storage devices that use AFP are no longer supported. So, if you still rely on this backup method, you should look for alternatives early.
What was the AirPort Time Capsule actually?
The AirPort Time Capsule was a wireless router from Apple with a built-in hard drive. It first appeared in the late 2000s and offered the ability to perform automatic Time Machine backups without a cable. Along with the other AirPort models—AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme—it formed Apple's networking offering. The entire AirPort product line was discontinued in 2018. Although the Time Capsule hasn't been sold since then, many users continue to use it today.
What exactly changes with macOS 27?
The first beta version of macOS 26 shows that Time Machine will no longer be able to connect to AFP-based drives. This directly affects the AirPort Time Capsule, as it communicates exclusively via AFP. Apple had already announced in the Enterprise Release Notes for macOS Sequoia 15.5 that the AFP client would be removed. Now it's clear: macOS 27 is finalizing this step. Instead, Apple is relying on SMB—more specifically, SMBv2 and SMBv3. These network protocols are considered more modern and secure and are supported by most current NAS systems and external storage devices.
Which devices are affected?
All storage solutions that rely exclusively on AFP will no longer work under macOS 27. This includes:
- AirPort Time Capsule
- Old network drives that only offer AFP
- Some older NAS devices without SMB support
If you're unsure which protocol your storage device uses, you should check before updating. Without SMB support, you won't be able to create backups with macOS 27.
What alternatives do you have for backups under macOS 27?
Starting with macOS 27, you need a storage device that supports SMBv2 or SMBv3. This can be:
- A directly connected external hard drive (USB, Thunderbolt)
- A current NAS system, for example from Synology or QNAP
- Another computer or server on the network with SMB sharing
- Cloud backup solutions such as Backblaze, Arq or iCloud+ for specific data
It's important to ensure that SMBv2 or higher is enabled for network storage. Older protocols or incompatible devices will be ignored by Time Machine in the future.
macOS 27 puts an end to old backup solutions
With macOS 27, Apple is finally ending support for AFP and, with it, the AirPort Time Capsule as a backup destination. Anyone still relying on this solution should look for an alternative in good time. Backups remain important—but they now require modern protocols. If you're prepared, the transition is straightforward. If you don't change anything, you risk losing your automatic data backups with macOS 27. (Image: Shutterstock / iamjameer)
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