Warning: Apple Says macOS 27 Won't Support AirPort Time Capsule Backups

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apple offered a line of Wi-Fi routers that it referred to as AirPort base stations. There was a standard AirPort Express, a higher-end AirPort Extreme with more advanced networking features, and an AirPort Time Capsule that doubled as an external storage drive for backing up a Mac with Time Machine.

Apple AirPort Routers
Apple discontinued the AirPort line in 2018, and this week it shared more sad news that will impact the AirPort Time Capsule specifically.

As noticed by @StellaFudge, and by other users who have installed the first macOS Tahoe beta, the Time Machine page in the System Settings app now indicates that the next major version of macOS — aka macOS 27 — will no longer support the AirPort Time Capsule or any other storage drives that use the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP).

Apple already announced that its AFP client had been deprecated, in its enterprise release notes for macOS Sequoia 15.5 last month.

Starting with macOS 27, Time Capsule backups will require a storage drive that supports more current file-sharing protocols like SMBv2 and SMBv3.

macOS 27 will be released next year.

Popular Stories

WWDC25 Live Coverage Feature 1

WWDC 2025 Apple Event Live Keynote Coverage: iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and More

Monday June 9, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starts today with the traditional keynote kicking things off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors is on hand for the event and we'll be sharing details and our thoughts throughout the day. We're expecting to see a number of software-related announcements led by a design revamp across Apple's platforms that will also see the numbering of all of...
maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025 in 9 Minutes

Monday June 9, 2025 5:21 pm PDT by
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
liquid glass

Apple Announces All-New 'Liquid Glass' Software Redesign Across iOS 26 and More

Monday June 9, 2025 10:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced a complete redesign of all of its major software platforms called "Liquid Glass." Announced simultaneously for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, and CarPlay, Liquid Glass forms a new universal design language for the first time. At its WWDC 2025 keynote address, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said "Apple Silicon has become dramatically more powerful...
iPadOS 26 Apple Newsroom

Apple Says iPadOS 26 is Compatible With These iPad Models

Monday June 9, 2025 11:22 am PDT by
Apple today announced that iPadOS 26 will be compatible with the iPad models listed below. iPadOS 26 features a new Liquid Glass design, a menu bar, improved app windowing, and more. iPadOS 26 supports the following iPad models:iPad Pro (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later) iPad Air (M2 and later) iPad Air (3rd generation and...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Says These 13 Vehicle Brands Will Soon Offer iPhone Car Keys

Monday June 9, 2025 2:38 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote today, Apple said that 13...
AirTag Backpack

New AirTag With Three Upgrades is 'Nearly Ready' to Launch

Sunday June 8, 2025 11:44 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored AirTag 2 might be coming soon. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman briefly mentioned that a new AirTag is "nearly ready" to launch. Last year, he said that it would be released around the middle of 2025, and the midpoint of the year is just a few weeks away. "The new AirTag is nearly ready, having been prepared for launch over the past several...

Top Rated Comments

turbineseaplane Avatar
1 day ago at 08:24 am
I wish Apple would make routers again.

I could use a combo Router+AppleTV in my setup
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trip1ex Avatar
1 day ago at 08:33 am
...would love a new Apple router.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sunapple Avatar
1 day ago at 08:38 am
They were such beautiful products. We used to have Time Capsule, Extreme and Express running simultaneously and that was so easy to run. I can’t imagine a more seamless experience when it comes to networking. Apple could do more in this space but I guess they’re busy with subscription based cloud services.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jwdsail Avatar
1 day ago at 08:43 am

('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/10/macos-27-wont-support-airport-time-capsule/')

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Apple offered a line of Wi-Fi routers that it referred to as AirPort base stations. There was a standard AirPort Express, a higher-end AirPort Extreme with more advanced networking features, and an AirPort Time Capsule that doubled as an external storage drive for backing up a Mac with Time Machine.



Apple discontinued the AirPort line ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/04/26/apple-officially-discontinues-airport-wireless-router-lineup/') in 2018, and this week it shared more sad news that will impact the AirPort Time Capsule specifically.

As noticed by @StellaFudge ('https://x.com/StellaFudge/status/1932449171572998310'), and by other users who have installed the first macOS Tahoe beta, the Time Machine page in the System Settings app now indicates that the next major version of macOS — aka macOS 27 — will no longer support the AirPort Time Capsule or any other storage drives that use the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP).

Apple already announced that its AFP client had been deprecated, in its enterprise release notes for macOS Sequoia 15.5 ('https://support.apple.com/en-us/121011') last month.

Starting with macOS 27, Time Capsule backups will require a storage drive that supports more current file-sharing protocols like SMBv2 and SMBv3.

macOS 27 will be released next year.

Article Link: Warning: Apple Says macOS 27 Won't Support AirPort Time Capsule Backups ('https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/10/macos-27-wont-support-airport-time-capsule/')
Well, that's freaking stupid.

They're obviously seeing telemetry that shows that these devices are still being used (Otherwise why bother coding the notification re: dropping support?), that there's a demand for them, but they won't continue to support them, never mind introduce a new version...

But, man just look at these custom emojis !!!! /me rolls eyes so far into my head I can see my own birth.

The priorities inside Apple are so backwards and upside down it's just comical at this point.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justanthonylee Avatar
23 hours ago at 08:53 am

Well, that's freaking stupid.

They're obviously seeing telemetry that shows that these devices are still being used (Otherwise why bother coding the notification re: dropping support?), that there's a demand for them, but they won't continue to support them, never mind introduce a new version...

But, man just look at these custom emojis !!!! /me rolls eyes so far into my head I can see my own birth.

The priorities inside Apple are so backwards and upside down it's just comical at this point.
So wanting to get rid of tech debt and giving users a YEAR notice on a service thats long discontinued and using older non secure Wifi standards is bad? The last AirPort device launched over a DECADE ago!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
1 day ago at 08:34 am

I had already seen that AFP was being discontinued, but this is sad to hear official confirmation. I guess I'll have to relegate my Time Machine backup on my Snow Leopard Server to only older Macs in a couple years, and get an external SSD finally. I put it off because backing up wirelessly is just so handy. I also liked the added peace of mind that if I ever had my house broken into, it was likely my backup drive would be left behind because the server is in the basement.
You can still do wireless Time Machine backups without macOS Server - any newer Mac can host a shared SMB drive for the purpose. It's one of the things I have my mostly retired 2019 16" Intel doing.

They can work as cache servers too - a lot of the later Server functionality was just rolled into the main OS upon retirement of the Server fork.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)