Getting started with Cadence

Cadence takes over Time Machine’s schedule. Once it’s set up, Time Machine stays in Manual mode, macOS stops making hourly local snapshots while your backup disk is away, and Cadence backs up on the schedule you choose, only when the disk is actually connected.

Before you start

You’ll need:

• A Mac with Apple silicon, running macOS 14 or later. Cadence is tested on macOS 27.
• A Time Machine backup disk that connects directly to your Mac, set up as your backup destination.
• An administrator account on this Mac.

Set up Cadence

Cadence lives in the menu bar and walks you through setup with a banner that shows one next step at a time.

1. Move Cadence to Applications

   Drag Cadence into your Applications folder and open it from there. Cadence has to run from Applications so macOS can register its background helper.

2. Click Set Up Cadence

   At first launch the Cadence menu opens on its own. Click Set Up Cadence and enter your administrator password. This installs the Cadence helper, a small background service that changes Time Machine’s settings for you. You’re asked for the password once.

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   Screenshot: setup banner, “Set Up Cadence”

3. Allow Cadence in Login Items

   macOS asks you to approve the helper. Open System Settings›General›Login Items & Extensions and turn Cadence on.

4. Grant Full Disk Access to the helper

   Time Machine’s settings are protected, so the helper needs Full Disk Access. Click Reveal Helper in the Cadence banner to show it in the Finder, then drag it into System Settings›Privacy & Security›Full Disk Access and switch it on. More about Full Disk Access.

   Screenshot: Full Disk Access list with cadence-helper switched on

5. Switch to Manual

   Click Switch to Manual. Cadence turns off Time Machine’s automatic backups, the same switch as tmutil disable. That stops the hourly local snapshots macOS makes while your backup disk is unplugged.

6. Choose a schedule

   Pick how often to back up: every 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24 hours. The default is every 2 hours. Back up when the disk connects and Only when on power are good defaults for most laptops.

   Tip: Once setup is complete, Cadence turns on Open at login for you. The helper runs at startup, so scheduled backups continue even when the menu bar app isn’t open.

What happens next

Cadence checks every minute whether a backup is due. A backup is due when your interval has passed since the last successful backup, and it runs only when:

• your backup disk is really mounted (Cadence asks Time Machine instead of guessing a path),
• your Mac is on power, if Only when on power is on, and
• at least 20 minutes have passed since the last attempt.

If your disk has been away for days, Cadence backs up as soon as it returns. While a backup runs, the menu bar icon spins and shows the percentage; open the menu for progress, data copied and time remaining.

If something doesn’t work

• The banner keeps asking for the same step: check that the helper is switched on in both Login Items and Full Disk Access.
• You see a warning icon instead of the spinner: the helper stopped responding. Open the Cadence menu; its banner offers to restart the helper.
• You used Cadence under its earlier name, SnapStop: the rename means running setup again. Re-register the helper, grant Full Disk Access again and set your schedule; settings don’t carry over.
• A backup didn’t run when you expected: see A backup didn’t run on schedule.