BackupEject icon

BackupEject

Back up. Eject. Unplug.
Automatic Time Machine backups that eject the disk when they're done.

Download for macOS

macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon & Intel · Free

Why?

You work on a MacBook docked to a monitor. Your Time Machine SSD is plugged into the dock. Every time you want to grab your laptop and go, you're supposed to eject that disk first — and nobody ever does.

BackupEject lives in your menu bar and handles the whole cycle for you: when the disk appears, it runs a Time Machine backup, waits for it to finish, and safely ejects the disk. Unplug whenever you like.

How it works

Connect your MacBook to the dock — the Time Machine disk mounts.
After a short delay, BackupEject starts the backup (or picks up one macOS already started).
Backup succeeds → the disk is safely ejected. Grab your laptop and go.

Screenshots

BackupEject menu bar menu with status, Back Up Now and Eject Disk actions
Everything lives in the menu bar
BackupEject settings window: backup disk, delays, skip window, notifications
Set it up once — then forget it

Features

Safe by design

The disk is ejected only after a successful backup. Any error — the disk stays mounted and you get notified.

Once is enough

Optional skip window: if a backup finished less than N hours ago, reconnecting just ejects the disk without another backup.

No force, ever

Gentle eject with automatic retries if the disk is busy. Never force-unmounts your backup drive.

Stays awake

Keeps your Mac from idle-sleeping while a backup is running, then lets it rest.

Menu bar native

Live status and countdown in the menu bar. Manual Back Up Now and Eject Disk always one click away.

100% local & private

No telemetry, no accounts, no network access. A small native Swift app that does one thing well.

Note: BackupEject is distributed directly (signed & notarized) rather than through the Mac App Store — sandboxed apps can't drive Time Machine. Set it up once, forget it's there.

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