Mac
Time Machine to Time Capsule or AFP NAS stopped on macOS 27
macOS 27 removed AFP, so Time Machine to a Time Capsule, AirPort Disk, or AFP-only NAS share no longer works. Confirm it, keep your old history, and move to SMB.
Problem summary
I'm here because Time Machine stopped backing up after I installed macOS 27 (Golden Gate), and my backup disk is an Apple Time Capsule, a drive plugged into an AirPort base station, or a NAS share I set up over AFP years ago. This is not a bug you can fix on the Mac: Apple removed AFP (Apple Filing Protocol, the old Apple file-sharing protocol) in macOS 27, so an AFP backup destination can no longer be reached at all. This page proves that is your problem in two commands, helps you keep the old backup history, and moves the backup to a supported target: an SMB share on a NAS, or a disk plugged straight into the Mac.
Run `sw_vers`.
sw_vers
ProductVersion starts with 27.
Don't erase the Capsule or AFP share yet.
Layer path
Step-by-step runbook
Start here. Do each check in order, compare it to the expected result, and stop when the evidence explains the failure or the safe stop point applies.
Confirm macOS 27
Check: Run `the "Read the macOS version" command below`.
Expected result: ProductVersion starts with 27.
If not: On Tahoe, AFP still works; this is a different problem.
Confirm an AFP destination
Check: Run `the "Read the destination protocol" command below` and `which mount_afp`.
Expected result: The destination is `afp://` and `mount_afp` is not found.
If not: If the destination is `smb://`, use the NAS runbook.
Save the old history
Check: Copy any needed files from the old backup using a Mac on Tahoe or earlier.
Expected result: Needed files are safe, or you confirm none are needed.
If not: If no older Mac is available, leave the old target untouched.
Safe stop: Don't erase the Capsule or AFP share yet.
Set up the new target
Check: Turn on SMB plus the Time Machine flag for a NAS share, or plug in a disk.
Expected result: A target macOS 27 can use.
If not: If the NAS can't do SMB Time Machine, use a local disk.
Switch destinations
Check: Add the new destination, remove the AFP one, and run `the "Start the first backup to the new target" command below`.
Expected result: The first full backup runs to the new target.
If not: If it fails, follow the NAS runbook.
Test-restore
Check: Restore one real file from the new backup.
Expected result: The file opens and matches.
If not: If it fails, keep the old target and fix the new backup first.
Decision tree
If: macOS 27 and `tmutil destinationinfo` shows an `afp://` Time Capsule or AirPort Disk.
Then: AFP was removed; the Capsule can't be a destination for this Mac any more.
Action: Copy any needed history from a Tahoe-or-earlier Mac, then back up to an SMB NAS share or a local disk.
Safe stop: Don't erase the Capsule until the new backup is test-restored.
If: macOS 27 and the destination is a NAS added as `afp://`.
Then: The NAS is fine, but it was added through AFP.
Action: Turn on SMB and the Time Machine flag for the share, add it again as an SMB destination, and remove the AFP one.
If: The destination is already `smb://` and still fails.
Then: Not an AFP problem.
Action: Follow the Time Machine to a NAS runbook for credentials, share flags, and sparsebundle errors.
If: The Mac is on Tahoe or earlier.
Then: AFP still exists on this Mac.
Action: Troubleshoot the destination normally, and plan the SMB move before upgrading to macOS 27.
If: The old backup is the only copy of important files and no older Mac is available.
Then: The history can't be read on macOS 27.
Action: Keep the Capsule or share powered off and untouched; back up the current Mac to a new target now.
Safe stop: Never erase the only copy of data to free up a destination.
Evidence table
| Symptom | Evidence to collect | Likely layer | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Machine says the backup disk is not available after the 27 update. | `tmutil destinationinfo` URL starts with `afp://`. | AFP removed in macOS 27. | Move to an SMB NAS share or a local disk. |
| The Time Capsule no longer shows up anywhere in Finder. | `which mount_afp` prints `mount_afp not found`; no `AppleShare.fs` in /System/Library/Filesystems. | No AFP client on the Mac. | Stop troubleshooting the Capsule; pick a new destination. |
| AirPort Utility is missing. | A clean install of macOS 27 does not include it. | Apple dropped AirPort Utility from new installs. | Manage the base station from a Tahoe-or-earlier Mac if needed. |
| A NAS Time Machine share stopped after the update, but other NAS shares work. | The Time Machine destination URL is `afp://` while Finder shares mount as `smb://`. | Destination added over AFP. | Turn on SMB Time Machine for the share and re-add it. |
Commands and settings paths
Read the macOS version
sw_vers
Where: Terminal on the Mac.
Expected: ProductVersion 27.0 or later (first public build 26A428).
Failure means: A 26.x version means AFP still exists and this page does not apply.
Safe next step: On Tahoe, use the Time Machine to a NAS runbook.
Read the destination protocol
tmutil destinationinfo
Where: Terminal on the Mac.
Expected: Each network destination prints a URL line; `afp://` marks an AFP destination.
Failure means: `smb://` means AFP is not the cause.
Safe next step: Replace an `afp://` destination; troubleshoot an `smb://` one with the NAS runbook.
Prove the AFP client is gone
which mount_afp ; ls /System/Library/Filesystems
Where: Terminal on the Mac.
Expected: `mount_afp not found`, and `smbfs.fs` is listed with no `AppleShare.fs`.
Failure means: If `mount_afp` exists, the Mac is not on macOS 27.
Safe next step: Stop looking for a Mac-side setting; add a new destination.
Start the first backup to the new target
tmutil startbackup
Where: Terminal on the Mac, after adding the SMB share or local disk in Time Machine settings.
Expected: A backup starts; `tmutil status` shows it running.
Failure means: If it fails on an SMB share, the share flags or credentials are wrong.
Safe next step: Use the Time Machine to a NAS runbook for SMB failures.
Hardware and platform boundary
Change only when
- Your only network backup target is a Time Capsule or an AFP-only NAS and the Mac is on macOS 27.
- The Time Capsule's internal disk is old; a replacement NAS or external disk also removes a single-disk risk.
Evidence that matters
- Time Machine over SMB (a per-share Time Machine flag) on the NAS.
- Capacity of about 2 to 3 times the Mac's used space for useful history.
- Snapshot support on the NAS share, so a bad backup can be rolled back.
Evidence that does not matter
- AFP support — macOS 27 can't use it.
- AirPort base station features — Time Machine no longer uses them on 27.
Avoid
- Buying a second-hand Time Capsule or AFP-only storage for a macOS 27 Mac.
- Erasing the old target before the new backup is test-restored.
Related tool/checklist
Use the linked tool when you need a guided plan from your exact symptoms instead of a static checklist.
Backup plan builderReplacing the Time Capsule
You need a new backup target either way. The simplest is a disk plugged straight into the Mac. If you want network backups for more than one Mac again, use a NAS that offers an SMB Time Machine folder: UGREEN documents this for UGOS Pro 1.9.0.0035 or later, and Synology supports it too. Compare the NAS options in the Synology vs UGREEN vs DIY NAS guide. Do not erase the old Time Capsule until the new target has a verified backup.
Related problems
Last reviewed
2026-09-15 · Reviewed by HomeTechOps. Written the day after macOS 27.0 (26A428) shipped. The AFP removal is cited to Apple's AFP support article and proven locally on a macOS 27.0 Mac (`mount_afp` and `AppleShare.fs` absent, checked 2026-09-15). The page gives no workaround that brings AFP back, keeps the old history reachable through a Tahoe-or-earlier Mac, and hands SMB failures to the existing Time Machine to a NAS runbook.
Sources/assumptions
- Assumes a Mac updated to macOS 27.0 Golden Gate (build 26A428, shipped 2026-09-14), which installs on Apple silicon Macs only.
- Apple's support article on AFP states AFP won't be supported in macOS 27 or later for NAS destinations, a Mac as a destination, and AirPort Time Capsule or AirPort Disk. The article is still worded in the future tense; the local proof is that `mount_afp` and `AppleShare.fs` are absent on a macOS 27.0 Mac (checked 2026-09-15).
- The AirPort Utility detail and the SMB listing change come from Apple's macOS 27 release notes and Apple's macOS 27 update notes, read 2026-09-15.
- Reading old AFP backups from a Mac on Tahoe or earlier relies on those versions still including AFP; how long Apple keeps shipping them is outside this page.
Source-backed checks
HomeTechOps turns official docs and conservative safety rules into a shorter runbook. These links are the source trail for the page direction.