In short
Time Machine backs up the files on your Mac that were not part of macOS, which includes Notey's data folder in your user Library, recordings included. Turn on Encrypt Backup. Notey never uploads recordings, not even encrypted, so a disk backup is the only other copy.
To back up meeting recordings on a Mac, back up the Mac: Time Machine copies the files on your Mac that were not part of macOS, and Notey keeps its recordings, transcripts and notes in its folder in your user Library, which is included unless you exclude it. Turn on Encrypt Backup, because the drive will hold every meeting you recorded. Notey's sync does not help here: it carries text and never a recording, so the disk backup is the only other copy of the audio.
This guide covers setting up Time Machine for that, checking that Notey's folder is included, why Notey's sync does not copy recordings, and how a backup fits a retention policy. Getting recordings back after a loss is in recovering recordings from a lost Mac.
Apple's Time Machine guide for macOS Tahoe says Time Machine backs up "files on your Mac that weren't part of the macOS installation, such as apps, music, photos, and documents". Your user Library is part of that.
Back up meeting recordings on a Mac with Time Machine
- Connect a backup disk. An external drive, or a network location that supports Time Machine.
- Open Time Machine settings. Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Time Machine.
- Add the disk. Click Add Backup Disk (or the add button), choose the disk, and click Set Up Disk.
- Turn on Encrypt Backup. You will be asked to create a backup password. Keep it somewhere safe; Apple notes you will need it to restore files.
- Let the first backup finish. After that, Time Machine keeps hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month and weekly backups for all previous months, deleting the oldest when the disk is full, according to Apple's support article.
- Check the exclusions. In the same settings, click Options and make sure nothing covering your user Library is listed. Excluded items are not backed up to the disk.
Check that Notey's folder is included
Notey's data lives in your user Library, in Application Support, in a folder named for its bundle identifier. To check that Time Machine will include it, open Terminal and run:
tmutil isexcluded ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.ainject.notey[Included] means Time Machine backs it up. [Excluded] means someone added it, or a parent folder, to the exclusions; remove it under Options.
To see the folder itself in Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder and enter ~/Library/Application Support/. Do not move, rename or edit files in it while Notey is open.
What a backup of the Mac covers
| What | In a Time Machine backup | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recordings | Yes, unless excluded | Both tracks of every meeting on this Mac |
| Transcripts, notes, projects | Yes | Including meetings that arrived through sync |
| Recordings made on your other Macs | No | Sync never copies recordings; back up each Mac |
| Your recovery key for sync | Do not rely on it | Keep the key in a password manager or on paper |
| Exports you saved | Yes, if in a backed-up folder | They are ordinary files |
Restoring from Time Machine
Apple describes two ways:
- Individual items: open Time Machine from Spotlight, browse to the folder and date, select it and click Restore (Apple's guide). Quit Notey before restoring its folder.
- The whole Mac: on a new or erased Mac, Migration Assistant offers to transfer from a Time Machine backup (Apple's guide). Your meetings come back as they were at the backup.
Why Notey's sync does not copy recordings
Notey's sync between your own Macs carries transcripts, notes and names, never recordings. Recordings stay on the Mac that made them and are never uploaded, not even encrypted. Your other Macs get the transcript and notes, and a meeting recorded elsewhere says which Mac has the recording.
That keeps the audio where the people in the meeting were told it would be, and it means a disk backup is the only way to protect a recording against losing the Mac. Keep the backup drive somewhere other than the Mac if that is the risk you are guarding against.
An earlier version of Notey offered an optional encrypted copy of recordings. It has been removed; if you had switched it on, Notey deletes those copies from its storage automatically the next time it syncs.
Backups and your retention policy
A backup is a copy, and a copy has to follow the same promise as the original. If you told people the recording is deleted after a month, a backup that keeps it for years does not match what you said.
Practical rules:
- Delete meetings on schedule in Notey. New backups will no longer include them.
- Let old backups age out. Time Machine keeps weekly backups until the disk fills; a smaller disk or a rotation keeps the history shorter.
- Do not restore deleted meetings back into use. If someone asked you to delete their data, the backup copy should stay beyond use until it is overwritten.
- Know where every copy is. How long to keep meeting recordings covers a schedule that includes backups.
If you are short of space rather than worried about loss, meeting recordings and disk space is the better starting point.
Cloud backups of your whole Mac
Some backup services upload your whole home folder, including your user Library. That puts meeting audio on a third party's servers. Before relying on one, check whether it encrypts on your Mac with a key only you hold, and whether that fits what you told the people you recorded. End-to-end encrypted meeting notes has the questions to ask.
Frequently asked questions
Does Time Machine back up Notey's recordings?
Time Machine backs up files that were not part of the macOS installation, and Notey keeps its data, recordings included, in your user Library. Unless you have excluded that folder, it is included; you can check with the command in this guide.
Where does Notey store recordings on a Mac?
In Notey's folder inside your user Library, under Application Support. The privacy policy describes it as the application support folder.
Are meeting recordings uploaded when I turn on Notey sync?
No. Sync carries text, notes and names, never recordings. Notey does not upload recordings in any other way either, not even encrypted; they stay on the Mac that made them.
Should I encrypt a backup that contains meeting recordings?
Yes. A backup drive holds everything the Mac does. Time Machine's Encrypt Backup option protects it with a password you will need to restore.
Do I have to back up recordings at all?
Only if you need them. Many people delete audio a few weeks after the notes are checked, and a recording you no longer keep is one you do not need to back up.