Why your Time Capsule won't open on macOS 27, and what you can do

Published: 2026-10-27 · Capsule Bridge

Short answer: macOS 27 (Golden Gate) removed support for AFP, the file-sharing protocol an Apple Time Capsule uses. The Time Capsule does not offer the newer versions of SMB that macOS now requires, so the Mac and the disk can no longer talk to each other. Your files are still on the disk, and the disk is not broken.

What changed in macOS 27?

For years a Time Capsule worked with the Mac through AFP (Apple Filing Protocol), an old Apple file-sharing system. Apple moved the Mac's default file sharing to SMB in 2013, but kept AFP for older devices. In macOS 26 Apple deprecated the old SMBv1, and with macOS 27 Time Machine backups need SMBv2 or SMBv3. AFP is gone, and the Time Capsule cannot speak the newer SMB. Apple had warned about this in macOS Tahoe.

What stops working?

• Opening the Time Capsule disk in Finder.
• Time Machine backups to the Time Capsule.
• Restoring from an old Time Machine backup that lives on the Time Capsule.

The device itself still powers on and still shares files over AFP. It is the Mac that has lost the ability to connect.

What are your options?

1. Use an older Mac or older macOS. A Mac that still runs macOS 26 or earlier can open the disk. Use it to copy your files to a modern drive.
2. Use an app that speaks AFP. Capsule Bridge, an app we are building, speaks AFP itself so the disk shows up in Finder, Files and on Android again. It is coming soon.
3. Replace the file-sharing layer on the Time Capsule. A community project called TimeCapsuleSMB installs a newer Samba server on the device. It is early-stage and changes what runs on the Time Capsule, so copy your data somewhere safe first.
4. Move to a new backup disk. An external drive or a network disk (NAS) that supports Time Machine over SMB is the long-term fix for backups.

What should you avoid?

Do not erase or reset the Time Capsule hoping it will fix the connection, because that deletes your data. Copy first, then decide what to do with the device.

See also: 4 ways to get your files off a Time Capsule that no longer opens.