Apple removes AFP entirely in macOS 27 Golden Gate, ending Time Machine compatibility with Time Capsule. The first developer beta of the operating system contains no AFP client at all, confirming the complete removal of a file-sharing protocol that has been part of the Apple ecosystem for more than 40 years.
Every Time Capsule model ever produced relies on AFP and SMBv1, both of which are now gone from macOS 27. The new operating system also enforces stricter network security requirements, including TLS 1.2 as a minimum standard, a threshold that Time Capsule hardware cannot meet.
Apple formally deprecated the AFP client in macOS Sequoia 15.5. When macOS 26 Tahoe launched, a warning in System Settings told users that AFP support and Time Capsule compatibility would end with macOS 27. That warning is now confirmed.
macOS 27 Golden Gate is currently in developer beta, with a public beta arriving in July 2026 and a general release set for September 2026. The operating system is compatible only with Apple silicon Macs, meaning Intel Mac users who remain on macOS 26 Tahoe will be able to use Time Capsule indefinitely. macOS 26 will be the final major macOS version released for Intel-based Macs.
Apple introduced Time Capsule at Macworld Expo in January 2008 as a Wi-Fi router combined with network-attached storage designed to work with Time Machine. The company discontinued the entire AirPort product line in April 2018, with the Time Capsule model priced at $299. The hardware sold out completely by November 2018.
A community workaround exists, with caveats
A community project called TimeCapsuleSMB, created by James Chang, an engineer at Microsoft, offers a potential path forward for users who want to keep using older Time Capsule hardware with macOS 27. The project enables Time Machine to work with Time Capsule via SMB, bypassing the AFP requirement.
The workaround carries significant limitations. Switching to SMB via TimeCapsuleSMB begins a new Time Machine backup chain, meaning the new destination is treated as a fresh start. There is no published long-term restore testing for the project, so a second backup destination is advisable.
Hardware generation also matters. Only the fifth-generation Time Capsule tower model from 2013 automatically restarts the Samba server after a reboot. All earlier models require a manual activation command every time the device loses power. Backups may silently stop after an outage.
Apple silicon Mac owners who plan to upgrade to macOS 27 need a compatible backup target in place before making the switch. That target can be a modern NAS device, an external drive, or a patched Time Capsule running TimeCapsuleSMB. The September 2026 release date gives users three months to plan and migrate their backups.
Intel Mac users face no deadline. Since macOS 26 Tahoe is the final major version for Intel hardware, those machines can continue using Time Capsule indefinitely without upgrading.
For Apple silicon users with aging Time Capsule hardware, the choice is between adopting modern NAS alternatives like Synology or Ubiquiti, using external drives, or committing to the TimeCapsuleSMB workaround. Apple’s departure from the networking hardware business in 2018 has left a gap that third-party manufacturers are filling, but no direct successor to Time Capsule exists in Apple’s product lineup.
