I backup my MacBook pro with an external hard drive via Time Machine. How do I know when Time Machine is finished?
stephanie147
User level: Level 1 (8 points)
User level: Level 1 (8 points)Time Machine
Posted on Nov 29, 2019 2:57 PM
1 reply
leroydouglas
User level: Level 10 (208,430 points)
User level: Level 10 (208,430 points)Nov 29, 2019 4:34 PM in response to stephanie147
From the icon you can see a lot by clicking open preferences.
Enjoy the convenience of automatic backups
After you select a backup disk, Time Machine
immediately begins making periodic backups—automatically and without
further action by you. The first backup may take a long time,
depending on how many files you have, but you can continue using your
Mac while a backup is underway. Time Machine backs up only the files
that changed since the previous backup, so future backups will be
faster.
To start a backup manually, choose Back Up Now from the Time Machine 
menu in the menu bar. Use the same menu to check the status of a backup or skip a backup in progress.
Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/250901232