Back Up Your Photos and Files Simply

A backup is a second copy somewhere else. It takes an afternoon to set up and could save years of photos.

Step by step

1. Decide what matters. Photos, documents, contacts.
2. Pick a place. Cloud storage or an external drive.
3. Turn on automatic backup. In your phone settings.
4. Test a restore. Find one photo on another device.
5. Repeat yearly. Check it still works.

What to expect

Expect a one-time setup, then automatic backups. A cloud service and a hard drive together is a strong combination.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not rely on a single copy. Avoid storing the only copy on a phone.

A good next step

Test by finding a photo from last year on another device.

The simple rule: three copies

• Keep your original on your device.
• Keep a second copy on an external drive at home.
• Keep a third copy online or at a trusted relative's home.

Set it up, step by step

1. Choose what matters. Photos, tax records, letters and contact lists.
2. Turn on your phone's backup. On iPhone use iCloud Photos. On Android use Google Photos. Check that it finishes over Wi-Fi.
3. Buy an external drive. Copy your computer's photo and document folders onto it.
4. Check that it worked. Open a few files from the backup.
5. Repeat on a schedule. Set a calendar reminder every month.

Common mistakes

• Keeping the only copy on one phone or one drive.
• Never testing whether the backup can be opened.
• Running out of cloud space and not noticing the backup has stopped.

Understanding the options

1. Cloud backup. Your phone or computer sends copies to a company's servers. It runs automatically and protects against loss and theft. It costs a monthly fee beyond a free allotment.
2. External hard drive. You plug in a drive and copy files. You own it, and there is no monthly fee, but you must remember to do it and keep it safe from fire and theft.
3. Both. Using both is the safest. If one fails, the other remains.

Set up your phone's automatic backup

1. iPhone. Open Settings, tap your name, choose iCloud, and turn on Photos and iCloud Backup. Stay on Wi-Fi and plugged in until it finishes.
2. Android. Open the Google Photos app, tap your profile picture, choose Photos settings, and turn on Back up. Also check your phone's backup setting in Settings.
3. Check it. Sign in on a computer or another device and make sure your recent photos appear.

Back up your computer

• Plug in an external drive that has more space than your files.
• Use the built-in tool: Time Machine on a Mac, File History or Backup on Windows.
• Choose to include your Documents, Pictures and Desktop folders.
• Run a full backup, then set it to repeat automatically.
• Store the drive away from the computer when you can.

Keeping it going

• Put a monthly reminder on your calendar to check that backups ran.
• Restore one file as a test twice a year.
• Label your drives and note the date.
• Delete duplicates only after checking your backup is complete.
• If a family member helps you, make sure they know where the backup is.

A prompt you can copy

Common questions

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