Choose automatic cloud backup if you want a current copy and expect to restore within the same account ecosystem, but check storage space, account access and the conditions for restoration. An external drive provides a separately held local copy; a USB flash drive or SD card can suit selected files on compatible devices. Using cloud and removable storage together gives you two recovery routes, provided you keep both copies current and check that you can access them.
If remembering to copy photos and contacts is difficult, an automatic account-based backup may help. Check what your phone includes, whether the backup has completed and how you would regain access to the account.
A growing collection needs enough space for the files you intend to preserve. A separate removable copy is worth considering when those files otherwise remain only on a phone or computer.
When family members use different accounts or move between Apple, Android and Windows devices, check which files are shared, who can access each backup and what the replacement device can restore.
Before choosing cloud storage or removable media, decide what must survive a lost or replaced device: a recent device backup, an archive of original files, a separate local copy or a workable route into new accounts and devices.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Recent backup coverage | Check what is included, the last successful backup and the conditions needed for automatic copying. | If I might replace my phone without warning, I need a recent copy that does not depend entirely on remembering a manual task. Around 31% of consumers put automatic coverage first. |
| Capacity and file quality | Compare the space your files use with available capacity; check shared cloud quotas and photo-quality settings. | For a growing photo and video library, I want enough room to keep the copies at the quality I need. Consumers who put capacity and file quality first account for around 25%. |
| Separate local copy | Check drive capacity, connector and device compatibility, then open copied files on another device. | Before wiping an old computer, I want a copy of important files that I can hold separately and transfer directly. Around 25% of consumers prioritise that local-copy control. |
| Accounts and restoration | Confirm account recovery, family-sharing permissions and what the destination device and operating system can restore. | When our family uses different accounts or devices, I need to know whose backup I can access and what will move across. Account access and migration come first for around 19% of consumers. |
A synced folder or completed device backup may not contain every photo, app setting or file you expect. Google notes that not all Android apps back up or restore all their data and settings.
Before wiping the old device, inspect what the backup includes, check when it last completed and open a few important files through the intended recovery route.
Google says storage is shared across Drive, Gmail, WhatsApp backups and Google Photos. A full quota can stop new photos and videos backing up to Google Photos.
Check how much space those services already use and which photo-quality setting you intend to use before selecting capacity.
Apple and Google describe family storage arrangements that keep individual files private. Sharing capacity does not, by itself, let one family member recover another person’s files.
Identify the account backing up each device, keep its recovery method accessible to the appropriate person and deliberately share only files the family needs to share.
A drive still needs to connect to the intended device and support a copying method you can repeat. Samsung’s stated maximum T7 Shield speeds, for example, depend on a compatible host, cable and UASP support.
Check the exact model’s connector, supplied cable and device support, then copy and open test files before relying on it as a local backup.
A different cable or adapter may be needed if the supplied connection does not fit your device.
iCloud Backup is an account-based option for households primarily using iPhone and iPad devices.
Google Account backup and Google Photos are relevant to Android households and families using Google’s storage services.
OneDrive is relevant when moving selected files to a replacement Windows PC.
The One Touch external HDD and SSD lines are options to investigate for removable local copies.
The T7 Shield portable SSD line is relevant to households considering a drive they will carry or use for large file transfers.
These drives are options for keeping a separate copy of household files. The external HDDs and SSDs suit computer-to-drive copying; the USB-C phone drive is aimed at selected files on compatible devices. Choose capacity against your own archive and confirm connections and copying methods before relying on any drive.
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Consider this external hard drive for a separate copy of photos and documents transferred from a compatible computer.
Capacity: 2TB. Check that it covers your archive and that the connection and backup method work with your computer.
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Consider this removable drive for a local copy of files when your intended device supports its connection.
Capacity: 1TB; USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2. Check the host and cable for your setup, and decide how you will make and update the copy.
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Consider this portable SSD if you want to keep a separate copy of selected household files.
Capacity: 2TB. Confirm its connector, compatibility with your devices and the method you will use to update the copy.
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Consider this external hard drive for a larger local archive, particularly if you are planning a Mac backup workflow.
Capacity: 5TB. Confirm the file system, any software requirements and compatibility with every computer that needs to read the copy.
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Consider this phone drive for copying selected photos or files from a compatible USB-C device, rather than for restoring a whole phone.
Capacity: 256GB. Check your phone model and operating system before relying on a particular copying or app-based backup method.
Start with the space your current photos, videos, documents and device backups use, then allow for the collection to grow. Check whether other services use the same allowance: Google says its storage is shared across Drive, Gmail, WhatsApp backups and Google Photos. A photo count alone will not tell you how much room your videos or chosen photo-quality setting require.
Do not assume it will reproduce everything. Apple supports restoring content, settings and apps from an iPhone backup to a new or newly erased device. Google says Android restoration varies by phone and Android version, not all apps restore all data or settings, and a backup from a higher Android version cannot be restored to a lower one.
Sharing storage does not automatically share individual files. Apple says photos and files remain private when people share an iCloud+ subscription; Google says family members cannot access one another’s files without permission. Check the service’s family-group and plan conditions, and make sure each person can recover their own account.
Confirm that the intended backup has completed recently, includes the files you need and can be accessed using the right account or readable drive. Check the replacement device’s restore requirements before erasing the old one: Apple’s iPhone backup restore route requires a new or newly erased target, while Microsoft says a OneDrive file move to a new Windows PC requires the same Microsoft account.