Before replacing a phone or computer, use a backup route that can restore the data you need to the replacement device, then consider a separate local copy for photos and documents you want to keep independently. Cloud backup depends on account capacity and restore compatibility; an external drive needs a suitable connection and file format, while a NAS also needs ongoing management and another backup destination.
If you are moving to another iPhone or Android phone, check that your existing account backup can restore the photos, settings and app data you need. Apple Support and Google Android Help describe different backup and restore conditions for their respective devices.
A cable-connected drive can hold a separate copy of photos and videos before a device is handed over. Check the library's size, the drive's capacity and whether both devices can use its connection and format.
Shared storage may help organise files from multiple household devices if someone can manage accounts and recurring backup tasks. Synology's guidance describes sending NAS backups to a separate destination; the NAS itself should not be the only copy.
Before replacing a family device, decide whether you need a restorable device backup, a separate copy of selected files, or both. Then check capacity, connections and where each copy will be kept.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Restoring a replacement device | Check the last completed backup, its included data and whether the replacement device can restore it. Apple and Google set different conditions for their respective phone backups. | If I am changing phones, I need my recent data to follow me, not just a folder of photos. Around 33% of consumers would put a restorable backup first. |
| Room for a growing library | Compare the size of the files you intend to keep with available account or drive capacity. Google says its account storage is shared across services. | When family videos keep accumulating, I need enough room to finish the copy before the old device goes. For around 27% of consumers, capacity would be the primary concern. |
| Portable cable transfer | Check ports, cables and the required file format on both devices; advertised SSD speeds depend on compatible equipment. | If a device must be handed over soon, I want a direct way to move a large set of files. This would come first for around 20% of consumers. |
| Privacy and an offline copy | Check the available encryption method and how its password is retained. Apple says iPhone computer backups are not encrypted by default. | I want control over a copy kept away from my everyday account, but I must still be able to unlock it later. Around 13% of consumers would make that their main priority. |
| Shared home storage | For a NAS, check backup-software compatibility and plan a separate destination for its data. | With several devices at home, I need a repeatable routine someone can maintain. Shared storage and backup management would lead the choice for around 7% of consumers. |
Photos, messages, settings and app data can follow different backup rules. A visible photo copy does not establish that the replacement phone can restore everything else.
Before erasing the old device, check the backup date, the data it covers and access to the account or backup needed for restoration.
Samsung and Crucial qualify their portable SSD performance and compatibility by the host, cable or file format. Reformatting a drive erases data already on it.
Check both devices' ports, any required cable or adapter and the intended format before moving your only copy.
The National Cyber Security Centre describes a backup as a copy stored in a separate safe location; one attached drive can be exposed to the same loss or damage as the device.
Confirm a copy is accessible, then store it separately from the original device.
A shared repository still needs backup tasks and another destination. Synology describes those tasks for compatible NAS systems, but they must be configured and maintained.
Plan where the NAS will send a separate copy, and check that scheduled jobs and restores work.
Allow time to manage the NAS and maintain its separate backup destination.
iCloud and computer backup routes for iPhone and iPad households.
Google Account backup for Android devices and storage shared with Google services.
Portable SSDs for a cable-connected local copy.
Portable hard drives for a local archive made from a computer.
NAS systems for households prepared to manage shared storage and backup tasks.
These external SSDs and hard drives are options for keeping a local copy of family files. Choose by the capacity and connection your devices need; copying files to a drive does not, by itself, create a restorable phone backup.
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Consider this for a sizeable local photo and video copy if your intended device can use the drive.
The named variant has 4 TB capacity and a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface. Check the host and cable if transfer speed matters, and confirm the phone's backup and restore workflow separately.
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Consider this for a portable local file copy when its connection and format suit the devices involved.
The named variant is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD with stated read and write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s. Its magnetic set is described for iPhone 15/16; check the phone, case and file-transfer workflow before relying on it.
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Consider this hard drive for a larger computer-based local archive, particularly if the intended computer is a Mac.
Check the exact operating-system requirements and any setup needed before use. If the files originate on a phone, also confirm how they will reach the computer and how a full phone backup would be restored.
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Consider this for a portable copy of selected files before handing over a device.
The named variant has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. Check the intended device's port and file format, and use its operating-system backup route if you need to restore more than copied files.
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Consider this for retaining a larger family file archive through a computer-based copy.
Check the required format for the computer you will use, particularly before changing operating systems. Confirm the phone-to-computer transfer and restore steps separately if a phone is being replaced.
It can be enough if the backup has finished, there is sufficient account capacity and the replacement phone can restore the data you need. Apple Support distinguishes iCloud from computer backups, while Google Android Help notes that app data and restoration can vary; check the included data and last backup date before erasing the old phone.
No: copying selected photos does not necessarily preserve settings, messages, app data or items held only in the cloud. Use the phone's supported backup route as well if you need to restore the device, and check that the separate photo copy opens.
Use an encrypted local backup if you need it to include saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, Health data or call history, according to Apple Support. Computer backups are not encrypted by default, and you will need the encryption password to use the backup.
Confirm that the files and backup you need are accessible before removing personal data from the old phone or computer. For disposal, check your local authority's electrical-waste arrangements; Oxfordshire County Council, for example, advises clearing personal information from devices before taking them to a recycling centre.