Use the backup built into your Apple, Google or Microsoft account when you need to restore supported data within that ecosystem. Keep a separate copy of valued photos and documents on an external drive if you also want a recovery path outside the account; a compatible memory card is more suited to moving media than restoring a whole device. Before erasing the old device, check what each copy contains, protect access to it and try opening files from it.
Start with what the replacement device must recover: files alone, or also settings and other device data.
Check the phone’s device backup alongside photos, messages, contacts and app data before a sale, repair or factory reset. Apple Support explains that iCloud Photos syncs separately from the daily iCloud device backup; Google says Android restoration depends on the receiving phone.
Keep a recoverable copy of valued files away from the original device. The National Cyber Security Centre describes both online storage and removable media as backup locations; check which folders are copied and whether another device can open them.
Decide whether you need selected files or a broader computer backup. Apple Support describes Time Machine for Mac backups, while Microsoft Support describes Windows Backup for files, settings and supported app information. Check the intended restoration method before setting aside the old computer.
Choose the recovery method first, then check its coverage, compatibility and access requirements before resetting or replacing a device.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud restoration | Confirm the account and replacement-device ecosystem. Check the latest backup, selected folders and data that syncs separately. Google says Android restoration varies by phone, version and app. | I need more than access to a few photos: I want to know which settings and app data the new device can actually restore. |
| External drive | Check the connection, file format, capacity and backup method. For Time Machine, Apple Support recommends a disk with at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity and says a Windows-formatted disk cannot be used without reformatting. | A separate copy of family files would give me a way to retrieve them outside my cloud account. I need to be able to open that copy on a suitable computer. |
| Memory card or USB storage | Confirm that the device accepts the media and supports its capacity and format. Check that the intended files were copied; removable media alone does not recreate a device backup. | I mainly want to move photos or videos from a compatible phone or camera, rather than restore its apps and settings. |
| Two recovery paths | Check the cloud copy and the separately stored file copy independently. Open representative files from each before removing them from the old device. | If I lose the device or access to one account, I still want another way to recover valued photos and documents. |
| Access protection | Protect important accounts with two-step verification, as the National Cyber Security Centre advises. For a password-protected drive, confirm the exact model’s security feature and retain the credentials needed to unlock it. | My backup may contain personal information, but authorised household members must still be able to restore it when needed. |
Apple Support says iCloud Photos syncs separately and is not included in the daily iCloud device backup when enabled. Erasing a phone without checking both services can leave you relying on account sync for those photos.
Review the device backup and each relevant photo, message and file-sync setting. Where possible, open representative content on another signed-in device before erasing the old one.
Apple Support says Time Machine cannot use a Windows-formatted disk without reformatting it. Reformatting erases existing contents, while an Android cloud restore has its own receiving-device limitations.
Check the target device, connection and disk format before dedicating a drive to backup. Confirm how the new device will restore the data before resetting the old one.
Western Digital Support says a forgotten password in its supported WD Security workflow cannot be recovered; the drive must be erased before reuse, losing its data.
Confirm that the exact drive supports the intended protection, store its password securely and check that an authorised person can unlock the backup.
A card used to hold photos or videos does not by itself restore phone apps, settings or account-linked content. The National Cyber Security Centre distinguishes copies of selected files from broader device backups.
Use compatible media for capture or file transfer, and keep the appropriate device or computer backup when you also need broader restoration.
Brand features apply to particular products and workflows; check the exact model against the device that will make and restore your copy.
Samsung’s Portable SSD T7 range is relevant to a separate, portable copy of photos and videos across compatible devices.
Western Digital is relevant when considering a separately held drive with a supported password-protection workflow.
SanDisk microSD media is relevant to capturing or transferring files when a phone, action camera or drone accepts the selected card.
These Joybuy external drives are options for keeping a separate copy of family photos and documents. Choose a drive only after checking its connection, capacity and file workflow against the device you use; a file copy does not replace an ecosystem device backup.
No image available
Consider this portable hard drive for a separate copy of files from a Mac. Its stated capacity is 5TB; check the connection and backup format required by your Mac, then confirm that you can open the copied files.
No image available
This portable SSD is an option for a separate photo and document copy. Its name specifies a 2 TB capacity and USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 connection; check your device’s port and file-format requirements before relying on it for restoration.
No image available
Use this portable SSD as a separate file-copy option if its connection suits your device. The title specifies 1 TB and USB 3.2 Gen 2; check the intended backup software and test access to copied files.
No image available
This drive is an option for moving a separate set of family files between compatible devices. Its title specifies USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 and 1 TB; confirm the host connection and the method you will use to copy and retrieve files.
No image available
Consider this portable hard drive for a separate photo and document copy. Its stated capacity is 2TB; check the receiving computer’s connection and file-format requirements before setting up the backup.
No. Apple Support says information already syncing to iCloud, including iCloud Photos when enabled, is not duplicated in the daily iCloud device backup. Check both the device backup and the relevant sync settings before erasing the old device.
No. Google Android Help says a backup can restore to the original phone or some other Android phones; compatibility depends on the phone and Android version, and not all apps restore all settings or data. Check the receiving phone before resetting the old one.
Use one if you want a separately held copy of important files or a Mac backup through Time Machine. The National Cyber Security Centre recognises both online storage and removable media as backup locations; check that the drive contains the intended files and that you can retrieve them without relying on the cloud account.
Apple Support recommends a backup device with at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity for Time Machine. That recommendation applies to this Mac backup method, not every manual copy of selected files.