Choose cloud storage if automatic backup and access across your existing devices matter most. An external hard drive suits a larger archive kept mainly at home, while a portable SSD suits files you regularly carry or transfer, provided your devices can use it. For irreplaceable files, keeping both a cloud copy and a separate removable copy reduces reliance on a single route—but only if you maintain the copies and can restore them.
If losing family photos, videos, documents or contacts would be especially disruptive, prioritise a separate copy that you can restore. The National Cyber Security Centre identifies cloud storage and removable media as ways to keep that copy away from the original device.
If files need to be available across phones and computers, consider the cloud service associated with the accounts you already use. Check what is backed up automatically and how much of the account’s storage is already occupied.
If you mainly want a local archive at home, measure the files you intend to copy before choosing a drive. A removable drive also needs a routine for connecting it, updating the copy and checking that files can be recovered.
Start with how you would recover your files, then match the storage capacity and connection to the devices and files you actually use.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Recovering important files | Decide where a separate copy will live and test restoring a few files from it. | If my original device is lost, damaged or wiped, I need photos and documents I can actually recover. About 31% of consumers put a restorable, separate copy first. |
| Automatic access across devices | Check which files the account backs up, its available storage and the devices that need access. | When I move between a phone and computer, I want recent files available without remembering to connect a drive; that is the primary need for about 31% of consumers. |
| Room for a growing library | Measure the folders or device backup you will copy, then allow room for additions. | My photo and video collection keeps growing, so I need space for a local archive rather than just a few selected files. Capacity comes first for about 23% of consumers. |
| Portable transfer | Match the connector and file format to your devices; check card-slot support if considering a memory card. | If I carry a copy or move selected files between devices, I need storage that connects to each one. About 15% of consumers make portable transfer their main concern. |
Photos, videos, email and device backups may use the same allowance. Apple and Microsoft each list 5 GB of free storage, while Google lists up to 15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos; those figures describe different accounts, not the space remaining in yours.
Check current usage, what the service will back up and the plan’s renewal terms before relying on it for a complete copy.
A drive can connect without reaching its stated maximum speed. Samsung says the T7’s maximum read and write speeds require a USB 3.2 Gen 2 host, a suitable cable and UASP.
Check the intended device’s port, the cable and the drive format before buying; treat maximum speed as conditional.
The space displayed by a computer can differ from the labelled capacity because of measurement conventions. Samsung notes this distinction for its T7.
Measure the data you intend to back up and choose enough headroom for future files.
A removable drive does not protect files that have never been copied to it. The National Cyber Security Centre describes a backup as a separate copy available when the original data becomes inaccessible.
Set a repeatable backup routine, store the copy separately where practical and test opening or restoring a selection of important files.
Its One Touch portable hard-drive line is relevant to a local photo and video archive kept mainly at home.
The portable T7 SSD line is relevant when carrying files or transferring them between compatible devices.
Its external SSD range is relevant to portable local copies, particularly when the drive will be carried regularly.
Its DataTraveler Exodia flash-drive line is relevant to carrying selected files between devices with a suitable USB port.
These hard-drive and portable-SSD options are for keeping a separate local copy of personal files. Choose between them according to archive size, how often you carry files and the connections on your devices; keep a routine for updating and testing the backup.
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Consider this portable hard drive for a larger local archive in a Mac-centred setup. The product name specifies 5TB; check the connection and any requirements for another computer before relying on it for a backup.
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Consider this portable SSD for a local copy you need to carry or connect to different devices. Its product name specifies 1 TB and USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2; Samsung says the T7’s maximum speeds depend on a compatible host, cable and UASP.
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Consider this USB Type-C drive for a portable local copy if it works with the device you intend to back up. The product name specifies 1TB and USB 3.2 Gen 2; check the included cable and supported file format before buying.
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Consider this portable drive for a separate copy of files you carry between locations. The product name specifies USB Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2; check that your device and the drive’s file format suit the planned backup.
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Consider this portable SSD if a 2TB local copy suits the files you plan to protect. Confirm its connector, included cable and file format against the device you will use before buying.
Measure the files you intend to protect, decide whether you are copying selected folders or an entire device, and leave room for new photos and videos. For cloud storage, check what already uses your account allowance: Google says its allowance of up to 15 GB is shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos, while Apple and Microsoft each list 5 GB of free storage for their respective services.
A cloud service can make regular backup and multi-device access easier; a removable drive provides another separate place to keep a copy. For irreplaceable files, using both avoids relying on only one route, provided you update the copies and check that you can restore them. The National Cyber Security Centre identifies both cloud storage and removable media as backup routes.
No. Samsung says the T7’s stated maximum speeds require a USB 3.2 Gen 2 host, a suitable cable and UASP. Check the port, cable and required file format for the computer or phone you plan to use.
Yes, if it holds a separate copy that you keep up to date and can recover. The National Cyber Security Centre includes USB sticks and SD cards among removable-media options; check capacity, the USB connector or card slot, and the file format supported by your device.