Choose cloud backup if your household needs copies from several internet-connected devices, but check each account’s storage allowance and what its backup actually covers. An external drive gives you a local copy when it is connected and configured for backup; using cloud and local copies together makes sense when you do not want to rely on one account or storage location. Whichever route you choose, keep a copy separate from the original files and check that you can restore it.
Check that each person’s phone or computer is covered, especially if family members use different accounts. Shared cloud capacity does not necessarily mean shared access to files: Google says members of a Google One family group cannot access one another’s files without permission.
Check iCloud synchronisation and device backup separately, then decide whether the Mac also needs a local Time Machine backup. Apple says iCloud Backup copies device information that is not already synchronised to iCloud.
Check Google Account and Google Photos backup on each phone, and whether Windows Backup or File History covers the computer folders you care about. If you also want a local copy, confirm that every device meant to update it can connect to and write to the drive.
Start with what you need to recover, then choose where each copy will live and how you will keep it current.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery route | Decide whether you need selected files, a phone’s backed-up data or computer folders. Confirm how to restore a copy, not just how to transfer files. | If a phone or computer is lost, I want to retrieve the photos and documents that were on it. The National Cyber Security Centre describes a backup as a copy kept in a separate safe location. |
| Cloud coverage | Check the account and backup settings on each device. Apple distinguishes iCloud Backup from synchronised content; Google Photos and Android device backup have separate coverage; Microsoft’s Windows Backup uses a Microsoft account. | Photos, documents and device data matter to me, so I need to know which of them each family member’s setup will actually restore. |
| Capacity | Compare existing files and expected growth with the cloud allowance or drive capacity. For a Time Machine disk, Apple recommends at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity. | Our photo and video collection will grow. I want room for the copies we plan to keep, while knowing whether cloud storage needs an ongoing subscription. |
| Local-drive fit | Check the ports, file format and backup tool for every intended computer. Apple says a Mac may read an NTFS drive without being able to write to it; Microsoft File History backs up supported folders to an external drive or network location. | When both Mac and Windows devices need to update a local copy, I need a setup they can each write to—not merely a drive they can plug in. |
| Separate copies and access | Plan how to recover cloud accounts and keep an additional copy apart from connected devices. The National Cyber Security Centre advises having at least one backup offline at any given time. | I do not want one inaccessible account or an incident affecting connected devices to leave the household without a usable copy. |
A drive used only to move files may not hold recent changes or the device data you expect to recover. The National Cyber Security Centre defines a backup as a copy stored separately from the original.
Choose a backup tool for the files or device data you need, then try opening or restoring a small sample from the separate copy.
Photos, documents and backup history can require different amounts of space. Google One storage is used across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos; for Time Machine, Apple recommends a disk with at least twice the Mac’s capacity.
Check the size of the data you intend to back up, allow for growth and review each person’s storage use if the household will share an allowance.
A cloud setup may require an ongoing subscription when the included storage is not enough.
Drive format affects write access. Apple notes that a Mac may read NTFS without being able to write to it, and advises reserving a Time Machine disk for Time Machine backups.
Check the required format and backup tool before purchase or reformatting. Copy any files already on a drive elsewhere before erasing it.
A cloud copy is of little use if you cannot regain access to its account. Apple warns that losing an enabled Apple Account recovery key can permanently lock you out.
Set up two-step verification where available, keep recovery methods usable and store any required recovery material outside the account it protects. Keep a separate copy of files you cannot replace.
Relevant when an iPhone or iPad backup and a Mac backup are both part of the household’s plan.
Relevant to households using Android device backup, Google Photos and Google One storage.
Relevant when Windows computers need either account-based backup or local copies of folders.
These drives are options for keeping a separate local copy of household files. Check capacity and device compatibility, then set up and test the backup method you intend to use.
No image availableA 5TB portable hard drive to consider for a local Mac copy. Compare its capacity with the Mac and the files you plan to back up; check the connection and write compatibility before using it with other devices.
No image availableA 1TB portable SSD with USB 3.2 Gen 2 for a separate copy of selected files. Check that its capacity, connection and file format suit the devices that will update that copy.
No image availableA 2TB portable SSD with a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 connection for a local file copy. Check the ports and file format on the devices you will use, and choose a backup schedule rather than relying on occasional transfers.
No image availableA 1TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD listed for iPhone 15/16, PC and Mac use. If you plan to copy files directly from a phone, check its connection, file-format requirements and how you will restore those files later.
No image availableA 4TB portable external drive with a USB 3.0 connection for a local copy. Check the intended computer’s port and write compatibility, particularly if both Mac and Windows devices will use it.
Not necessarily. Apple distinguishes content synchronised through iCloud from information copied by iCloud Backup. Check what your service synchronises, what it backs up and how you would restore each category.
Apple recommends a Time Machine disk with at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity. That recommendation is for Time Machine, not a capacity rule for every household file copy.
They can use a drive for ordinary files if its format and connections work with both, but do not assume a dedicated Time Machine disk can double as shared file storage. Apple identifies FAT and ExFAT as Windows-compatible formats and says a Mac may read NTFS without being able to write to it.
Keep a drive connected when the backup tool needs it to run, but consider an additional disconnected copy. The National Cyber Security Centre advises keeping at least one backup offline at any given time so an incident cannot affect all copies simultaneously.
Set up two-step verification where available and make sure account recovery methods remain usable. The National Cyber Security Centre says two-step verification makes unauthorised access harder even when someone knows the password. If you enable an Apple recovery key, keep it outside the Apple account: Apple warns that losing it can permanently lock you out.