Choose cloud storage if access from several signed-in devices matters most, but check the storage allowance, sharing settings and account recovery before relying on it. An external drive gives you a separate local copy if it works with your devices; for irreplaceable files, using both routes can provide an off-site copy and a local copy that is disconnected when not in use.
If your photos and videos accumulate on a phone, tablet and computer, account-based cloud storage can make saved files accessible from signed-in devices. Google describes this access for photos and videos saved to its service.
Family photos and personal documents call for more than a copy beside the original device. Cloud storage can keep a copy outside the home, while the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warns that connected backup drives can be affected by the same ransomware incident as a computer.
An external drive lets you keep a copy under your physical control and disconnect it after backing up. Check that its connection, power requirements and file system work with every device that needs to use it.
Start with where each copy will live and how you would restore it. Then check access, capacity and security for the devices and files you actually use.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Separate copies | Check whether a copy is outside the home and whether a local drive can be disconnected. Test how to restore a deleted or changed file; Microsoft says its whole-account OneDrive restore is a Microsoft 365 feature. | I need important files to remain recoverable if my device is lost or an unwanted change reaches the working copy. |
| Device access | For cloud storage, check the apps and signed-in devices you will use. For a drive, confirm its connector, power needs, file system and read/write support on each intended device; Western Digital documents exFAT use with both Windows and macOS. | My photos are spread across a phone and computer, or I need to add files from both Windows and Mac. |
| Capacity | Compare your current library and expected growth with the available space. Google says its storage is shared across Drive, Gmail, WhatsApp backups and Google Photos, so check the whole account rather than photos alone. | I want enough room for videos and documents as well as photos, without new backups stopping when storage fills. |
| Access control | Review private, invited-person and public sharing settings, plus account recovery. If using optional encryption, establish how you will regain access before enabling it. | Some of my files are sensitive, but I still need a workable way to recover the account or unlock a local copy. |
Access to current files across devices does not, by itself, establish that you can reverse a deletion or overwrite. Microsoft says permanently deleted OneDrive Recycle Bin items cannot be recovered through its restore feature, which is available to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
Check how your chosen service restores deleted files and earlier versions, and keep an independent copy of irreplaceable material.
A drive can connect physically yet fail to meet a device’s format, capacity, partition or power requirements, as Seagate’s compatibility guidance explains.
List the devices that must read and write the copy. Confirm each device’s requirements and the backup software’s format support before moving your library.
The NCSC reports ransomware incidents affecting connected USB and network backup drives alongside the original data. A drive left attached may therefore share the computer’s exposure.
Keep at least one separate copy disconnected when it is not being used, and check periodically that files can be read and restored.
For iCloud Advanced Data Protection, Apple says recovery of protected data depends on retaining access through a device passcode or password, recovery contact or recovery key.
Set up the applicable recovery method before enabling the option, and do not keep your only recovery information inside the account it protects.
These references illustrate different backup routes; a service feature or drive specification should still be checked against your account, plan and devices.
Google Photos and Drive suit account-based access to saved photos and files across signed-in devices.
iCloud is relevant to people using Apple devices for iCloud Backup and Photos.
OneDrive is relevant when personal files are kept in a Microsoft-account environment.
Seagate’s portable external drives illustrate the computer-based local-copy route.
These portable SSDs, hard drives and removable storage options are for making local copies of personal files. A local device alone does not put a copy outside the home; choose its capacity and connection for the devices you intend to use.
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A portable local-copy option for photos and files. The title specifies USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (3.1 Gen 2); check the connection and file-system support for each device you intend to use.
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The stated 4TB capacity provides space for a local photo and video copy. Its title specifies USB 3.0; confirm the file system and read/write support if you will use it with more than one operating system.
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This 2TB portable SSD is an option for a local copy of photos, videos and files. Confirm its file system and compatibility with the devices and backup software you plan to use.
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A 2TB local-drive option for personal files. If you will back up a Mac, confirm the exact setup and file system before purchase; also check how any backup or encryption software is set up and recovered.
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The 256GB capacity makes this a removable-copy option for a selected set of files rather than an assumed fit for a large library. Its title specifies USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB-A and Type-C interfaces, and fingerprint encryption; check device compatibility and how access is recovered before relying on it.
Not on its own for every loss scenario. Cloud storage can hold copies outside the home and make files accessible across devices, but check what is included, whether unwanted changes are synchronised and how to restore deleted or earlier files. Keep another independent copy of irreplaceable material.
Yes, if the drive’s file system and your backup software support writing from both computers. Western Digital documents exFAT use with Windows and macOS; confirm the requirements for your particular drive and software before copying files. Move any existing files elsewhere before reformatting a drive, since reformatting can erase them.
Keep at least one separate backup disconnected when it is not in use where practical. The NCSC reports ransomware incidents that affected connected USB and network backup drives as well as original data; reconnect the drive when needed to back up or restore files, and check that the copy remains readable.
Check who can access each file or folder, your account protection and how you would recover access. If you enable iCloud Advanced Data Protection, Apple says recovery of protected data depends on retaining a device passcode or password, recovery contact or recovery key.