Choose a backup method by identifying the photos and files you would need to restore, then checking which devices and accounts hold them. Cloud backup can keep a copy away from a lost or damaged device when its automatic-backup conditions are met; an external drive provides a local copy when it is connected and the right files are selected. Using both gives you separate recovery routes, but neither route replaces checking what it contains and testing a restore.
If photos and videos are spread across a phone and computer, identify where the originals are held and keep a recoverable copy apart from those devices. The National Cyber Security Centre identifies photos and videos among the files worth backing up.
For documents and changing work files, a routine that captures updates matters more than an occasional manual copy. Microsoft Support describes File History backups to an available external drive or network location; check that your working folders are included.
A portable drive can hold a local copy or help move files between compatible devices. Confirm the connectors and keep another recovery copy separately, rather than relying on the drive you carry.
Start with the files you need back after loss or deletion, then check backup coverage and whether the routine will run on your devices. A local drive, cloud service and combined arrangement each depend on different connection, account and storage conditions.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Recoverability and separation | Check where the copy is kept, what it contains and whether you can restore a representative file. | If my everyday device is lost or damaged, I need a separate copy I can actually restore. Around 29% of consumers put recoverability and separation first. |
| Automatic backup and compatibility | Confirm the device and operating system, backup conditions and folders or data included. | With files changing regularly, I need a routine that works on my devices without relying on me to copy everything by hand. Around 29% of consumers prioritise automation and compatibility. |
| Capacity and file coverage | Measure the data to protect, allow for growth and check the drive or cloud storage allowance. | As photos, videos and work files accumulate, I need room for the material I intend to keep. Around 24% of consumers make capacity and coverage their primary concern. |
| Portability and transfers | Check the device connectors, cable and model-specific protection claims; keep another copy elsewhere. | When I carry files between compatible devices, I want a manageable local copy without making the portable drive my only recovery route. Around 18% of consumers put portability and transfers first. |
A synced item and a device backup can cover different data. Apple Support distinguishes information already synced to iCloud from what iCloud Backup contains, so a visible photo or document is not proof that every wanted item is in the same restore route.
List the photos, documents and device data you would need back, check each service’s coverage, then try restoring a non-critical item.
A local backup routine needs a suitable destination. Microsoft Support says File History uses an external drive or network location, while Apple Support notes that setting up a Time Machine disk may require erasing it.
Before choosing a drive, check your ports, cable, operating system, formatting requirements and the folders your backup method will include.
A growing photo or video collection can exceed the space initially set aside, leaving later backups unable to cover everything intended. For a Mac using Time Machine, Apple Support recommends a backup disk with at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity.
Measure the files and device data you plan to protect, then check the destination’s capacity and room for future backups.
A portable drive kept with a computer can be lost or damaged alongside it. The National Cyber Security Centre describes a backup as a copy stored in a separate safe location.
Keep a removable copy apart from the everyday device when it is not being used, or consider an additional cloud copy for files that would be difficult to replace. Protect access to portable media without losing the credentials needed for your own restore.
Its external-drive range is relevant to a computer backup kept on local storage.
Its supported drives and Toolkit software are relevant to computer backups and folder mirroring.
Its portable SSD range is relevant when a compact local copy and compatible-device transfers matter.
These drives offer local storage for computer backups, portable copies or a limited set of selected files. Choose the backup method and check its coverage separately; a drive alone does not create an automatic or off-device backup.
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For a growing collection of photos or work files, this 4TB portable hard drive can be a local backup destination when you connect it for your chosen routine.
Check the backup software’s device compatibility and folder coverage, and restore a sample file before relying on the copy.
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For a Mac-based photo or document collection, this 5TB portable hard drive is a local storage option.
Confirm its connection and Time Machine setup before use. If you also need access from Windows, check the required formatting and software arrangement.
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If you carry a local copy between compatible devices, this 1TB SSD provides a portable storage option with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection.
Check your host device and cable before relying on claimed transfer speeds. Decide how files will be backed up and test that you can restore them.
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For a selected collection of photos, videos and documents, this 4TB USB 3.0 drive can hold a local copy.
Check formatting for your intended operating system and choose a backup routine that captures the right folders; test a restore before depending on it.
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For a deliberately selected set of documents or an extra transfer copy, this 512GB flash drive has USB-A and Type-C interfaces.
Check the connectors on each intended device. Manual copies can miss recent changes, so verify the files copied and keep another copy of important material separately.
Not necessarily: check which files and device data you could restore, rather than assuming sync covers them all. Apple Support says iCloud Backup excludes data already stored and synced in iCloud, so identify where each wanted item is held.
Check the connection, capacity and whether you can set up the drive as a Time Machine destination. Apple Support recommends a backup disk with at least twice the Mac’s storage capacity and notes that setup may require erasing the disk.
Yes, Microsoft Support says File History can save file versions to an external drive or network location. Keep the destination available when backups run, and confirm that the folders you need are included.
Do not assume it will: check the backup scope and the intended replacement device. Apple Support describes conditions for automatic iCloud Backup, including power, Wi-Fi and a locked device; Google Help says Android restoration varies by phone and Android version.
Consider encryption when the drive contains personal information and could be lost or stolen. The Information Commissioner’s Office identifies encryption as protection against unauthorised access to information on backup media; keep the credentials needed to open your own copy recoverable.