Use cloud storage if you need access across devices or a way to restore files when a phone is replaced; use an external drive if you can manage a separate local copy yourself. For irreplaceable photos and documents, the National Cyber Security Centre’s guidance supports keeping a backup in a separate safe location, while its account of incidents affecting connected drives makes a disconnected copy worth considering alongside everyday cloud access. Check what each service actually backs up and whether you can restore the files before relying on either route.
The right arrangement depends on what you need to recover and whether someone can keep a separate copy up to date.
If a phone or computer is lost, damaged or replaced, a copy stored away from that device gives you another recovery route. Consider both convenient access to family files and a separately managed copy of anything irreplaceable.
Check the latest completed backup, the data categories it covers and whether the replacement phone can restore them. Google says Android restoration varies by phone and Android version, and not all apps restore every setting or item of data.
A drive can hold a copy apart from a cloud account, but it needs an update routine and a safe place when disconnected. For sensitive files, check encryption, compatible devices and how the household would regain access if a password were lost.
Start with the files you would need back after losing a device. Then work out where each copy will live and how you would restore it.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery | Confirm which photos, documents, settings and app data are copied. Check the date of the latest completed backup and the restore steps for your intended device. | If my phone is lost or replaced, I need a copy away from it that I can actually restore. Google says Android restoration varies by phone and version, so I would check the scope before changing devices. |
| Capacity | Compare your current library and expected growth with the available space. Check whether a cloud allowance is shared with email, other files or household members, and review any continuing subscription terms. | My photos and device backups need room to keep growing. Apple states that iCloud includes 5 GB of storage; Google says a standard account has up to 15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos. |
| Access and sharing | Check access from the phones and computers you use. Review who can see shared files and whether everyone using a household plan draws on the same storage allowance. | I may need a document on another device, but I do not want every family file visible to everyone. The Information Commissioner’s Office describes cloud file settings that can be private, shared or public. |
| Separate copies | Decide whether one copy can stay disconnected when not being updated. For removable storage, check encryption and password recovery; for cloud storage, check account access and recovery settings. | I want an incident affecting my computer to be less likely to reach every copy. The National Cyber Security Centre reports incidents in which connected USB and network backup drives were affected alongside original files. |
Synchronisation can carry changes or deletions between devices. Access to files held in one account also depends on being able to use that account.
Keep another independently managed copy of irreplaceable files and periodically check that you can open it. Disconnect removable backup storage when you are not updating or restoring it.
An included cloud allowance may be shared with other services. Google says its standard allowance of up to 15 GB covers Drive, Gmail and Photos, so photo uploads are not the only use of that space.
Measure the photos, videos, documents and device backups you plan to keep, then check the allowance, its sharing rules and the terms of any larger plan.
A continuing cloud subscription may be needed if the included allowance does not cover the files you intend to store.
Ports, cables and file-system formats affect whether a drive fits your backup routine. Samsung says the stated maximum speeds for its specific Portable SSD T7 1 TB MU-PC1T0T/WW require a compatible USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection and UASP; that model’s figures do not describe every external SSD.
Check the exact drive, supplied connection, intended phone or computer and any formatting requirements before copying files.
Encryption can restrict access to files on a lost drive, but it can also prevent the owner from opening them if the required password or recovery method is lost.
Keep recovery information separate from the drive and test that you can open the encrypted files before treating the copy as dependable.
These examples illustrate features and limits to check within particular services or product lines; they are not a list of products available in the section below.
iCloud is relevant to households backing up an iPhone or iPad and accessing selected files across Apple devices.
Google Account storage is relevant to people using Google Photos and Drive, including households restoring selected data to an Android phone.
OneDrive is relevant to Windows users who want selected PC folders accessible on other devices.
Samsung’s Portable SSD T7 line is an example of removable storage for a local copy on compatible devices.
These SSDs and USB flash drive offer ways to keep a local copy of selected photos and documents. Choose capacity against the size of your files, confirm your devices can use the drive, and plan how often you will update and disconnect it.
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A removable option for a local copy of photos and documents. The title specifies USB Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2; check your device connection and file-system requirements, and keep another copy if you need access independent of this drive.
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Consider this local-copy capacity against the size of your photo and video library. The title specifies USB Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2; check your host device and how you would regain access if you use password protection.
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This removable drive can be considered for a local file copy if its capacity fits your library. Its title specifies USB Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2; check connection and formatting requirements for the devices you intend to use.
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A small removable option for selected files rather than a library whose size you have not measured. The title specifies USB-A and Type-C connections, fingerprint access and encryption; confirm device compatibility and the access-recovery method before depending on it.
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For a local copy from a compatible phone or computer, check that the device can access external storage. The title specifies USB 3.2 Gen 2 and iPhone 15/16 compatibility; magnetic mounting has case or ring conditions, and formatting before use may erase files already on the drive.
Not necessarily: synchronised changes and deletions can appear across enabled devices. For irreplaceable files, keep an independently managed copy as well, and check that you can open it when needed.
Check when the last backup completed, which data it contains, the available storage and the replacement phone’s restore rules. Apple says automatic iCloud Backup requires power, Wi-Fi and a locked device; Google says Android restoration varies by phone and Android version, and not all apps restore every setting or item of data.
If the drive is meant to provide a separate copy during an incident affecting your computer, disconnect it between backup or restore sessions. The National Cyber Security Centre reports ransomware incidents that affected connected USB and network drives holding backups.
For sensitive personal files on a drive that could be lost, encryption is worth considering alongside a workable password-recovery plan. The Information Commissioner’s Office describes encryption of USB and backup media as protection against unauthorised access; keep the information needed to regain access separate from the drive.