Start with automatic backup that covers the phones and computers your household uses, then keep a separate local copy of photos and documents you could not replace. An external drive provides that local copy if you maintain the backup routine; a NAS suits shared home storage only if you also back it up to another destination. Check what each service includes and how you would restore your files before relying on it.
If photos and other important data are chiefly on iPhones, iPads or Android phones, check the account-based backup settings before a device is replaced, lost or damaged. Photo synchronisation and device-data backup may cover different things.
Compare the space your files use now with room for new videos and any backup history you intend to keep. If preserving the captured resolution matters, check the cloud service’s quality setting as well as the available capacity.
For scans and other sensitive files, review cloud sharing and account access, or check whether a particular removable drive supports the protection you need. Plan how you will retain access to passwords and recovery details.
Decide what must be recoverable, then check coverage, capacity and where each copy will live. A cloud service, removable drive, USB stick or NAS can serve a different part of that plan.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Separate copies | Keep a copy away from the original device; identify another destination if a NAS is your home archive. Check that you can retrieve a sample file. | I want family photos and documents to remain recoverable if a phone, computer or home storage device fails. The National Cyber Security Centre describes a backup as a copy kept in a separate safe location. |
| Device coverage | Check photo, document and device-data settings separately. Apple says iCloud Photos is not included in the daily iCloud Backup; Google separates Photos backup from Android device backup. | Our household uses more than one device, and I need to know which files and settings each backup will restore. |
| Capacity and quality | Compare current file use and expected growth with the storage allowance or drive capacity. Check upload quality and file limits: Google Photos offers an Original quality setting, while its Storage saver setting can reduce resolution. | I want room for new videos without changing the quality of photos I intend to archive. |
| Access and privacy | Review account recovery and sharing permissions. For portable media holding sensitive files, confirm protection features on the exact model and the devices used to access it. | Private scans need controlled access, and I still need a way into the backup if I lose a drive or account access. |
| Backup routine | Check when backups run, whether the destination must be connected, and which folders are included. Microsoft says Windows File History can regularly back up libraries and added folders to an external drive or network location. | I am more likely to keep a copy current if the routine fits how we use our computers; a manually updated USB stick suits only a small, selected set of files. |
| Shared home storage | For a NAS, plan who will manage access, the device and a second backup destination. Synology recommends copies on more than one storage medium, including an off-site copy. | Several of us may need one home archive, but I do not want that device to become the only place our files exist. |
Copies exposed to the same loss or damage may not give you a usable way to recover. Synology’s backup guidance also recommends another destination for a NAS.
Keep a copy separate from the original device. For irreplaceable files, consider both a local copy and an off-site copy, and try retrieving a sample file.
Apple says iCloud Photos is separate from the daily iCloud Backup. Google Photos and Android device backup cover different categories, and Google warns that some apps cannot restore all their settings and data.
List the photos, documents, messages, app data and computer folders you need back. Check the enabled service and restore route for each category.
A growing video library needs room, while a storage-saving upload setting may not preserve media at its captured resolution. Google Photos distinguishes Original quality from Storage saver.
Check current use, allow for growth and select the quality setting that matches how you intend to keep the files.
A misplaced drive containing private files creates an access concern. SanDisk documents password and encryption functions for supported products, rather than every USB drive or external SSD.
Check protection on the exact model and operating system, store recovery details safely and retain another copy of the files.
These references illustrate different backup routes; a brand’s inclusion does not mean every product or service covers the same files.
An account-based route for households using iPhone, iPad or Mac, with Windows access to some iCloud content.
A photo-backup and account-storage route for households using Google services.
A portable local-storage line to consider when moving a photo or video library between compatible computers.
External SSD and USB-storage lines that can provide a local destination for selected files or a home archive.
A network-attached storage route for households prepared to manage shared home storage.
These Joybuy drives cover the removable-storage part of a household backup plan. Check capacity and device connections for your files, then keep another copy separate from both the drive and the originals.
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A 4 TB portable local-copy option for a photo and video library. Its name specifies USB 3.2 Gen 2x2; check your computer’s connection and whether 4 TB leaves room for new files.
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A 2 TB portable choice for keeping a local copy of selected household files. The name specifies USB 3.2 Gen 2x2; check the connection on your device and compare capacity with your library and expected growth.
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This USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD offers 2 TB for a local file copy. If you intend to protect sensitive files with optional drive software, check its support for your exact device before setting up the backup.
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This 5 TB portable external hard drive is an option for a larger local archive. Check its connection and formatting requirements for the computers that will create and restore the copy, particularly if you use a Mac.
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A 4 TB portable hard drive for a local collection of photos, videos and documents. Its name specifies USB 3.0; confirm the connection and any formatting needed for the computers you use, then check that the capacity allows for growth.
No. Apple says photos using iCloud Photos are synchronised separately from the daily iCloud Backup, while Google separates photo and video backup from Android device-data backup. Check which categories are enabled and how each would be restored.
Check the date and time of the last backup in the iCloud Backup settings. Apple says automatic iCloud Backup requires the device to be connected to power and Wi-Fi with its screen locked; photos using iCloud Photos are handled separately.
Yes. Microsoft says File History can make regular backups of libraries and added folders to an external drive or network location. Connect or configure the destination, and add any folders outside the backed-up libraries that you need to recover.
No. Synology recommends copies on separate storage media, including an off-site copy. If a NAS holds your family archive, back it up to another destination rather than relying on the NAS or its RAID arrangement alone.