For family photos and home videos, keep a recoverable local copy and another copy in a separate location or cloud account rather than relying on one device or a synced library. Cloud backup suits households that need automatic copying from phones; an external drive offers direct local access, while a NAS makes more sense when someone can maintain it and back it up separately. Whichever route you choose, check that videos are included and that you can restore the files you care about.
If most family pictures begin on a phone, automatic copying and a way to retrieve the library after a lost or replaced device matter more than simply having somewhere to move files occasionally. Check the phone app’s access to both photos and videos, then confirm that recent uploads have completed.
Years of clips and high-resolution photographs make capacity, transfer connections and room for future files practical buying questions. Measure the existing library before choosing a drive or cloud allowance, especially if retaining original-quality files matters to you.
A local drive or managed NAS can give a household a copy outside its main photo account, provided someone keeps the copying routine going. The National Archives recommends regular backups and copies in different places; a drive beside the main computer does not meet the different-locations part of that approach.
Choose how new files will be captured, then decide where an independent copy will live and who will check that it can be restored.
Choose it when: New photos need to be copied automatically from phones and accessed on other devices.
Allow for: Account access, internet access and the difference between an independent backup and changes synced across a library.
Choose it when: You regularly move large video files or want a compact local copy you can store away from the computer.
Allow for: A copying routine and another location or destination; any stated transfer speed depends on a compatible connection.
Choose it when: A growing collection needs a local destination, particularly for computer-based backups.
Allow for: Connection and file-system checks, regular copying and a second copy elsewhere.
Choose it when: Several household devices need a shared library and someone can administer scheduled backups.
Allow for: Updates, account management, recovery checks and a separate backup destination for the NAS itself.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic recovery | Confirm that photos and videos upload, uploads finish, and files can be downloaded or restored. | If my phone is lost or replaced, I need recent pictures to exist somewhere I can retrieve them. About 33% of consumers put automatic capture and recovery first. |
| Capacity and original quality | Measure the library, allow room for growth and check upload-quality settings or drive capacity. | When years of home videos keep adding up, I want space for the collection without unintentionally reducing the originals. Preserving capacity and quality is the main concern for about 27% of consumers. |
| Independent copies | Check that a copy remains recoverable outside the synced library and, where practical, in another location. | If one account becomes inaccessible or something happens at home, I do not want every copy affected at once. About 27% of consumers primarily need that separation and control. |
| Shared-library upkeep | Agree who manages access, file organisation, backup jobs and recovery checks. | With several people adding files, I need someone to know where the family library lives and whether its backups are running. Shared access and administration come first for about 13% of consumers. |
Changes can follow the library across devices. Apple says deleting an item from iCloud Photos also deletes it on other devices using that library; after its Recently Deleted period, the deletion becomes permanent.
Keep a separately recoverable copy outside the synced library and try retrieving files from it.
A growing video collection can exceed the space you set aside. Upload-quality settings also affect what is preserved: Google says its Storage saver setting can resize photos above 16 MP and videos above 1080p.
Check your library’s current size, allow for growth and select the quality setting you intend to use before settling on storage capacity.
A second device in the same place can still be affected by an incident at home. The National Archives recommends copies in different places, not merely on different devices.
Keep another copy in a separate safe location where practical, or use an independently recoverable cloud or off-site destination. Check periodically that the files open.
A shared library and version history do not, on their own, provide a copy elsewhere. If the NAS is the only destination, recovery still depends on it remaining available.
Choose a separate destination for NAS backups and assign someone to maintain schedules, access and restore checks.
That separate destination also needs enough storage for the files you intend to protect.
iCloud Photos is relevant when a household mainly uses Apple devices and wants its photo library available across them.
Google Photos is relevant to households considering account-based photo and video backup across their devices.
Samsung’s portable SSD range is relevant when a household wants a compact, directly connected local copy.
Seagate’s Backup Plus portable hard drives are relevant to computer-based local photo and video backups.
Synology NAS and Hyper Backup are relevant to households willing to manage shared storage and its backups.
These portable SSDs and hard drives are options for keeping a local copy of family photos and videos. Pair the drive you choose with a copying routine and another recoverable copy where practical.
Image unavailable
Consider this portable SSD if you want a local destination for a large photo and video collection.
The named configuration is 4 TB with USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2. Check your device connection and preferred copying routine, and keep another recoverable copy separately.
Image unavailable
This portable hard drive is a local-storage option for a sizeable collection when the household uses a Mac.
Its named capacity is 5 TB. If you also need to move files between Mac and Windows computers, check the required file format and workflow before buying.
Image unavailable
Consider this drive for a computer-based local copy when 4 TB accommodates your current library and expected additions.
The product name specifies USB 3.0. Check the connection, operating-system format and how you will copy new files regularly.
Image unavailable
This portable drive may suit a local photo and video copy if the library and planned growth fit within its 2 TB capacity.
Confirm its connection and any backup software work with your computer; a drive kept at home should not be the only separate copy.
Image unavailable
Consider this portable SSD for a compact local copy after checking that 1 TB leaves enough room for your library to grow.
The named connection is USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2. Confirm it works with the devices used to copy your files, and maintain another copy separately.
No: keep a separate backup copy. Apple says changes and deletions in iCloud Photos appear across devices, deleted items become permanent after the 30-day Recently Deleted period, and photos uploaded to iCloud Photos are not duplicated in iCloud Backup.
Google says its Original quality setting retains captured resolution, provided you have enough Google Account storage. Its Storage saver setting can resize videos above 1080p and photos above 16 MP, so check the selected setting before relying on an upload as your original copy.
Keep track of which account holds the library, how its owner can recover access and where separate copies are stored. For access to certain Apple Account data after the owner’s death, Apple offers a Legacy Contact feature that must be set up in advance; it does not replace an independently accessible backup.
The Information Commissioner’s Office says the UK GDPR does not apply to processing carried out purely for personal or household activities, giving a family photo album as an example. That does not settle what safeguards suit your files: consider device access, account passwords and sharing permissions when choosing where to keep copies.
Not through the former direct connection: Microsoft says Samsung Gallery’s direct OneDrive sync ended on 30 September 2026. Microsoft directs users towards OneDrive Camera Backup instead; check that it uses the intended account and includes the photos and videos you want copied.