Choose a backup route you can run regularly and restore from: an external hard drive suits a home-based local copy, a portable SSD suits frequent transfers, a network-attached storage device suits a shared household library, and cloud storage suits automatic uploads and access away from home. None should be the only copy. Keep another copy separately protected, check a small restore, and download or export originals before deleting anything from a cloud-photo library.
If family photos mainly live on a phone or in one cloud account, a separate copy gives you another way to retrieve them. Apple says deletions in iCloud Photos also remove content from devices using iCloud Photos, so synchronisation alone is a different arrangement from keeping an independent backup.
If you are moving an existing collection, check the files you receive before changing the source library. Apple offers full-resolution downloads and an option to export unmodified originals, but warns that a direct iCloud Photos transfer to another service may omit Smart Albums, Live Photos or some RAW files.
When photos come from several phones and computers, a shared destination can reduce the need to remember individual transfers. Synology describes mobile uploads to its NAS devices, but a household using one still needs to configure a separate backup destination.
Start by identifying where the original photos and videos live and how you will make an independent copy. Then compare capacity, the effort of capturing new files, and how you would retrieve them after losing access to a device or account.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Originals and independent copies | Check the source service’s original-file export options; restore a sample of photos and videos before changing the source library. | If my family’s photos live mainly in a phone or cloud account, I need a copy I can open without that account. Around 36% of consumers put an independently usable export first. |
| Capacity for a growing library | Measure downloaded originals, including videos, and allow room for future files; check whether a cloud quota is shared with other account data. | When our videos keep accumulating, I want storage that accommodates the full library rather than just what appears on a space-saving phone. Capacity is the primary concern for around 29% of consumers. |
| Routine uploads and retrieval | Confirm which phones and computers can contribute files automatically, and try retrieving a file through the proposed workflow. | If several people add photos from different devices, I need a routine the household will actually keep using. Around 21% of consumers prioritise automatic capture and shared retrieval. |
| Carrying and protecting a copy | Check the exact drive’s connection and available encryption; plan where to keep a separate copy and its recovery credentials. | If I carry a backup between locations, I need to account for loss as well as being able to open it later. Protection and portability come first for around 14% of consumers. |
A synchronised library can pass changes and deletions to other devices; Apple says this happens with devices using iCloud Photos. One account or connected device can therefore remain a single point of failure.
Keep a copy with a separate recovery path. The National Cyber Security Centre advises against leaving every backup connected at the same time.
Space-saving device versions need not reflect the size of the original library. Google says Original-quality media counts towards shared Google Account storage, while its Storage saver setting can resize larger photos and videos.
Measure the downloaded originals and videos, then consider future additions before choosing drive capacity or a cloud quota.
Apple warns that Smart Albums, Live Photos and some RAW files may not be available after an iCloud Photos transfer to another service.
If those items matter, export originals locally and check a sample of formats, dates and videos at the destination before altering the source library.
A NAS can bring household files together, but it remains at home unless another destination is configured. Synology describes backing up its NAS devices to other locations as a separate step.
Set up that additional destination and periodically test restoring both an individual photo and a folder.
Google Photos is relevant when a household already uses automatic uploads or wants cloud access alongside a separate export.
Apple’s export options matter to households moving photos from iPhone, iPad or iCloud Photos to local storage.
Synology’s NAS and photo software are relevant to a household prepared to maintain a shared storage device.
QNAP is another NAS route for bringing household phone and computer backups together.
Samsung’s portable SSD range is relevant when a household wants a local copy it can carry between locations.
These choices cover portable local copies, a desktop external drive and a diskless NAS for shared home storage. Compare each with the size of your exported library and the way your household will make and restore another copy.
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Consider this for a local copy you need to carry between compatible devices. Its listed capacity is 2 TB, and the name specifies USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (3.1 Gen 2); check your device’s port and file-system requirements before relying on it for transfers.
Measure the exported library against 2 TB and keep another copy separately protected.
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This portable external hard drive is a local-copy option for a household comparing its photo and video library with a listed 5 TB capacity. If you use a Mac as well as a Windows computer, confirm the intended file-system and backup workflow before copying your library.
Keep a separately located copy rather than relying on the drive alone.
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Consider this portable SSD if you plan to carry or rotate a local photo copy. Compare its listed 2 TB capacity with the size of your exported originals, and check connection compatibility and encryption options if either matters to your routine.
A portable copy still needs another separately protected destination.
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This desktop external hard drive suits a backup routine based at a home computer rather than a drive carried between locations. Its listed capacity is 10 TB; compare that with the original library and confirm the intended computer’s backup and formatting requirements.
Arrange another separately protected copy, especially if this drive normally remains connected at home.
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Consider this for a shared household photo destination if you are prepared to set up and maintain a NAS. It is a two-bay diskless model: choose compatible drives separately and work out the resulting usable capacity before treating it as storage for your library.
Configure a separate backup destination for the NAS and test that you can restore files from it.
It can hold a copy, but do not assume it gives you an independent way to recover every photo. Google says Photos can automatically upload media to an account, while Apple says deletions in iCloud Photos also remove content from devices using that service. Keep another copy you can retrieve separately.
Apple documents an Export Unmodified Originals option that lets you choose an external storage location through the Files app. For an iCloud Photos library on a Mac, Apple also documents Download Originals to this Mac; check copied photos and videos before removing anything from the source.
Do not rely on that transfer to preserve every feature. Apple says Smart Albums, Live Photos and some RAW files may not be available at the destination, and changes made during the transfer may not be included. Check important items individually or export originals locally.
No. A NAS gives a household a central storage destination, but a separate copy is still needed for an incident affecting the home device or location. The National Cyber Security Centre advises keeping copies across devices with one offsite and avoiding a situation where all backups are connected at once.
Use available encryption if the drive could be lost or stolen, particularly when it contains identifiable family photos. The Information Commissioner’s Office says encryption helps protect stored information from unauthorised access in that situation; keep the password or recovery key separately so you can still restore your files.