Choose an external HDD for a large local backup that will mostly stay in one place, or a portable SSD if you frequently move large files or carry the drive. Cloud backup suits automatic off-device copies and access from signed-in devices, provided its storage allowance meets your needs; for irreplaceable files, a local drive and cloud backup give you two separate destinations. Keep an external backup drive disconnected between backup sessions and make sure you can restore files from it, as the National Cyber Security Centre advises.
The useful starting point is what you need to recover, how often you copy it and where the backup will be kept.
If losing a computer would also mean losing personal files, set up a separate copy that you can restore. An automatic routine may matter more to you than a drive's advertised transfer speed. The National Cyber Security Centre advises making regular backups and checking that restoration works.
Capacity matters if you retain a growing library; transfer speed matters more when you repeatedly move large files. Which? describes SSDs as faster than HDDs, while noting that HDDs are suited to long-term file backups.
A cloud backup can put files in a separate location and, with a suitable service, make them accessible from another signed-in device. A removable external drive offers a local copy that you can disconnect after backing up, in line with National Cyber Security Centre advice.
Decide where the recoverable copy will live first, then check capacity and the connection or account needed to keep that copy up to date.
Choose it when: You want a large local archive or routine backup and can keep the drive protected in one place.
Bear in mind: Which? describes HDDs as slower than SSDs and more susceptible to damage from bumps because they have moving parts.
Choose it when: You frequently move large photo or video files or carry your local copy.
Bear in mind: A faster drive still needs a compatible computer connection, and one portable copy is not a complete backup routine.
Choose it when: Automatic off-device copies and access from signed-in devices matter more than keeping the only copy locally.
Bear in mind: Check the account's available space and confirm that the files you need are included in its backup settings.
Choose both when: Your photos or documents are irreplaceable and you want copies in separate locations.
Bear in mind: You must maintain both routines and know how to restore from each. The National Cyber Security Centre advises disconnecting a removable backup drive when it is not needed.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Recoverability | Choose a destination separate from the original files. Check what is backed up, when copies are made and how to restore one; disconnect a removable drive between sessions, as the National Cyber Security Centre advises. | I need to get my photos and documents back if the computer is lost or its files become unusable. |
| Capacity | Allow room for the files and future backups. For Time Machine, Apple recommends an external disk with at least twice the Mac's storage capacity. Google says its standard 15 GB allowance is shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos. | My photo library is growing, so I need to check the space available for backups rather than the destination's headline capacity alone. |
| Speed and portability | Check the drive type, computer port and cable for frequent large transfers. Which? says SSDs are faster than HDDs and have no moving parts; a quoted maximum for a particular SSD still depends on its connection requirements. | If I regularly move large videos or carry a backup, transfer time and protection from everyday knocks matter to me. |
| Access to private files | Consider whether the backup should be encrypted and keep its password recoverable. Apple says the password is needed to restore an encrypted Time Machine backup. | A portable copy of sensitive files could be misplaced, but I also need to be able to unlock it when restoring. |
A USB-C plug alone does not establish the transfer standard or the speed your computer can achieve. Samsung says the stated maximum speeds for its T7 Shield require a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection and UASP support.
Check the computer's port specification, the drive interface and the cable before choosing a high-speed SSD for frequent large transfers.
A permanently connected copy can be exposed alongside the computer's files. The National Cyber Security Centre advises keeping a backup device disconnected when it is not needed and checking that files can be restored.
Set a backup routine, confirm that a copy can be opened or restored, then safely disconnect the drive. Consider a separate cloud copy for irreplaceable files.
Google says its standard 15 GB allowance is shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos. Space used by email and other files therefore reduces what remains for photo backups.
Check your current library and account usage, then make sure the available allowance can accommodate future backups.
An encrypted Time Machine backup needs its password for restoration, according to Apple. Losing access to that password can prevent you from using the copy when you need it.
When encrypting a backup, keep the password or recovery details somewhere secure that you can access separately from the drive.
These brands illustrate different drive and backup workflows; their guidance does not mean every product or service in a brand's range has the same features.
Samsung's T7 Shield is an example of a portable SSD for users interested in frequent large-file transfers.
Apple's Time Machine guidance is relevant when the intended purchase is a Mac backup disk rather than just space for manually copied files.
Google Photos is relevant when automatic off-device photo and video backup and access from signed-in devices are priorities.
These portable and desktop drives offer local destinations for photo, document or computer backups. Choose the capacity and form that suit your routine, then check the intended computer and backup software before setting up a drive; a local-drive choice does not replace the cloud decision above.
No image available
A portable local-drive option for a Mac user keeping a sizeable photo or document backup. The title identifies a 5TB external hard drive for Mac; confirm compatibility with your intended backup software, including Time Machine if you plan to use it.
No image available
A portable SSD option for keeping a local copy of a larger library and moving files between backup sessions. Its title specifies USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (3.1 Gen 2); check your computer's USB support if transfer speed matters. Do not apply specifications for the separate T7 Shield model to this T7.
No image available
A portable 2TB local-storage option if you want to carry copies of photos or other files. Confirm the USB connection and compatibility with your computer and chosen backup software before setting up your routine.
No image available
A portable HDD option for keeping a larger local photo or document archive. Its title specifies USB 3.0; if you intend to use it with a Mac or another non-Windows computer, check the file format and backup setup before moving existing files onto it.
No image available
A desktop external hard drive to consider for a large archive kept beside a computer rather than carried around. Its title identifies 10TB of storage; plan where it will sit and check its power and computer setup, including formatting requirements for your intended operating system.
For Time Machine, Apple recommends a backup disk with at least twice the Mac's storage capacity. That recommendation applies to a Time Machine workflow; for manually copied folders, check the size of the files you intend to retain and allow for growth.
Check the disk format and both backup applications before setting it up. Apple says Time Machine cannot back up to a Windows-formatted disk without reformatting it, so first safeguard any files already on the disk: reformatting erases its contents. Manually copying files across the two systems may have different format requirements.
Consider encryption when the drive contains sensitive information that someone else could access if it were lost. The Information Commissioner's Office advises using encryption when storing or transmitting personal data; for an encrypted Time Machine backup, Apple says you will need the password to restore files. Keep that password securely accessible apart from the drive.
It can provide an off-device copy if backup is switched on, the relevant photos are included and the account has space. Google says its standard 15 GB allowance is shared across Drive, Gmail and Photos. For irreplaceable photos, a separate local copy gives you another destination to restore from if access to the cloud copy becomes a problem.
Disconnecting it between backup sessions reduces its exposure alongside a computer affected by ransomware. The National Cyber Security Centre advises that a backup device should not be permanently connected; make a regular copy, check that you can restore files, then safely disconnect the drive.