People with a large cloud-photo library
If years of photos and videos are in Google Photos, iCloud Photos or Amazon Photos, check how to export them in bulk before choosing where the second copy will live. The download workflow differs by service.
Who needs a second photo copy?
The route depends on where your library lives now, how you want to access a copy and how much storage you are prepared to manage.
Households wanting a local recovery copy
An external drive gives you a copy you can disconnect and store securely between backups. For a library you could not readily replace, keep another copy in a separate location too.
Households managing several devices
A network-attached storage system, or NAS, can provide shared storage and scheduled backup workflows if someone is willing to configure and maintain it. The NAS itself still needs a separate backup destination.
What should you check before choosing?
Work out how to get the files out of the current service first. Then compare destinations against the exported library’s size, the devices you use and how you would recover a file.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Getting the files out | Check your service’s bulk-export or full-library download route, what it includes and whether later changes need a follow-up copy. Google Account Help describes a Takeout export for Photos; Apple Support describes downloading an entire iCloud Photos library to a Mac. Amazon Customer Service says its browser workflow cannot download an entire album in one action. | I have too many files to select one by one, so I need a workable export route before deciding where to store them. |
| Local capacity | Compare the export’s on-disk size with the drive’s stated capacity. Allow for new photos and videos and any temporary second copy needed when moving to a replacement drive; check the exact model rather than assuming a drive type provides enough space. | My library will keep growing, and I do not want to discover during a transfer that the destination is full. |
| Carrying and transferring | Compare a portable hard drive and SSD against the capacity you need, how often you will move the copy and the ports on your computers. Check any speed claim for the exact model and connection; a stated maximum is not a promise of transfer time. | If I regularly move large exports between devices or locations, a compact drive matters. If the copy usually stays at home, capacity may matter more to me. |
| Device compatibility | Check the drive’s connector, cable, supported devices and file system before copying files. Apple Support identifies ExFAT as a Windows-compatible format for disks over 32GB; reformatting a drive erases its existing contents. | I need to create the copy on one computer and still be able to open it on the computer I would use for recovery. |
| Shared home storage | For a NAS, check device compatibility, backup scheduling, maintenance and where a further copy will go. Synology says Hyper Backup can send NAS data to destinations including attached storage, remote NAS devices and cloud services; those destinations must be configured. | Several devices in my household need shared storage, and someone can take responsibility for checking that backups run. |
| Separate location | Decide whether an external drive can be stored elsewhere or whether a second cloud location is more practical. Check how uploads work and who can access or change that copy. The UK National Cyber Security Centre advises keeping at least one backup offline at any given time. | I want a copy that is not exposed to the same incident as the device or account holding my main library. |
| Recovery and upkeep | Check whether the route needs repeated manual exports or can run scheduled backups. After a transfer, open a sample of copied photos and videos; repeat the check as the library changes. | I need to know both that the copy is kept up to date and that I can actually open files from it. |
Which backup mistakes matter?
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Treating synchronisation as a separate backup
Apple Support says edits and deletions in iCloud Photos are reflected across devices. A synced library can therefore repeat a change you wanted to undo.
Keep an exported or downloaded copy in a separately managed location, and periodically open a sample of the copied originals.
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Choosing a drive from its headline capacity or speed alone
The space required depends on the exported files and future growth. A transfer-speed claim also does not tell you how long a copy will take with your computer, cable and port.
Measure the export on disk, leave room for growth and a possible migration copy, and check the exact drive’s connections and file-system requirements.
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Leaving the only local copy connected
The UK National Cyber Security Centre warns that viruses can affect storage connected to an infected computer. A drive kept in the same place also remains exposed to a local incident.
Check that a backup completed, safely disconnect the drive when it is not in use and keep another important copy separately.
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Assuming every service has a one-action browser download
Amazon Customer Service says its browser method requires selecting photos or videos and does not download entire albums in one action. Repeated selections can make a large export laborious.
Check the current export or desktop-download options for your own service and account before planning a migration around the browser workflow.
Which services and brands are relevant?
Your current photo service determines how the first copy can be made; storage brands and NAS software matter when choosing what happens after export.
Relevant when the main library is in Google Photos and you need to export it before making a local or separately managed copy.
- Google Account Help describes using Takeout to export data from Google products including Photos.
- Treat an archive as a snapshot and check for photos added or changed while it was being created.
Apple
Relevant when an iCloud Photos library needs to be downloaded to a Mac before it is copied elsewhere.
- Apple Support says Download Originals to this Mac can download the entire library in full resolution.
- Apple Support says edits and deletions sync across devices using iCloud Photos, so synchronisation alone does not preserve an independent copy.
Amazon
Relevant when the existing library is in Amazon Photos and the effort of downloading it will affect the storage plan.
- Amazon Customer Service documents selecting photos and videos for browser download.
- Its browser guidance says entire albums cannot be downloaded in one action; check the current options for your account before planning a large transfer.
Seagate
Its One Touch hard-drive and SSD lines illustrate two portable local-storage routes, rather than a recommendation for every library.
- Seagate describes One Touch hard drives with capacities up to 5TB and USB 3.0 connectivity.
- Seagate’s stated One Touch SSD transfer speed of up to 1,030MB/s is a manufacturer claim for that line, not a measured speed for every computer or connection.
Synology
Relevant to households considering a NAS that can send backups to a further destination.
- Synology says Hyper Backup supports destinations including attached external storage, remote NAS devices and cloud services.
- That workflow still needs suitable hardware, configuration, monitoring and a destination separate from the NAS.
External drives for a local copy
These portable SSDs and hard drives are options for storing a downloaded photo library locally. Choose capacity against the size of your own export, and keep a further copy separately rather than relying on one drive.
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Samsung Portable SSD T7 2 TB, Grey
A portable SSD option for a local copy that you may move between devices. The product name specifies USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2; check your computer’s connection and whether 2 TB leaves room for the exported library to grow.
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Samsung MU-PE1T0S 1 TB SSD, Black
This USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD offers a 1 TB destination for an exported library. Compare that capacity with the files you will copy and check the connection and file system needed for recovery.
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Western Digital My Passport Ultra 5 TB, Blue
This portable external hard drive is a 5 TB local-storage option for a large export. Check its setup and file system against the computer you will use, and confirm that the export and expected growth fit.
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Western Digital My Passport Ultra for Mac 5 TB, Silver
This 5 TB portable hard drive is the For Mac variant. If you will also restore files on a Windows computer, check the file-system and software setup before choosing it; measure the export to confirm capacity.
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SanDisk Portable SSD 2 TB
A 2 TB portable SSD option for a local photo copy. Check the connector, cable and device compatibility before planning a transfer, and compare its capacity with the export’s on-disk size and likely growth.
Photo backup questions
Can I export Google Photos without downloading each photo separately?
Yes. Google Account Help says Google Takeout can export data from products including Photos as an archive. Once it is created, check whether photos added or changed during the export process need a further copy.
How can I make a local copy of an iCloud Photos library?
On a Mac, Apple Support says Download Originals to this Mac can download the entire iCloud Photos library in full resolution. Check that the Mac has space for the download before copying the originals to an external drive.
Is iCloud Photos synchronisation an independent backup?
No. Apple Support says edits and deletions in iCloud Photos are reflected across devices using the service. Keep a separately managed copy if you need files that will not change along with the synced library.
What file system should I check for a drive shared between Mac and Windows?
Apple Support identifies ExFAT as a Windows-compatible format for disks over 32GB. Check the requirements of both computers before formatting, and move files you need to keep elsewhere first: formatting erases the drive’s contents.
Should an external photo-backup drive stay connected?
Disconnect it when a backup is complete and you are not using it. The UK National Cyber Security Centre warns that viruses can affect connected storage; disconnection does not replace another copy kept away from the same location.