The best way to back up family photos

The method: three copies, two places, one away from home

This is often called the 3-2-1 rule. In everyday terms:

• Three copies. The original on your phone or computer, plus two backups.
• Two different kinds of storage. For example, a cloud service and an external hard drive. If one fails, the other is unlikely to fail at the same time.
• One copy away from home. A cloud backup counts. So does a drive kept at a relative's house. A fire, flood or burglary shouldn't be able to take every copy at once.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) makes the same point for irreplaceable photos: keep a copy in the cloud and on removable media, so you can always get to them.

Step 1: Turn on automatic phone backup

This is your everyday safety net. It runs in the background, so new photos are covered without you thinking about it.

iPhone: iCloud Photos

1. Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud.
2. Tap Photos and turn on Sync this device.

Apple gives every Apple Account 5 GB of free iCloud storage, which a photo library fills quickly. iCloud+ plans cost (prices checked 22 September 2026):

All iCloud+ plans can be shared with up to five family members.

Android or iPhone: Google Photos

1. Open the Google Photos app and sign in.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right.
3. Tap Photos settings, then Backup, and turn it on.

Every Google Account includes 15 GB of free storage, shared between Google Photos, Gmail and Google Drive. Google One plans cost (prices checked 22 September 2026):

Google plans can also be shared with up to five others.

Why sync on its own isn't a backup

Both services sync: they keep every device the same. That's handy, but it also means mistakes spread.

• Apple says that when you delete photos on one device, they're deleted everywhere you use iCloud Photos.
• Google says deleting photos in the Google Photos app also deletes them from your device, and from other phones and tablets with backup turned on.

Both keep deleted items for 30 days (in Recently Deleted on iPhone, and the Bin in Google Photos). After that, they're gone. Apple also notes that iCloud Photos isn't duplicated in your iCloud backup, and advises keeping backup copies of your library.

So if a child clears out "old" photos, or someone gets into your account and deletes them, the synced copies go too. That's why you need a second, separate copy.

Step 2: Download a full copy

From iCloud Photos

• On a Mac: open Photos, choose Photos > Settings, select iCloud, then Download Originals to this Mac. The full-resolution library is then on the Mac, ready to copy to a drive.
• On iPhone or iPad: in the Photos app, go to your Library, tap Select, choose the photos, tap the Share button, then Export Unmodified Originals. You can then save them to an external drive under Locations in the Files app.
• On any computer: go to icloud.com/photos, sign in, select photos (up to 1,000 at a time) and download them.

From Google Photos

Use Google Takeout:

1. Sign in to your Google Account and go to Google Takeout (opens in a new tab).
2. Keep only Google Photos ticked, then select Next step.
3. Choose how to receive it (a download link by email is the simplest) and select Create export.
4. Download the archive when the email arrives. Google says most people get the link the same day, but it can take a few days.

Takeout can also make scheduled exports every two months for a year, if Google Photos is the only product selected.

Step 3: Keep the second copy somewhere different

Choose one:

• An external hard drive. The NCSC advises unplugging it when you're not using it, because ransomware can spread to connected drives. If your backup method offers a password, use it, in case the drive is lost. Set a calendar reminder to update it.
• A second cloud service, separate from the one that syncs your phone. If one account is locked or emptied, the other is untouched.

For the "one away from home" part, keep a drive at a relative's house and swap it on visits, or rely on the second cloud copy. If you're heading abroad, our Travel Check covers what to sort out before you go.

Step 4: Check your backup works

A backup you've never opened is a guess. The NCSC recommends checking that your backups contain your important data. Every few months:

1. Open the external drive or second cloud service on a computer.
2. Find a recent photo and an old one, and make sure both open.
3. Check that the number of photos looks about right.
4. Watch for warnings that your cloud storage is full. When it's full, new photos stop backing up.

Step 5: Plan who can get to the photos later

Family photos matter most to the people you leave behind. Both Apple and Google let you plan ahead:

• Apple Legacy Contact: go to Settings, tap your name, then Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact. The person you choose gets an access key and, with your death certificate, can request access to data such as photos. They don't need an Apple device.
• Google Inactive Account Manager: choose up to 10 people to receive parts of your account data if your account is inactive for a period you set.

A copy on a drive kept with your important papers also helps, and needs no account at all.

See how your wider setup scores with the Digital Life Score.

Sources

• Backing up your data — National Cyber Security Centre (opens in a new tab)
• Set up and use iCloud Photos — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• iCloud+ plans and pricing — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• Download iCloud photos and videos — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• How to add a Legacy Contact for your Apple Account — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• Back up photos and videos — Google Photos Help (opens in a new tab)
• Delete photos and videos — Google Photos Help (opens in a new tab)
• Plans and pricing — Google One (opens in a new tab)
• How to download your Google data — Google Account Help (opens in a new tab)
• About Inactive Account Manager — Google Account Help (opens in a new tab)

Last checked: 22 September 2026