Over the years, I’ve spoken to plenty of people who’ve lost their iPhone – and with it, years of irreplaceable photos. It’s a painful conversation when you have to tell someone that, unless there’s a backup, losing a phone full of locally stored photos is the modern equivalent of someone decades ago tipping every photo album they ever owned into the bin.
That might not be you – in which case, good job. But even those of us who do back up photos could probably do more. And if you’re not yet taking any steps to protect your images, now’s the time to start. Here are my recommendations for doing so.
Share the love
This isn’t a sensible strategy for safeguarding photos at scale. But sharing a photo does immediately create a copy of it in the wild. Send an image over Messages and the recipient should receive it in full quality. However, be aware that some platforms will reduce and compress the original image, eroding quality and detail. Still, an important photo you can recover from Facebook is better than one that’s gone for good.
Back up your iPhone
If you’re not already backing up your iPhone to iCloud, start today. Head to Settings > iCloud > iCloud Backup to get started. Once the backup is complete, this will mean you can recover your vital data to a new device. Backups will happen overnight when your iPhone is being charged. Note that if you lack enough iCloud storage, you’ll need to buy more. But a small monthly fee beats losing years of memories forever.
Use iCloud Photos
An iCloud backup includes your photo library. But there’s another – arguably better – option: iCloud Photos. It’s important to know this is sync, not backup. That means every photo and video you shoot will be available on any device signed into your Apple Account with iCloud Photos enabled. However, it also means deleting a photo on one device deletes it everywhere, so be mindful of that potential pitfall.
Add Google Photos
A key principle of backing up is redundancy. The more copies you have, the better. Google Photos makes a solid secondary archive for iPhone photos. The free tier covers up to 15GB. If your photo library’s larger, you’ll have to pay. Also, assuming you want Google Photos to be a ‘silent’ extra copy while you continue to use Apple’s Photos for management, never use the ‘free up space’ option, because that removes local copies and can clash with iCloud.
Back up to a PC or Mac
When using iCloud Photos, head to Settings > iCloud > Photos (under Saved to iCloud) and turn on Optimise iPhone Storage if your iPhone’s running low on space. Full-quality images will then be downloaded on demand. However, if you own a Mac or PC, keep a full local copy of everything. In Photos (Mac) or iCloud for Windows (PC) with iCloud Photos sync on, disable the optimise option. Again, you’ll need sufficient storage space, but on a Mac you can at least move your library to an external drive. (Note: if you’re not using iCloud Photos, you can still connect your iPhone directly and manually import images into your computer.)
Use external storage
Speaking of external storage, that’s another option for protecting your photos, especially if you don’t have a Mac or PC. Modern iPhones with USB-C ports can power portable SSDs like the Samsung T7 directly. To save to a drive, open Photos, select your images, tap the share button, and choose Save to Files. Tap the back arrow until you reach Browse, select your drive under Locations, create a folder if you like (… > New Folder), and tap Save. This approach is entirely manual, which means it’s easy to forget. If it’s your main protection method, set a recurring reminder and stick to it.
Back up your PC or Mac
This might be starting to sound like ‘Backupception’, but bear with me. Because if the full-quality copies of your photos live on your computer, that computer should also be backed up. This, of course, has the handy additional benefit of safeguarding all your computer’s locally saved data. The simplest method is to plug in an SSD and use the built-in system your Mac or PC offers, but plenty of third-party backup tools are available too. (I currently use Carbon Copy Cloner (£38.75) on Mac.) Also consider an offsite service like Backblaze ($99 per year) to protect your digital pics against disasters like device theft and fire damage.
Print your photos
Physical media is having a revival as people get more into tactile objects with a sense of permanence and tire of ephemeral digital content. Today, it’s trivial and affordable to print your photos. Find an online print service that will ship snaps to you and make a few old-school albums. Alternatively, get your photos on to the wall. IKEA FISKBO 15x10cm/4x6in frames cost a mere $2/£1 each and are light enough to hang using Velcro strips – ideal for a quick photo wall. For standout shots, many services offer high-end framed prints and canvases too.
Add legacy contacts
All these backups may mean little if nobody can access your data after you’re gone. Admittedly, that’s not a cheery note to end on, but it is an important one. Fortunately, Apple’s Legacy Contact feature makes it easy to nominate someone who can request access to your data if you pass away, and that includes iCloud Photos. To set this up, go to Settings > Apple Account > Sign-In & Security > Legacy Contact. Apple explains online how to request access and the specific data that can be accessed. It’s a small step, but it ensures your photos and the stories they tell won’t disappear with you.
Related reading
- How to make sure you never lose your photos again (backup, backup, backup)
- What I want to see from iPhone photography in 2026
- Want better mental health? Look at more photos…
- Here’s what I’ve learned from taking 200,000 photos in 25 years
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