How to back up the photos on your iPhone

Your photos are some of the few things on your phone that you truly cannot replace. Phones get lost, dropped or stop working, so it is well worth knowing your memories are safely backed up somewhere else.

Here are the three simplest ways to do it. You only really need one of them, but having two copies is even better.

Option 1: iCloud Photos (easiest on an iPhone)

This keeps your photos in sync with Apple’s iCloud whenever you are on Wi-Fi. It is worth knowing this is syncing, not a separate backup: if you delete a photo on your iPhone, it can also disappear from iCloud. That is one good reason to keep a second copy as well.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name at the very top.
3. Tap iCloud, then Photos.
4. Turn on Sync this iPhone (older phones say “iCloud Photos”).

Your iPhone usually needs to be on Wi-Fi, charged, and to have enough iCloud space for this to finish. Apple gives you a small amount of free space, and if you have a lot of photos you may be asked to pay a small monthly fee for more, which many people find worth it.

Option 2: Google Photos (works on any phone)

Google Photos is free to install. Your Google account comes with 15 GB of storage shared across Google Photos, Gmail and Google Drive, and you can pay for more if you need it.

1. Install Google Photos from the App Store.
2. Sign in with a Google account, or create one.
3. Turn on Backup when it asks.

Your photos then back up to Google, and you can see them on any phone, tablet or computer by signing in.

Option 3: Copy them to a computer or USB stick

If you would rather keep your own copy at home:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with its cable. If it asks you to “Trust This Computer”, tap Trust and enter your passcode.
2. On Windows, open Photos or File Explorer and import. On a Mac, open the Photos app and import.
3. Once they have copied across, you can also save them to a USB stick or external drive.

How to check they are really backed up

It is worth proving to yourself that the backup worked:

• For iCloud or Google, sign in on another device and check your photos are there.
• For a computer copy, open the folder and make sure the photos actually open.

And before you ever delete photos from your phone to free up space, always check they are safely backed up somewhere else first.

The golden rule: keep two copies

The safest plan is two copies in two places, for example iCloud plus a copy on a computer. Then if anything ever happens to your phone, your memories are safe.

If you would like a hand setting any of this up, or you are worried your photos are not backed up, this is one of the most common things I help with. You can read more about my photo backup and data transfer help in your home around Falkirk.