Contents
In short
Important data should exist in at least one second place, ideally one of them separate from the device. What matters is not the product but that restoring actually works.
What is it?
A backup is a regular copy of your data in another place – for example in the cloud or on an external drive. With versioning you can also return to an older state.
Who is it useful for?
Anyone with photos, documents or memories that must not be lost.
What does it protect against?
- Device loss, theft or failure
- Encryption by ransomware, if the backup is kept separate
- Accidental deletion
What does it not protect against?
- Pure sync that immediately copies deletions everywhere
- A permanently connected drive that gets encrypted too
- Untested backups that cannot be restored
What you can do for free
- 01Turn on the built-in backup on your phone and computer
- 02Use free cloud storage for the essentials
- 03Disconnect the external drive after backing up
Backing up photos and documents automatically
- Turn on your phone's automatic photo backup and check that it actually runs
- Group important documents (ID copies, contracts, certificates) in their own folder and back them up separately
- Remember: cloud sync is not a complete backup – deletions are copied too
- Keep an additional separate copy, for example on an external drive that you disconnect afterwards
- Occasionally test restoring one photo and one document
When is an extra product worth it?
More cloud storage or dedicated backup software is worth it when your data grows or you want to back up several devices centrally.
What to check when choosing
- Automatic, regular backups
- Versioning over several days or weeks
- Encryption and MFA on the backup account
- Simple, tested restore
We deliberately name no products and publish no rankings.
Common mistakes
- Confusing sync with backup
- Never testing the backup
- Keeping the only copy in the same room as the original
Checklist
- Phone backup on
- Computer backup on
- One copy separate from the device
- Restore tested once
Frequently asked questions
How often should I back up?
As often as you can tolerate losing data. Automatic daily backups are a good starting point.
Is the cloud safe enough?
For many people, yes, if the account has MFA and versions are kept. An extra offline copy adds safety.
Sources
Checked on 6 Oct 2026.