How to Back Up Family Photos So You Never Lose Them
Back up scanned and restored family photos with the 3-2-1 rule: cloud, external drives and off-site copies, plus how to check backups and share access.
By Ayoub Farid · · 2 min read
After hours of scanning and restoring, losing your family archive to a dead hard drive or a lost phone would be devastating. Backups are boring, but they're the only thing that makes digitizing truly protective.
The 3-2-1 rule
- 3 copies of every photo.
- 2 different types of storage (e.g. a computer and an external drive, or a drive and the cloud).
- 1 copy off-site (cloud, or a drive at a relative's house).
A simple setup for families
| Copy | Where | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Your computer or phone library | Working copy |
| 2 | External drive at home | Copy monthly |
| 3 | Cloud service (iCloud, Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive…) | Automatic sync |
| Bonus | Drive at a relative's house | Update yearly |
Cloud backup tips
- Check that "original quality" is enabled. Some services compress photos to save space.
- Sync isn't backup. If you delete a photo, sync deletes it everywhere. Keep at least one copy that isn't synced.
- Know your account recovery. Losing access to an account can mean losing the photos.
External drives
- Use two drives and alternate them, if possible.
- Drives fail without warning; replace them every few years.
- Keep one off-site.
What about old CDs, DVDs and memory cards?
They degrade and the devices to read them are disappearing. Copy them to current storage now. See enhancing old digital camera photos and restoring old phone photos.
Back up originals and restored versions
Keep both: the untouched scans and the restored/colorized versions from tools like Refixo. If you ever want to restore again with better technology, you'll need the originals.
Check your backups
Twice a year:
- Open a random set of photos from each backup.
- Make sure new folders were copied.
- Check the cloud storage isn't full.
Share access in the family
Make sure at least one other person knows where the backups are and how to access them. A great archive that only one person can open is fragile. Shared albums also help (see sharing restored photos with family).
Related: organizing digital family photos, saving photos after a flood.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best way to back up family photos?
Follow 3-2-1: three copies, two storage types, one off-site, such as computer, external drive and cloud.
Is iCloud enough as a backup?
It's a good off-site copy, but sync isn't a full backup. Keep an additional copy on a drive.
How long do external hard drives last?
They can fail at any time; many last several years. Replace them periodically and keep two.
Should I print photos as a backup?
Prints of the most important photos are a good extra safeguard, especially archival prints.
Restore it in seconds
Bring your old photos back to life
Refixo's AI removes scratches, tears and stains, sharpens faces and colorizes black & white photos in seconds. Free to download on iPhone and iPad, with a 3-day free trial.
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