Back Up Your Phone and Computer in 10 Minutes

I've seen too many people lose every photo of their kids because a phone fell in a pool or a laptop wouldn't turn on. Setting up a backup takes about 10 minutes, and then it mostly runs on its own.

The simple rule

Keep your important stuff in at least two places. Your device is one. A backup is the second. For things you can't replace, like family photos and business files, a third copy (a cloud service plus an external drive) is even better.

iPhone and iPad

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap iCloud, then iCloud Backup, and turn it on.
3. Tap Back Up Now for the first one.

Backups happen automatically when your phone is charging, locked and on Wi-Fi. If iCloud says you're out of space, the 50 GB plan costs about a dollar a month and is enough for most people.

Android

1. Open Settings and search for Backup.
2. Turn on Backup by Google One (the name can vary a little by phone).
3. Open the Google Photos app and make sure Backup is turned on so your pictures and videos are saved too.

Mac

1. Plug in an external drive with at least twice as much space as your Mac.
2. When the Mac asks if you want to use it for Time Machine, say yes. If it doesn't ask, open System Settings, search for Time Machine and add the drive.
3. Leave the drive plugged in (or plug it in once a week). Time Machine does the rest.

Windows

1. Click Start and search for Windows Backup.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account and choose which folders to back up (Desktop, Documents and Pictures at minimum).
3. For a second copy, use an external drive with File History: search for it in Start, then turn it on.

Test it once

A backup you've never checked is a guess. Once it's set up, try restoring one photo or file to make sure it's really there.

Want it done for you?

We can set up backups on every device in your house in one visit, so photos and files are protected without you having to think about it.