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How do I back up the photos on my phone?

Backing up means keeping a copy of your photos online, so they’re safe if your phone is lost, stolen or broken. On an iPhone, turn on iCloud Photos. On an Android phone, turn on Backup in the Google Photos app. After that it happens by itself.

Beginner2 min readUpdated

What you need

  • Your phone, connected to Wi-Fi. The first backup can take a while.
  • On an iPhone, your Apple Account. On Android, your Google Account.
  • Enough online storage. Your photos count towards your iCloud storage (iPhone) or your Google Account storage, which is shared with Gmail and Google Drive (Android). If you run out, you can buy more or clear some space.

On an iPhone: iCloud Photos

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud.
  3. Tap Photos.
  4. Turn on Sync this device. Your photos and videos start uploading to iCloud.

Important: with iCloud Photos on, deleting a photo on one device deletes it everywhere. If you delete one by mistake, look in the Recently Deleted album. It stays there for 30 days.

On an Android phone: Google Photos

  1. Open the Google Photos app.
  2. Sign in to your Google Account if asked.
  3. Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right.
  4. Tap Photos settings, then Backup.
  5. Turn Backup on.

To check it worked: tap your profile picture again. When it’s finished, it says Backup complete.

If it didn’t work

  • It’s taking ages. The first backup can take hours if you have lots of photos. Leave the phone on charge and connected to Wi-Fi.
  • It says my storage is full. You’ll need to buy more online storage or delete things you don’t need.
  • Backup keeps stopping on Android. Google says backup might not work well if battery optimisation is turned on for the Photos app. Search your phone’s Settings for battery optimisation and turn it off for Photos.

Next: once your photos are safe, free up space on your phone.

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