WhatsApp
Of all the things we help rescue, photos are the ones that matter most to people. Holidays, grandchildren, weddings, pets that are no longer with us. They are irreplaceable, and yet they usually live in just one place, on a phone that could be dropped, lost or stolen at any moment. The good news is that protecting them is easier than you might think.
The simple rule worth remembering
The old advice still holds up nicely: keep your photos in more than one place. If they exist only on your phone, one accident loses everything. If they also exist in the cloud and on a backup at home, you are very well protected. You do not need to be technical to manage this, just to set it up once.
Let your phone back up automatically
Both iPhones and Android phones can automatically copy every photo you take to the cloud, either iCloud or Google Photos. Once it is switched on it happens quietly in the background, so even if your phone is lost, your photos are safe and you can see them from any device. There is usually a small monthly cost once you have a lot of photos, but it is money very well spent.
Keep a copy at home too
Clouds are convenient, but it is reassuring to have your own copy as well. Copying your photos onto an external hard drive or a USB stick now and then gives you a backup you physically hold, independent of any account or subscription. We often set this up for people so it is a simple, occasional job rather than a mystery.
Do not forget older photos
Many people have precious photos scattered across old computers, memory cards, and even boxes of prints in the loft. These are the most vulnerable of all, because they exist in only one fragile place. Gathering them together and backing them up, and scanning old prints while you are at it, is one of the most worthwhile tech jobs you can do.
- ●Photos in only one place are one accident away from gone
- ●Turn on automatic cloud backup on your phone
- ●Keep your own copy on a hard drive at home as well
- ●Round up and protect older photos and prints too