Phones get lost, stolen or broken, and “I thought it was backed up” is one of the saddest sentences in tech. The 3-2-1 rule keeps photos safe: 3 copies, on 2 different kinds of storage, with 1 in another place.
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Copy 1: the phone itself
That is your working copy — not a backup.
Copy 2: automatic cloud backup
- Android: Google Photos → profile icon → Photos settings → Backup → on.
- iPhone: Settings → your name → iCloud → Photos → Sync this iPhone.
- Check the storage quota — free tiers fill up, and backups quietly stop when they do.
Copy 3: a local copy you control
Every month or two, copy photos to a computer or an external drive (connect by USB, or download from the cloud service’s website). Keep that drive somewhere other than where the phone usually is.
⚠️ Syncing is not the same as backing up: if a sync service is set to mirror, deleting a photo on the phone can delete it from the cloud too. Check how your service handles deletions, and keep the separate local copy.
Test it
Once a year, open a few old photos from the backup — on a different device. A backup you have never restored is only a hope.