Your whole photo library, on your own drive.
Photo Backup to Hard Drive copies every photo and video on your iPhone or iPad to an external SSD, hard drive, flash drive or SD card, including the full-size originals kept in iCloud. It picks up where it stopped, copies only what's new next time, and checks every file it writes. No computer, no account, no subscription.
One purchase (US$9.99 in the US store). No subscription, no ads, no account. iPhone and iPad, iOS 17 or later. In English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese.
Originals from iCloud.
If your device keeps only small versions (Optimize Storage), the full-size originals are downloaded from iCloud and copied, not skipped. The report says how many came from iCloud.
Picks up where it stopped.
Close the app, run out of battery or pull the drive out: the next backup carries on from there. A manifest on the drive records every finished file, so nothing is copied twice.
Checks every file.
Each file is read back after it's written and its SHA-256 checksum compared with what your library sent. A file that doesn't match is copied again.
Only what's new, next time.
Later backups copy new photos and new edits and leave everything already on the drive alone.
Keeps going after you leave the app.
On iOS 26 and later the backup keeps running when you switch to another app. On earlier versions it runs while the app is open and keeps the screen on.
Every file of every photo.
The original, the edited version and its edit data, the RAW of a RAW+JPEG pair and the video of a Live Photo, kept together under one name.
Three steps, then it runs by itself.
- Plug in a drive. An external SSD or hard drive, a flash drive, or an SD card in a reader. Any drive the Files app can see.
- Choose a folder on it. Pick it once in the Files picker. The app remembers it and tells you when the drive isn't connected.
- Tap Back Up Now. When it finishes, a report shows what was copied, what came from iCloud, what was already there and anything it had to skip.
Files go into year and month folders that any computer can read, named with the date and the original file name:
2024/06/20240612_183204_IMG_4821.HEIC 2024/06/20240612_183204_IMG_4821.MOV the Live Photo's video 2024/06/20240612_183204_IMG_4821_edited.HEIC your edit, next to the original Photo Backup manifest.jsonl every file with its SHA-256 checksum
Common questions
How do I back up my iPhone photos to an external hard drive without a computer?
Plug in a drive the Files app can see, open Photo Backup to Hard Drive, choose a folder on the drive and tap Back Up Now. It copies every photo and video, including originals kept in iCloud, and shows a report at the end. Later backups copy only what's new.
Does it copy photos that are only in iCloud (Optimize iPhone Storage)?
Yes. When your device keeps only a smaller version, the app asks Photos for the original, Photos downloads it from iCloud, and then it is copied to the drive. Those files need an internet connection, and a large library can take hours. The report counts how many originals came from iCloud.
What happens if the drive is unplugged or the app closes during a backup?
The backup stops and the report says why, for example "drive disconnected". Every finished file is already listed in the manifest on the drive, so when you plug it back in and tap Back Up Now, it carries on from there and copies nothing twice. A file that was half written is written again from the start.
Which drives and formats work?
Any drive or folder the Files app can write to: external SSDs and hard drives, flash drives, SD cards in a reader, or a folder on the device. Apple says an external drive needs a single partition formatted as APFS, APFS (encrypted), Mac OS Extended, exFAT, FAT32 or FAT, and that a hard drive without its own power may need a powered USB hub. exFAT and APFS hold files of any size; FAT32 can't hold files over 4 GB, and the report lists any it had to skip.
Will it copy the same photos again next time?
No. It compares your library with the manifest on the drive and copies only new photos and videos, and new versions of photos you have edited. A file that has gone missing from the drive is copied again.
How do I know the copies are good?
Each file is read back after it is written, and its SHA-256 checksum is compared with the bytes Photos delivered. A file that doesn't match is copied again; if it fails twice, the report lists it as a problem. The manifest keeps every file's checksum, so you can check the drive later on a computer.
Does it keep Live Photos, edits and RAW files?
Yes. A Live Photo's still and video, the edited version and its edit data, and the RAW of a RAW+JPEG pair are all copied and share one name, so they sort together. Your original is never replaced by the edit.
Is there a subscription? Is anything uploaded?
No subscription: it is one purchase (US$9.99 in the US store). Nothing is uploaded: the app has no server, account, ads or analytics. Your photos go only to the drive you choose; the only network use is Photos downloading your own originals from iCloud.
Can I use my phone while it backs up?
On iOS 26 and later, yes: you can leave the app and the backup keeps going. On iOS 17 to 25 it runs while the app is open and keeps the screen on; if you switch away it pauses, and it carries on when you come back.
Can't I just use the Photos app?
Photos can save a selection of photos to a folder in Files with Share and Save to Files. For a whole library that is slow by hand, starts over if it stops, keeps no record of what is already on the drive and doesn't check the copies. Photo Backup to Hard Drive does all of that for every item in your library.
Your whole photo library, on your own drive.