Support
Help for backing up your iPhone or iPad photo library to an external drive.
Questions, problems or ideas:
Please include your device model, its iOS version and what the report said.
Your first backup
- Plug in a drive: an external SSD or hard drive, a flash drive, or an SD card in a reader. If it shows up in the Files app, it works.
- Open Photo Backup, tap Allow Photo Access and choose Allow Full Access, so every photo can be copied.
- Tap Choose a Folder or Drive, open the drive, pick or create a folder, and tap Open.
- Tap Back Up Now. On iOS 26 and later you can leave the app while it runs; on iOS 17 to 25 keep it open (the screen stays on).
- Read the report at the end. Next time, tap Back Up Now again: only new photos and edits are copied.
Where your files are
Inside the folder you chose, each year has a folder and each month a folder inside it. File names start with the date and time the photo was taken, followed by its original name. A Live Photo's still and video, an edited version (_edited) and its edit data (_adjustments), and the RAW of a RAW+JPEG pair share one name, so they sort together.
2024/06/20240612_183204_IMG_4821.HEIC 2024/06/20240612_183204_IMG_4821.MOV 2024/06/20240612_183204_IMG_4821_edited.HEIC Photo Backup manifest.jsonl
The file Photo Backup manifest.jsonl lists every file with its size and SHA-256 checksum. The app reads it to know what is already on the drive, so please don't delete or edit it. Photos without a date go to a folder called Undated.
If a backup stops
"Drive disconnected"
The drive came out or lost power. Plug it back in and tap Back Up Now: the backup carries on from where it stopped and copies nothing twice. A hard drive without its own power may need a powered USB hub.
"Drive full"
Free up space on the drive or choose a bigger one, then tap Back Up Now to carry on.
"Can't write to the drive"
The drive may be locked (SD cards have a lock switch) or in a format iPhone and iPad can only read. Apple lists APFS, APFS (encrypted), Mac OS Extended, exFAT, FAT32 and FAT, on a drive with a single partition. exFAT or APFS is the best choice for a photo backup.
A file was skipped as too big for the drive's format
FAT32 drives can't hold files over 4 GB, so long videos are skipped and listed in the report. Back up to a drive formatted as exFAT or APFS to include them.
"Couldn't get this file from the library or iCloud"
Usually an iCloud download that didn't finish. Check your internet connection and tap Back Up Now again: files that failed are tried again, and everything else is skipped because it is already on the drive.
"Read back differently from what was written, twice"
The file was written, read back and didn't match its checksum, two times. That usually means the drive or its connection is failing. Try another cable or drive.
It paused when I switched apps
On iOS 17 to 25 the backup runs while the app is open, pauses when you leave and carries on when you come back. On iOS 26 and later it keeps going in the background unless the system or you stop it from the progress shown by iOS.
Common questions
Does it include the Hidden album?
Yes, by default. You can turn it off in Settings (the gear icon). Hidden photos go into the same year and month folders as the rest.
What about Shared Albums?
Shared Albums are streams shared with you, not your library, and are not copied. Save any photos you want to keep to your library first.
I only allowed access to some photos.
Then only those photos can be copied. To back up everything, open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Photos, then Photo Backup, and choose Full Access.
Can I back up to the device itself and move it to a computer later?
Yes. Choose On My iPhone (or On My iPad) › Photo Backup as the folder. That copy is kept out of the device's own iCloud backup. You can then copy the folder to a Mac with Finder or to a PC with the Apple Devices app or iTunes, through file sharing. Keep in mind it uses your device's storage.
Does it delete anything from my library or the drive?
No. It only reads your library. On the drive it adds files and never deletes; a photo you delete from your library stays on the drive. An edited photo's new version replaces its older edited copy, and the original stays.
Can it restore photos into the Photos app?
Not in this version. The files on the drive are ordinary photos and videos, so you can import them back into Photos with the Files app or on a computer.
Does it work with network drives or cloud storage?
It is made for drives connected to the device. Network shares (NAS, SMB) and cloud services are not supported.
Is there a subscription or an account?
No. It is a one-time purchase (US$9.99 in the US store) with no subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads and no account.
Which languages is the app in?
English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese.