How to back up iPhone photos so a copy really exists

Why iCloud Photos is not a backup

iCloud Photos keeps one library across your devices. It uploads your original, full-resolution photos, which is excellent for having your pictures everywhere. But Apple also notes that deleting a photo on one device deletes it on all of them. If you delete by mistake, or someone with access deletes for you, iCloud follows along after the 30 days in Recently Deleted.

A backup is a separate copy that does not change when the original changes. You want at least one of those, ideally somewhere other than your home.

The same goes for an iCloud device backup. When iCloud Photos is on, your photos are already stored in iCloud and are not duplicated inside the phone's iCloud backup, so that backup does not give you an extra copy of your library either.

Copy to a Mac

1. Connect the iPhone with a cable, unlock it and tap Trust if asked.
2. Open the Photos app on the Mac and select the phone in the sidebar to see the import screen.
3. Choose Import All New Items or select specific photos, and wait for the import to finish before disconnecting.

Apple notes that if you already use iCloud Photos on the Mac, your library syncs automatically and you do not need to import. In that case, the Mac's copy is still part of the same synced library. For an independent copy, export originals from Photos to a folder, or use Image Capture to download files straight into a folder.

Copy to a Windows PC

Install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, connect and unlock the iPhone, tap Trust or Allow, then import with the Windows Photos app. Apple notes that with iCloud Photos on, you first need the full-resolution originals on the phone. If your phone uses optimized versions, switch to Download and Keep Originals and give it time, or download from iCloud.com instead.

If Windows struggles with Apple's photo format, Apple suggests setting Settings > Camera > Formats to Most Compatible for future shots, which saves photos as JPEG and videos as H.264.

Copy to a drive or another service

• External drive. Recent iPhones accept USB drives through the Files app. Select photos in Photos, tap Share, choose Save to Files, and pick the drive. This suits smaller batches.
• Another service. Google Photos, Dropbox, OneDrive and Amazon Photos can each keep their own copy. Check each service's settings for what happens when you delete from one place.

A common rule of thumb is three copies, on two kinds of storage, with one kept off-site. For most people that means the phone or iCloud, a computer or drive at home, and one more service.

Check the copy works

Open a handful of files from the backup, including a video and something old. Live Photos and edited photos are worth a quick look too, because some export routes keep only the still image or only the edited version.

Repeat the copy on a schedule that matches how much you shoot, for example monthly, and after any big trip or event. Compare the photo count with your Library. Only then start deleting, using deleting photos in bulk or deleting from iPhone but not iCloud. If something goes wrong, recovering deleted photos explains the 30-day window.