How to Back Up Photos to Cloud and External Drive

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Enable iCloud Photos sync

   Open Settings on your iPhone. Tap your Apple ID banner, select iCloud, tap Photos, and toggle on Sync this iPhone. This ensures all current and future captures are automatically uploaded to your iCloud account.

   Note: Ensure your device is connected to Wi-Fi to initiate the initial sync.
2. 30 sec

   Prepare the external drive

   Connect your external SSD to your Mac using a high-speed USB-C cable. Open Disk Utility from Applications > Utilities and ensure the drive is formatted as APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for optimal compatibility.

   Note: Formatting erases all existing data on the drive; ensure it is empty.
3. 1 min

   Create a dedicated backup folder

   Open Finder and navigate to your external drive. Right-click in the empty space, select New Folder, and name it PhotoBackup_2026. This creates a clear destination for your full-resolution original files.

   Note: Cmd + Shift + N
4. 2 min

   Export original files from Photos

   Launch the Photos app on your Mac. Press Cmd + A to select your entire library, then navigate to File > Export > Export Unmodified Originals. Select your external drive folder as the destination and click Export.

   Note: Exporting unmodified originals preserves the original image quality and metadata.
5. 1 min

   Confirm data integrity

   Open the folder on your external drive to ensure all files have successfully migrated. Verify that file counts match the library totals in the Photos application.

   Note: If the transfer process was interrupted, repeat the export process only for the missing date ranges.