Fifteen gigabytes, and then what
Cloud storage on a phone does two unrelated jobs. One is backup, where the point is that a copy exists somewhere you are not. The other is sync, where the point is that a file is the same in two places. Most people buy one product and expect both, then discover their photographs are backed up but their documents are not, or the reverse.
Backup and sync are not the same thing
| Need | What it means | What fails if you get it wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Backup | A copy exists if the phone is lost | Deleting a photo deletes the backup too |
| Sync | The same file in two places | A conflict overwrites the version you wanted |
| Archive | Old things, rarely touched, cheap | Paying premium rates to store 2014 |
| Sharing | Someone else can open it | Links that expire or need an account |
The services and their Android apps
Drive. Already on the phone, integrates everywhere, and the free tier is shared with mail and photographs, which is why it fills up.
The photo half of the same account. Its free tier changed years ago and a great many people have not noticed their backups stopped.
OneDrive. The best value if anyone in the house already pays for the office suite, since storage comes bundled.
The oldest and still the most reliable sync, with the clearest conflict handling. The free tier is small and the paid tiers are not cheap.
A large free tier and end to end encryption by default. Read the transfer quota terms, which are where the limits actually bite.
Sells lifetime plans, which are unusual and worth considering for an archive you expect to keep for a decade.
Strong on sharing and permissions, which is why it turns up in companies more than in homes.
For a network drive at home. Your own hardware, no monthly fee, and you are the one responsible for it.
Self hosted storage and sync with an active project behind it. The most capable option for anyone willing to run a server.
The older project the previous one split from, still maintained and still a reasonable choice.
Unlimited full resolution photographs for anyone already paying for Prime, which is the best value in this list if it applies to you.
On a Galaxy, the path of least resistance for settings and app data, though not a substitute for a real photo backup.
Not storage, but the fastest way to pull files off a phone over the local network when you do not want a cloud in the middle.
Direct phone to phone transfer for the same reason, with no account at all.
The long standing alternative for local transfers, useful when two phones are from different manufacturers.
A setup that survives a lost phone
- Pick one service for photographs and verify it actually finished Open it on a computer and count. Photo backup fails silently more often than any other kind.
- Keep documents somewhere with version history Not because the phone will fail, but because you will overwrite something.
- Keep one copy that is not synced An external drive updated twice a year defeats every kind of accidental deletion.
- Export your authenticator codes separately Locked out of the account that holds the backup is the worst version of this problem.
- Test a restore once Download one photograph and one document from a computer you have never used. That is the whole test, and almost nobody runs it.
One service for photographs, one for documents with version history, one copy that is not synced at all. Then test a restore.
Frequently asked questions
Is free cloud storage safe to rely on?
For convenience, yes. As the only copy of something irreplaceable, no. Free tiers change terms, and accounts get suspended with no human to appeal to.
Which is cheapest for a lot of photographs?
Usually whichever bundle you already pay for. Buying a standalone plan when an existing subscription includes storage is the most common waste in this category.
Does end to end encryption matter here?
It means the provider cannot read your files, and it means a forgotten password is unrecoverable. Decide which of those two risks you mind more.
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