PixelClerks



Write the reason you're deleting this FAQ

Backing up your data

How often do you back up your data? I know with my phone that I need to - I currently have 12,000 pictures on my smartphone, and it's concerning that if something happened to my phone that those would all be gone.

Do you regularly schedule backups for your photos or other data?

Comments

Please login or sign up to leave a comment

Join
mcnasci24
Making a data backup is kind of annoying sometimes, but it is better than dealing with the anger of losing important files. A backup protects your phone information from accidents or a software/hardware malfunction. The best way I can prevent disaster is by creating a backup of my data regularly. I do weekly backups since I also use my phone as a work tool. I upload everything to the cloud, from photos to conversations.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
I have never made up a backup of my phones. I should make up a backup for my data. I have images that do not need to get lost in case of a malfunction.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Youngshark
I have been mugged my phone several times which is why I always love to have a backup of my pics since losing them is disheartening. I also backup my other data.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
@youngshark oh my goodness, that's so scary! I can't imagine how it would feel to be mugged and lose all my data. I'm actually in the process of backing stuff up right now - because of so many of these comments.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
Losing a phone is one thing but losing data is another. Better lose one and still get the other. That is a fair deal.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Youngshark
In these part of the world such things are not imaginable as they are the harsh realities that we live with. You get out of home with your phone today and when walking in town someone approaches you with a gun or even a mean gang.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

edencaga
True. Even if we are very careful with our things sometimes it won't work at all. It can happen to us all unexpectedly so being ready like making sure of backing up those important files is important to do it right away as we never know what will happen to our files in the future.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

allyn2017
wow that's really unfortunate, i have lost my phone once and I dont have back up with the files and I lost all the pictures and poetr
ies in the phone.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

edencaga
My phone was not lost but my iphone got wet when I put the phone in my pocket. I just realize that I have my phone with me in my pocket after we went down the boat. At that time we were to explore an island and when I was about to go down the boat, they didn't told me that the water was until the waist so when I went down, my phone got wet since it was place in my pocket.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
@Youngshark You are waking me from a deep slumber. I have to back up my information. As you said "...losing them is disheartening."



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Youngshark
You will only feel the pain after losing the pics. It can be all jovial to procastinate the backing up but when they get lost nobody will be to blame but you.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Kakashi2020
I upload my smartphone photos to my PC everytime my smartphone photo count reaches 1000. Doing this secures all those photos, and cleans up the storage of my phone so that I can take new photos again.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

mcnasci24
I highly recommend it. Just imagine if you drop your phone in a puddle of water, or if you lose it, or if you get mugged. Then you'll wish you had done the backup.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Wenkx03
You better do. I don't hope that something might happen. But just in case. Back up it now for safety purposes.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

allyn2017
I agree with you, it is tiring to do but it is necessary because your files are really important.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

mark8625
That is right. We should exert extra effort for backing up our mobile phones. This is for our own good and we should practice doing it.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Alymae
I back up my important data such as files. For the pictures, I put them in USB and memory cards. These USB are particular and can be used for one type of file only. Even though I have an online backup I still send those very important files to email. It helps to be careful.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Enyi
Backing up files is very important because anything can happen to misfunction the phone. I know this that's why I back up my data at least once per week. I try to be on the safe time.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Kakashi2020
I do backup some of my PC's data like photos which I transfered from my smartphone and important documents and all of my past reports and other files which are important. I use several USB drives for buckup. Like they say, it's best to be sure than not.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

emiaj55
Backing up data really is annoying sometimes. It takes too long for larger files. But still a helpful habit since you won't have to worry of losing an important file. I do my back ups bi-weekly, or before going to trip. I used to back up photos during travel but I found it is too much data and very heavy on battery. So I make sure to back them up two nights before a trip.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Kakashi2020
Having a backup for important data is always a must for me. Being cautious and having backups to my photo database and other important files makes me feel secured that whatever happens all my photos and files are secured.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

mark8625
You are right. Backing up phone sometimes it gets annoying. Many people ignore backing up their mobile phone because they thought it is not important to do. We should back up our phone once a week in order to save all important files in our gadget.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

knnon
Phones these days have an auto back up that you can schedule. This is really helpful specially for someone who is very busy. As for laptop and other devices I'm not quite sure if they have auto back up settings.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

theresajane
I don't feel the necessity of backing up my videos and photos. I always make sure that I save my documents in school instead. I am a teacher and nothing is more important in the computer than our records if lesson plans, TQs, grade composites and a lot more



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
So you trust the school computer? What if a malware deletes all the files? Wi you not regret to have not had a backup? You need a backup somewhere on your phone.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

theresajane
I'm sorry, I made a mistake. What I mean by this is, "documents from school" or school documents. I didn't look that through. My bad



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
No problem really. A back-up is necessary. We can do it using Google



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

allyn2017
Wow, you are living a risky like. Joke, but for safety you better make one, just encase.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Franzel2oo
I'm an indie filmmaker. In the film universe, backing up video, pictures and audio footage is a no brainer. You have to have at least three backup copies to be safe. You can never be too careful with digital data. One crash of your hard drive and you could end up losing everything. I've learned from filmmaking to back up all important data on at least more than one backup drive. Or maybe on cloud storage space.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
Google Cloud is a good backup. I would like to go into filmmaking but I need to be trained on the same. Maybe you will direct me.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
Sounds like you're all on top of it - I can completely understand how as a filmmaker you'd want to ensure everything was backed up properly, since the time taken to film stuff is probably pretty substantial. I also like that you mention it's helpful to have things backed up on more than one source.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

allyn2017
That's really tiring to do, but at least your works will be save encase something happen.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

mhingnhormz
I am also experiencing it and doing back up in my files. Some of my file i use to upload in my social media account ang set the folder setting privacy into me only for not be visible in others. It better to sacrifice some of your time in back uping than regret it after a 1 minute.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

ajahcuizon
I agree. I have lost my phone before with all of my memorable photos that took using it. Good thing that I managed to retrieve all those photos because I saved a copy of them in my Google drive account.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

allyn2017
That's unfortunate. I have lost my phone once too, but sadly I don't have back up files and I lost the pictures and poetries I have.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

ajahcuizon
Too bad. You should have saved a copy of your files. I have learned my lesson before as I also experienced losing my phone. From then on, I always do a regular back up to my google drive just to be sure that I have kept copies from it.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

DenisP
The shameful truth is that I almost never backup my data. I have a huge collection of movies, music, and photos which I throw onto an external hard drive so as to keep space free on my laptop, but should that external hard drive fail, I’ve screwed myself.

I really need to get myself another hard drive as a backup. It’s something that I constantly keep putting off because I don’t like to frivolously spend money, but I should probably do it before I end up losing nearly a terabyte worth of media. My cat has knocked over my external drive multiple times, and my stomach dropped nearly every time because I was sure it would be damaged.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
Thank God the cat never damaged them. I know you have a good backup. Keep up the good work.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
I was the same way but everyone's posts here are giving me the kick that I needed to actually do it. I'm dedicating some time this weekend to back stuff up because I feel guilty that I've been so disorganized! I guess that's a nice added benefit of hearing lots of perspectives on the forum here!



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Kakashi2020
I don't really backup the data in my smartphone. The only time I do backup is for all the photos I have taken for a year which I transfer to my PC and saved on a USB. Buy after I transfer the photos I usually delete it from my phone to free some space for another year of photos.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
You must surely be taking too many photos then. How nany do you take in a day? I only take photos when I need them or see an interesting thing.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Youngshark
That's an excellent manner of keeping a backup for your pictures. Just be sure to not let anyone have access that might delete all the pics without knowing or damage the flash disk.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Enyi
Backing up one's movies, documents,files etc is imminent.it helps keep all our documents intact and it will help us retrieve our data when we really needs it.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

ajahcuizon
I usually back up my data every 6 months. But I only do back up on the files that are really important. For now, I have around 3000 photos in total and I have it backed up in my Google Drive account. I also made an another account in which there I will save only those files that I will be needed the most because I don't want to have a hard time in finding a single file.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

jayjaydimson
Backing up your data is a good thing to do regularly because you will not know the capability of your computer or cell phone.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

theresajane
You have a point. I had an experience before. I was so confident with my phone before that I stuff all of my files needed in that thing. Then, one day, the phone malfunctioned and my files were corrupted. It took me how many days to retrieve some documents.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Youngshark
It is always a pain. There is little you can do to salvage such data that has already been lost. It is always prudent to ready yourself early enough.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
Yes, that’s what worries me! The possibility of losing it, having it stolen, or having my phone damaged so that I can’t access my pictures or other files is a big concern to me.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Youngshark
When backing up on an offline device it is better to choose one that is stationary at most times like a pc or a device that is rarely used hence the possibility of interference is minimal.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

esteban123
I think it is very rare for me to have some back up on all of my important files in my smartphone since I do it only once in a month because of feeling bored sometimes to do it because of lots of commitment to do everyday. But I realized lately that I should frequently back up my data so that I will not lose everything in an instant and to regret also later on because it cannot be back again if it was deleted or corrupted.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
Backing stuff up once a month is still fantastic - I wish I was that organized myself! I think setting a regular schedule such as weekly or monthly to back up files is a good idea.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
Backing up data on smartphones should be paramount. You do not need to lose what you have taken years to get. It should be properly taken care of.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
That’s true, some of the pictures I have on my phone are from special occasions too like my children’s first milestones and vacations we’ve been on. I don’t want to lose those memories!



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

theresajane
You are right. The option to back up your data is there to help you. It is now under your choice whether to do it or not.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Alymae
Yes. It is very important. Usually, in our phones are our most memorable pictures and favorite music and movies. Mine is on my phone and I save them on my laptop too. After saving them on the laptop, I have my own USB. This USB is only for pictures. music and movies. I like to keep a collection.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

focusedwriter10
In some cases, it will not take years to get but you will lose them forever. I once lost all my photos and documents, just because of a slight mistake.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

jpk0007
Well backing up your data is very crucial when it comes to the pics or other important messages and documents stored on your phone. I learned this fact in a hard way when i lost some of my very precious pics after i accidentally dropped my phone in sea water. The phone was permanently damaged and nothing could be recovered from its memory. However i was able to recover the pics that i had backed up on my Google drive.Its always better to do a backup at regular intervals and save your data from getting lost.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
I’m worried about that too! I’ve heard a lot of people who have dropped their phones in water and have had their data completely gone, unable to be recovered at all. I don’t want to learn those lessons the hard way!



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

NerdIndeed
I back up my files from all my devices (laptop and smartphone) to a 32GB flash drive every month. What I do is wipe clean first the flash drive and copy all the files and folders that I have done for the month. The thing about me is when I see something unimportant I permanently delete it, that is why a 32GB USB disk is enough, but if the need arises, I'll purchase a 64.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
Sounds like a great strategy you have in place there. As well as ensuring your data is safe it’s a nice way of regularly going through stuff you no longer need and clearing that out. Very organized!



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

NerdIndeed
Yes, I usually do this on the first Sunday of the month. I think it's necessary for me as what I have are sensitive files (personal and work) and backing them up is a must. I also back up data on cloud storages like Dropbox or Google Drive.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

cmoneyspinner
I have lost lots of content because I did not back up my data. I have learned. My lessons learned were painful but I have learned.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
Everyone's responses are definitely emphasizing the importance of backing up data. As much as those painful lessons suck, they do often ensure that we don't repeat the same mistakes in the future. Glad that you have learned from them - that's a positive to take from a bad situation.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

stbrians
Same applies to me. I have lost data. Learning is what does not come my way. Am still careless.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
I think that happens to a lot of us in life. We only want to change when bad situations happen, and even then we can sometimes be slow or resistant to change. Completely normal!



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

focusedwriter10
Sorry for the loss. I also had the experience. I lost photos and documents that I had back in campus. I have never seen some of those friends, and I still wish I had created a backup.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

cmoneyspinner
The thing that really disturbs me is that after I lost the data, I threw away my desktop. Then I heard a report on television where people who threw away their computers, those computers were shipped to another country to be broken apart for the spare parts. There were people in the other country who were able to extract information, images, and data from the hard drives. The report said that when you throw away a computer you should make sure you damage the hard drive. I was so upset! The thought never occurred to me. I thought because I couldn't retrieve my documents there was no way anybody else could. I don't know what happened to my desktop. I set it out on the pile for the trash collectors. (O.o)



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
I've actually heard a bit about that myself, including smartphones. I'd previously deleted data off smartphones and re-sold them to partially pay for a new model, but I've now heard that data can be restored on phones, too. Creeps me out quite a bit to be honest, and I don't know that I'd sell a phone again...



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

cmoneyspinner
I'm not sure if this is the beginning of another backup horror story.

Since we are on the topic of backing up data, Tumblr just made an announcement that they were removing PORN and Adult Content from their blogs and now they are starting to “flag” posts that they think (or rather that the computer program they're using) tells them is “inappropriate”.


At first, I wasn't worried about the announcement at all. I have 7 blogs at Tumblr and none of them are marked for Adult Content. However, since yesterday, as of today I have noted that two of my posts were FLAGGED. WHY? I'm clueless. I don't know when The Justice League became X-rated but ... hey! (O.o) They give you the option to Request a Review OR say OK. I say “OK”. Quite frankly, I don't feel like arguing with a computer program. Backing up your data

Besides that … ever since the Tumblr management made that announcement, I'm sure they have been flooded with requests, messages expressing anger and disappointment, etc., etc., etc. Even if I requested a review, I'm sure it would be put in a queue and 10 years later I'd get a response!

Nevertheless, there was another message posted telling people who had blogs with Adult Content that if they wanted to save their stuff, they better use the EXPORT tool. But then it also advised that if you thought there was a chance that your blog might be “misidentified” as Adult Content and DELETED, you should probably export your blog content anyway!

So I thought ... ??? ... 2 posts have already been flagged that weren't even close to being Adult Content AND I already know how years of work can disappear in the twinkling of an eye. Maybe I should I export my content just to be on the safe side. So I clicked the button to export my primary blog and it's been processing FOR HOURS. I don't know what to do! (O.o) I can't tell if a backup file is being created or if the system is just stuck because of overload. Since there are lots of porn blogs on Tumblr and lots of people are exporting their stuff! LOL.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Bravosi
Hi there!
Sadly, I rarely back up my data (even though I should). But primarily I don't do it because I don't have any important data on my phone stored for a certain period of time. For example, as soon as I have an important family picture I immediately send it to everyone, so back up is guaranteed that way one way or another. Backing up your data



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
That’s useful too - if you’re always sending out copies of photos to your loved ones it’s likely that someone would still have access to the files even if you’d lost your copy.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Bravosi
Yeah, unless they're resending them too, and not backing them up. We'll end up being in a never ending circle, hehe. But jokes aside, you can never know what will happen. I'd personally back up the data, but I'm just too lazy. I'm working too much and can't have some spare time for it, sadly.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Janie1994
I try back up my phone and data everyday. I've got a Dropbox Professional Account and have downloaded the app so everything I work on it automatically backed up onto my cloud. Also whenever I plug my phone into my computer it automatically backs up all of my photos to Dropbox. It's so insanely useful and stops me from losing anything important!



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

amelia88
You are the person I aspire to be - you’re so organized! I’ll have to look into getting a Dropbox professional account - love that basically every time you plug your phone in it does an auto back up. So easy!



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

astraherondale
I backup my data every two months or so, usually when my phone's memory becomes full. I don't usually schedule it, but I think I should - it's better to be organized after all.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

esteban123
We really need to take good care of our important files in our smartphones especially those very important photos that we had taken a few years ago because it brings back the memories. We can only make it to happen if we will make it a habit to do some back up with our important files so that we will not regret in the end.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

superlicca
I always back up my data and other important files on my phone. I don't want to make a mistake again of not doing this. I already learned from the past. That is why I always make sure to do a back up everytime I have some important files.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

HappyLady
I once lost everything, back in the days of the very first imac. "Everything" was an entire dissertation. Back then, all you could do put everything on a CD. I still do that from time to time, but mostly everything I write is emailed to myself and uploaded to a cloud. I like to be safe and have everything in two places, just in case. It also means I have proof of copyright.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

edencaga
Everytime I have new photos I always save it to drive and facebook as I don't want to get mad and get disappointed for not backing up my files and pictures. It always happened to me. From the laptop that was stolen to memory card that were corrupted.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

agbuyarashel
In every pictures there are thousands of memories that's why it's very important to backup all your data just as important as capturing the best moments which we will keep forever.

My friend lend camera to my classmates because of our project and when they give it back to her all the pictures are gone and sadly they did not make a backup for it. The worst part is that the camera is not hers but her sister's and her sister have not yet discovered what my bestfriend have committed, very exciting.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

knnon
I try to back up my data at least once a week. It's a must to back up your data regularly as you'll never know what can happen. But if I had a busy week and I couldn't make time for it I back my data up on the next schedule. That way I'd still stick to my set schedule date. Losing photos is never an option and that is something I wouldn't want to experience again.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Wenkx03
For me its a must. I always back filed my files so even when the came that I have to replace my gadgets I don't have to worry about mg files. Specially when it comes to pictures and videos of our family get together.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

gutzman
I do back ups when I already have a lot of important files. I also categorize them so that it is easier to search once I am about to transfer them or recover. I always make it sure that I have the original and a copy from a different device or storage. Backing up on the same device or storage is useless when something bad happened to them.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

romyter013
I only do some back up if like we took photos from special occasion but I don't usually take pictures. For me its best that I use my hard drive and I make sure its with big terabyte so the pictures won't be corrupt or will be deleted. I make sure there is always more space hard drive so I'm ready in case of any occasion that I need to save.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Judas2018
You should only back up important data. Not things that can be easily replaced from your phone or disposable items. However, I personally am not a fan of keeping items of extreme importance on your phone. But rather on a small drive stored in your home or office.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

esteban123
It is very important to back up our files so that we will not lose them in case we experience some problems in the future. I make it sure to have a back up on all of my important files so that I can readily have a copy for future reference.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

vinaya
I back up my computer or phone data once in 2-3 months. When I back up, I always create a secondary back up. I back up my data on external hard disk. I have never used cloud for backing up the data.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

Judas2018
Good. The cloud is cool and very chic to use, but it's very unprotected and easily accessed by hackers or dubious people. No matter what your 'phone company' tells you.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

esteban123
I have never also tried using cloud for backing up my data files either in my computer on a laptop since most of the time I am using an external drive to do the job done. I don't have much idea when it comes to cloud for backing up our data files but I am interested to know more about it since I want to have another option whenever my external drive makes some problems. It is better to have another alternative so that we can secure our precious data form having some problems in the future.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

davedaot04
I always back up my data when phone memory reaches it's limit, maybe after 2 weeks or even months, I just back it up to my computer and just access it later on if I needed it, I just love having a phone that has a big storage, so that there's always a space for more pictures, videos or even apps to come.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

esteban123
I have tried to back up my important files yesterday to an external hard drive since I want to secure it. I find it to be convenient since it just takes a few hours of copying and so far I haven't experience any problems about it.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

ivandelrey
I use iCloud to back up my photos and other files automatically as well as Google Photos because it's unlimited storage which is very helpful.

Photos are very important to me too, I take a lot of them and I don't delete unnecessary photos. It's weird but I'm looking forward to looking back at all of them when I turn like 70 or 80. Backing up your data



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

burgosmichael24
I do files back up because I have a lot of important files in my phone. I have two flash drives to back up my files. It's so stressful if you lost an important files and you don't have any back up for it.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

JBeleren
I back up important data on my phone and laptop weekly and the rest are deleted. I have an external hdd and am subscribed to a cloud service. It takes time to do so but I already have developed a routine of reading articles I saved through the week while backing up data to pass the time while still being productive.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?

esteban123
I think that I would now back up my data regularly because we will never know what might gonna happen in the future and it is better to be safe at all times. I was very lazy doing that way before and I said to myself that I should be responsible enough in taking good care of my data files.



Are you sure you want to delete this post?