Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Kendo

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 4, 2011
2,275
760
I get a cheap 1TB of storage with Microsoft OneDrive thanks to my Office 365 subscription. I already have a 200GB iCloud subscription that I pay $3 a month for. Since I'm getting 1TB of space anyway, is there any purpose to using OneDrive to have a second backup of my iCloud photos? Should I just use it as my primary source of saving photos and save my iCloud space for things other than photos?
 

NoBoMac

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 1, 2014
5,754
4,340
No iCloud.

Download to Mac on Photos. Once a quarter, export quarter's photos and upload to Amazon. Make copies of Photos library on two other external drives (main library is on a Samsung T5 external SSD).

Shared pics on Google Photos.

So, yes, more backups, more better.
 

mavis

macrumors 601
Jul 30, 2007
4,734
1,452
Tokyo, Japan
I used to use Backblaze, but these days I back up photos to iCloud (we have the 2TB option) and Google Photos for redundancy's sake.
 

JemTheWire

macrumors regular
Jun 10, 2012
231
132
Manchester (UK)
Surely you can’t have too many backups? Even better if they are to different places.

Main issue as I see it is to make sure that all backups are current. Or perhaps Child, Parent & Grandparent.
 

CouponsKiss

macrumors newbie
Jul 7, 2018
3
0
New York City
Backup is must necessary work. if you are professional then you should always take backup on periodic basis.

If you have free space then why you should not use them?
 

ManuCH

macrumors 65816
May 7, 2009
1,290
896
Switzerland
I tell my Mac to download all originals from iCloud. From there, I automatically backup my Photos library to Wasabi S3 via Arq Backup, as well as to my NAS.

If you're not into complicated stuff to set up, I can recommend Arq Cloud Backup.
 

Kendo

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 4, 2011
2,275
760
Wow for an Apple forum there sure are a ton of users who don't prefer iCloud for backing up photos. If I downgrade my iCloud to 50GB and use Google Photos as my main backup, will Google capture all of the data like location status and date that I took the photo? So if I reset my iPhone completely and restored all my pictures from Google Photos, it would look EXACTLY the same as if I never reset and restored my photos via backup?
 

dk001

macrumors demi-god
Oct 3, 2014
10,575
14,912
Sage, Lightning, and Mountains
Wow for an Apple forum there sure are a ton of users who don't prefer iCloud for backing up photos. If I downgrade my iCloud to 50GB and use Google Photos as my main backup, will Google capture all of the data like location status and date that I took the photo? So if I reset my iPhone completely and restored all my pictures from Google Photos, it would look EXACTLY the same as if I never reset and restored my photos via backup?

The photos I have with location/date information is maintained in Google Photos. The info is maintained if I download it back to my iPad.
 

MisterSavage

macrumors 601
Nov 10, 2018
4,624
5,466
I used to use Backblaze, but these days I back up photos to iCloud (we have the 2TB option) and Google Photos for redundancy's sake.

I use Backblaze as well. Anything you care about should have multiple backups. Backblaze calls it 3-2-1. Three copies, two onsite, at least one offsite. I use Google Photos for backup also.
 

bigboy29

macrumors 6502
May 19, 2016
393
728
I simply install OneDrive app and it uploads everything to OneDrive. The only thing I use iCloud for is device / app specific backups.
 

jbindy1

macrumors member
Jul 1, 2015
83
35
Indianapolis, IN
I do as a backup. Never know if ICloud and it’s wonkyness would destroy years of photos. So everything on the phone syncs to OneDrive also


I get a cheap 1TB of storage with Microsoft OneDrive thanks to my Office 365 subscription. I already have a 200GB iCloud subscription that I pay $3 a month for. Since I'm getting 1TB of space anyway, is there any purpose to using OneDrive to have a second backup of my iCloud photos? Should I just use it as my primary source of saving photos and save my iCloud space for things other than photos?
 

Kendo

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 4, 2011
2,275
760
I backup on my MBP, and I also use Amazon Photos (I have Prime, so it’s free, Unlimited and saves at full resolution).

But what about your videos?
[doublepost=1544210706][/doublepost]
I do as a backup. Never know if ICloud and it’s wonkyness would destroy years of photos. So everything on the phone syncs to OneDrive also

My iCloud photos are currently in the cloud. If I allow OneDrive to backup my full photos, will OneDrive pull the full resolution photos from the Photos app (which would then have to pull the full resolution photos from iCloud) and allow me to backup the full res photos? Because my iPhone is currently set to optimize storage for photos.
 

dubstir

macrumors member
Apr 13, 2018
35
4
I use OneDrive for photos/videos as it's UI on the web/app is clean, syncing is fast, and works really nicely with my laptop, Windows 10 obviously. I find Apple's solution for iCloud Photos on the web, the Files app, and the iCloud Control Panel for Windows archaic at this point; lacking basic search/sort/ordering/even swiping. It's also slower than most syncing software on the market.

As for files other than photos/videos, I use Cryptomator within OneDrive. OneDrive provides the great speed and reliability and then Cryptomator adds encryption.

I am anti Google, so I would stick with OneDrive and also use Cryptomator if you're concerned about privacy.
 

scouser75

macrumors 68030
Oct 7, 2008
2,695
539
Guys, I've just sorted out a Google Drive and MS One Drive account - so now, what it the best and safest way to backup my pictures from the Photos app on my Mac? Is it a simple case of dragging and dropping the iTunes Folder into each of the backup drives?
 

cableguy84

macrumors 68000
Sep 7, 2015
1,757
2,610
My primary backup is with icloud, might look at having a secondary after reading this thread. Don’t want to have all my eggs in one basket
 
  • Like
Reactions: ltb7 and scouser75

MisterSavage

macrumors 601
Nov 10, 2018
4,624
5,466
Guys, I've just sorted out a Google Drive and MS One Drive account - so now, what it the best and safest way to backup my pictures from the Photos app on my Mac? Is it a simple case of dragging and dropping the iTunes Folder into each of the backup drives?

Are you using Time Machine for backing up to the external drive? If so it's probably already taken care of that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ltb7 and scouser75

dk001

macrumors demi-god
Oct 3, 2014
10,575
14,912
Sage, Lightning, and Mountains
Guys, I've just sorted out a Google Drive and MS One Drive account - so now, what it the best and safest way to backup my pictures from the Photos app on my Mac? Is it a simple case of dragging and dropping the iTunes Folder into each of the backup drives?

I would recommend setting autobackup to Google Drive and use One Drive for either a global catch all or for those items you know you are going to keep.
 
  • Like
Reactions: scouser75

trikotret

macrumors regular
Nov 26, 2015
126
29
I backup on my MBP, and I also use Amazon Photos (I have Prime, so it’s free, Unlimited and saves at full resolution).

I'm starting to use Amazon photos but their app started to show advertising banner on top. Really ugly.
 

scouser75

macrumors 68030
Oct 7, 2008
2,695
539
Are you using Time Machine for backing up to the external drive? If so it's probably already taken care of that.
Right now I'm backing-up to an external HD. But in case of failure of the drive, I also want to backup to a cloud facility. Google seems to be the way to go.
I would recommend setting autobackup to Google Drive and use One Drive for either a global catch all or for those items you know you are going to keep.

Right now I'm backing-up to an external HD. But in case of failure of the drive, I also want to backup to a cloud facility. Google seems to be the way to go. In which case, how do I auto backup to Google Drive? Is it done directly from the Photos app?
 

dk001

macrumors demi-god
Oct 3, 2014
10,575
14,912
Sage, Lightning, and Mountains
Right now I'm backing-up to an external HD. But in case of failure of the drive, I also want to backup to a cloud facility. Google seems to be the way to go.


Right now I'm backing-up to an external HD. But in case of failure of the drive, I also want to backup to a cloud facility. Google seems to be the way to go. In which case, how do I auto backup to Google Drive? Is it done directly from the Photos app?

Install Google Photosand the app has a setting to initiate auto backup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: scouser75
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.