A survey by Seagate and Harris Interactive revealed that for 72% of people, their photos and videos are their most valuable digital assets, yet only 27% of them back them up on external drives. Adding to this, a Washington Post article highlighted Facebook as the world’s largest repository for photos. Despite this, most Facebook users neglect to keep copies of their photos elsewhere.
There are numerous compelling reasons why creating backups of your photos is a smart move. Imagine needing to print a photo, email it, or simply access it when you can’t directly log into your social media account. What if you decide to switch platforms, delete your account, or want to upload your photos to a different website? Even a forgotten password could lock you out of your own memories.
Fortunately, most platforms make downloading copies of your photos straightforward. Even if you’re constantly snapping new pictures, user-friendly portable hard drives, like the Ultra Touch, make creating backups simple. This ensures you always have a secure copy of your precious photos, regardless of what happens to your online accounts.
alt=”Person backing up their Facebook photos to a Seagate Ultra Touch external hard drive, ensuring their digital memories are safe and accessible.”
Backing Up Your Photos on Facebook
To download all your photos from Facebook, including everything you’ve ever posted, you’ll need to request an archive of your account. Here’s how:
- Navigate to the Account Menu by clicking the downward-facing arrow in the top right corner of any Facebook page.
- Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu, then click on “Settings”.
- In the left-hand column, click on “Your Facebook Information”.
- Look for the “Download Your Information” section and click “View”.
- You’ll be presented with options for the data you want to download. To download all your photos, ensure “Photos and videos” is selected. You can choose to deselect other categories if you only want your photos.
- Select your desired date range. To download all your photos, choose “All time”.
- Choose the HTML format if you prefer browsing your data in a web browser after download, or JSON format for importing into another service.
- For media quality, you can typically select “High” to ensure you get the best possible resolution of your photos and videos.
- Click the “Request a download” button.
Facebook will then compile a ZIP file containing all your photos and videos you’ve ever uploaded. You won’t be able to select individual files for download, but the generated ZIP file will contain organized folders of your posts, photos, and videos, preserving the original size and quality in which you uploaded them. Keep in mind that processing your request might take some time, especially for accounts with a lot of data. Facebook will notify you when your archive is ready to download, usually via email or notification within the platform.
Backing Up Your Photos on Flickr
If you also use Flickr, downloading your photos and videos is also straightforward. Follow Flickr’s instructions to request a downloadable ZIP file containing all your content, which you can then archive for safekeeping.
Backing Up Your Photos on Instagram
While Instagram doesn’t offer a direct archive download for photos through their web interface in the same way as Facebook or Flickr, you can still download your Instagram photos. You can request a data download through Instagram’s mobile app or website, which will include your photos. However, for more comprehensive and easier bulk downloading, third-party tools are available that can help you export and back up your Instagram photos. Always exercise caution when using third-party apps and ensure they are reputable and respect your privacy.
Backing Up Your Photos on SmugMug
SmugMug makes downloading your photos incredibly simple. Within your SmugMug gallery, select “Tools” and then “Download All”. Your gallery will then be compressed into a ZIP file. SmugMug will email you a download link to your archive for your personal backup. This file will be available for two weeks.
Need More Storage Space for Your Photos?
For those who capture a vast amount of photos and videos, investing in larger backup storage, like the One Touch, for your computer can be a worthwhile solution. With their compact, portable size and broad compatibility, these drives make saving your photos as easy as taking them, ensuring your digital memories are always protected and accessible.
