Back Up Everything (3-2-1 Rule)

Implement the 3-2-1 backup strategy — 3 copies, on 2 different media, with 1 offsite — covering your phone, computer, photos, and documents.

Understand 3-2-1

• 3 copies of your data: your original working copy + 2 backups
• 2 different storage types: e.g., internal drive + external drive (not two external drives from the same brand or same USB hub)
• 1 offsite copy: either cloud backup or a drive kept at a second physical location (office, parent's house)

Phone Backup

• Enable iCloud Backup (iPhone): Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now — verify date after it completes
• Enable Google Photos auto-backup on iPhone or Android — set upload quality to 'Original' if you have enough storage
• Plug your iPhone into a computer monthly and create a local iTunes/Finder encrypted backup — encrypted backups include passwords and health data

Computer Backup — Local

• Mac: plug in a 1–2TB external drive and enable Time Machine (System Settings > General > Time Machine)
• PC: set up Windows Backup to an external drive (Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Backup options)
• Label your backup drive and its first-backup date with a label maker or tape — you'll forget which drive is which

Computer Backup — Cloud

• Install Backblaze (backblaze.com) — $9/month backs up unlimited files continuously in the background; also covers external drives
• After installing Backblaze, wait 24–48 hours for the initial upload to complete before considering your backup active

Photos

• Export your entire Apple Photos or Google Photos library to an external drive annually — use Photos > File > Export > Export Unmodified Originals
• If you use Lightroom, your catalog and all originals should be on the external drive AND backed up to Backblaze

Documents

• Sync critical documents to iCloud Drive, Google Drive, or Dropbox — this gives you offsite + version history
• Export and back up your password manager vault: 1Password and Bitwarden both allow encrypted .1pif or .json export

Verify Your Backups

• Test a restore: pick 3 random files from your backup drive and restore them to a temp folder to confirm the backup is readable
• Schedule a quarterly 'backup health check' calendar event — confirm all three copies are current and readable
• Replace external drives every 5 years — mechanical drives fail; SSDs also degrade and lose data when unpowered for years