Most people have backups set up. Most of those backups don’t actually work when they’re needed. The gap between “I have backups” and “my backups will recover my data” is where things go wrong. Here’s how to close it.
The 3-2-1 rule — and why it works
The standard backup strategy: keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy off-site. In practice for most people: the original on your computer, a local backup on an external drive, and a cloud backup. This covers the main failure scenarios — drive failure, ransomware, theft, fire or flood.
If you only have one backup and it’s in the same location as the original, you’re one house fire or one ransomware attack away from losing everything. If your only backup is cloud-only, a ransomware attack that encrypts your files and syncs the encrypted versions to the cloud before you notice wipes both copies. The 3-2-1 rule protects against all of these.
Local backup: what to use
An external hard drive running automatic backups is the most reliable local option. A 2TB external drive costs $60-80 and handles most people’s needs for years.
On Mac: plug in the drive and turn on Time Machine (System Preferences → Time Machine). It backs up automatically every hour, keeps hourly backups for 24 hours, daily backups for a month, and weekly backups until the drive fills up. It’s one of the best backup systems built into any consumer OS.
On Windows: use File History (Settings → Update & Security → Backup → Add a drive) or Windows Backup. For more control, Macrium Reflect Free creates full system images that let you restore everything, not just individual files, and is free for personal use.
Cloud backup: what’s worth using
Cloud sync services (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud Drive) are not backups. They’re sync services. If you delete a file or it gets encrypted by ransomware, that change syncs to the cloud immediately. Many services keep version history, but it’s limited and not always enough for a ransomware recovery.
Dedicated cloud backup services keep true versioned backups. Backblaze Personal Backup ($99/year) backs up your entire computer continuously, keeps unlimited version history for 12 months, and is widely regarded as the best consumer option. iDrive ($70/year for 5TB) supports multiple devices including phones. Arq Backup lets you use your own cloud storage (Backblaze B2, S3, etc.) for more control.
Phone backups
Your phone holds data that’s harder to replace than most computer files — photos, messages, contacts, authenticator app codes. Make sure it’s being backed up.
On iPhone: Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → enable and verify the last backup date. If it says “Never” or the date is more than a few days ago, connect to Wi-Fi and power, open Settings, and run a manual backup. On Android: Settings → Accounts → Backup, or Google → Backup. Make sure it’s enabled and current.
For photos specifically: Google Photos (15GB free, then paid) and iCloud Photos both provide cloud backup. If you have years of irreplaceable photos, run both — the redundancy is worth the minor hassle.
Test your backups
This is the step most people skip and the reason backups fail at the worst possible moment. A backup you’ve never tested is a backup you don’t know works.
Twice a year: open your backup, navigate to a specific file you need, and verify you can restore it. For Time Machine: click the Time Machine icon → Enter Time Machine → navigate to a file → Restore. For Backblaze: log in, find a file, download it. If you can do this, your backup is working. If something is wrong, you’ll find out before it matters.
The bottom line
Get a 2TB external drive, enable Time Machine or File History, and subscribe to Backblaze. That’s 3-2-1 covered for under $150 and about 30 minutes of setup. Then test once. That test is what converts “I have backups” from a hope into a fact.