How to backup photos and videos from iPhone

Let's be honest. Nobody has the time — or the patience — to manually open a cloud app at the end of every day and upload 50 new photos. You tell yourself you'll do it later. Later turns into next week. Next week turns into never. And then your phone dies, gets stolen, or you accidentally drop it in a puddle, and years of memories vanish in an instant.

If that wasn't enough, there's the other classic scenario: you're about to capture a perfect moment and your phone flashes that dreaded "Storage Almost Full" notification. You're forced to delete something on the spot, panicking, choosing which memories to sacrifice just to make room for one more photo.

Koofr. A safe home for your photos and videos.

Technology should work for you in the background, not become a daily chore. That's the whole point of automatic backup.

The Solution: The Koofr iOS App's Auto-Upload Feature

The Koofr mobile app for iOS comes with an Auto-Upload (Auto Camera Upload) feature, and it's the closest thing to a "set it and forget it" backup solution for your iPhone or iPad.

Once you configure it — which takes less than a minute — the app automatically uploads your photos and videos to your Koofr account in the background.

The immediate benefit?

Your mobile photos and videos are accessible from your desktop or web browser within seconds of taking them.

Whether you need to share a file from your computer, or you just want the peace of mind that your memories are safe — it's all taken care of.

Important Information to Note:

• A proper automatic backup feature should be a true "one-and-done" setup: configure it once, and it automatically backs up your new photos and videos in the background without any manual effort. The best backup solution is the one you never have to think about - it simply works while keeping your memories safe. Please note that Koofr's Auto-Upload is a backup feature, not a sync. This is an important distinction — more on that in the FAQ section below.
• While iOS versions 26.4 or later support improved background upload behaviour, the timing of uploads is ultimately managed by iOS itself, based on your network connection, battery level, and overall system activity. The interval between uploads can range from a few minutes to a few hours. For large initial backups, we recommend keeping the Koofr app open, plugging your phone in, and connecting to Wi-Fi overnight. What do I do if background auto-upload doesn't work?

How to Back Up Photos and Videos from Your iPhone to Koofr

Here's a step-by-step walkthrough to get everything set up:

Step 1: Download (or update) the Koofr app

Get the latest version of the Koofr mobile app from the App Store. If you already have the app installed, make sure it's up to date.

Step 2: Log in or create a Koofr account

If you're new to Koofr, you can create a free account directly from the app. Existing users simply log in.

Step 3: Set up Auto Camera Upload

This is where the magic happens. There are two ways to reach the setting, depending on whether you're a new or existing user:

• New users: When you first log in, the app will prompt you to set up Auto Camera Upload straight away.
• Existing users: Tap Home in the bottom menu (or the top menu on iPad) → Settings → Auto Camera Upload.

Step 4: Choose your backup preferences

Once you're in the Auto Camera Upload settings, you have several options to tailor the backup to your needs:

• Upload all existing photos or only photos taken from this point forward. If you're backing up for the first time, you'll probably want to upload everything.
• Target folder: By default, your media will be uploaded to a folder called My iOS Media, which is created automatically — no action needed on your part. You can, however, change the destination folder if you prefer a different location.
• Split media by year: This is a handy option if you have a large library. It organises your uploads into subfolders by year, keeping everything tidy and easy to browse.
• Creation date: You can configure which date to use during the upload: the creation date or the upload date of your files.
• Live Photos: Choose whether you want Live Photos to be uploaded as video or still photo.

Once you've selected your preferences, toggle Auto Camera Upload on — and you're done. The Koofr app will handle the rest in the background.

Read more in our blog post: Automatic Photo Backup Made Easy

Frequently Asked Questions

If I delete a file on my iPhone, will it also be deleted from Koofr?

No. The Auto-Upload feature is a backup, not a synchronisation. Once a photo or video has been uploaded to Koofr, you can safely delete it from your phone to free up storage space - it will remain securely in your Koofr account. This is actually one of the biggest advantages of using a dedicated backup tool rather than a sync folder.

Cloud Synchronisation vs. Cloud Backup: What's the Difference?

If I delete the Koofr app and reinstall it later, will all my photos re-upload?

No. Koofr's algorithms are designed to only upload photos and videos that are not already present in your chosen backup folder. When you reinstall the app and re-enable Auto Camera Upload, it will check what's already in your Koofr account and skip any files that have already been backed up.

Some of my files on Koofr have an extra number in their name — like "(1)". Why?

This happens automatically when a file with the same name is uploaded into a folder where a file with that name already exists. Koofr renames the incoming file to prevent overwrites. System is designed to prevent files from being overwritten, because we believe it's better to occasionally have two copies of a file than to lose one.

Auto-Upload was working fine, but it has suddenly stopped. What's wrong?

The most common culprit is insufficient storage space in your Koofr account. When your account is full, the app can no longer upload new files.

Because of Apple's App Store rules, Koofr is unable to provide a direct link to upgrade your account from within the iOS app. To fix this, log in to the Koofr web app, check your storage usage, and upgrade your plan from there if needed.

See Koofr's flexible storage plans from 25 GB all the way up to 20 TB.

Why Koofr Is a Smart Choice for iPhone Backup

Beyond the Auto-Upload feature, Koofr offers a few qualities that make it stand out as a backup destination for your iOS media:

• Privacy-first, European cloud storage. Koofr is a GDPR-compliant service with servers located entirely within the EU. Your photos are never used for advertising, profiling, or tracking.
• Cross-device access. Access your backed-up photos and videos from any browser, desktop app, or connected cloud account — wherever you are.
• Connect your other cloud accounts. If you already use Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, you can connect them all to Koofr and manage everything from one place.

Koofr: A Privacy-Oriented European Cloud Storage

Setting up automatic photo backup is one of those small digital habits that pays off enormously — not when everything is fine, but precisely when things go wrong. A lost phone, a cracked screen, an accidental delete: these moments sting far less when you already know your photos are safely tucked away in the cloud.

Take two minutes today to set up Auto Camera Upload on your iPhone or iPad. In the future, you will be very grateful.

Try Koofr. Your memories, safely backed up.

Editor's Note: This post was first published in 2015. We've updated and enhanced the content to improve clarity and detail. Whether you're revisiting or reading it for the first time, we hope this improved version offers an even better experience.

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