Add an External Drive

Adding an external drive is an effortless way for Mylio Photos+ subscribers to back up and protect their photos. Users can designate an external drive as a Vault to back up and protect their entire Mylio Photos Library or add an external drive for specific purposes such as a travel backup or archive for a particular group of media using a Custom Sync Policy. Mylio Photos includes several helpful Sync Policy Presets or you can make your own

Once an external drive has been added to your Mylio Account, Mylio Photos+ will update it using your selected Device Sync Policy whenever it is available and connected. If the drive is unavailable or disconnected, Mylio Photos+ will update it the next time it is connected.

1. Open Mylio Photos and ensure the external drive is connected to your computer.
2. Click the Dashboard icon  in the left sidebar.
3. Select Devices. Click the ADD button at the top of the Devices section, then choose External drive from the Add Device dialog.
4. Select the external drive from the list you wish to use, then click the Continue button.

*TIP: If you need a new external drive, click the I Need A Hard Drive button to see a list of popular options.

5. Mylio Photos will analyze your chosen drive and recommend a setup based on your library size and the available storage on the drive you’re adding. In this example, Mylio Photos+ recommends that the new drive be set up as a Vault, which will designate this drive to keep a complete copy of the Mylio Photos Library.
   • To choose a different setup, click the Custom Setup button and select the Sync Policy Preset you’d like to use. Want to create a custom sync policy? Click here to learn how.
     

*TIP: Adding two or more external drives as Vaults provides backup and protection against device failure or loss.

6. Once you’ve selected your preferred sync policy, click the Looks Good button to complete the setup. Your external drive will be added and visible in the Devices section of the Dashboard.

!WARNING: Any photo deleted in the Mylio Photos+ app on any device will also be automatically deleted from your external drives (including Vaults). To create a redundant backup system that protects against accidental data loss due to user error, we recommend using a system backup utility such as Time Machine on macOS or a cloud backup utility such as Backblaze.

!NOTE: An external drive designated as a Time Machine on macOS cannot be used as a Mylio Vault. Apple adds proprietary code to Time Machine devices that limit the use of the drive for other purposes.

Learn More:

• Using an SSD with a USB-C iPhone or iPad