Add a Cloud Service

Adding a cloud service is an excellent way for Mylio Photos+ subscribers to back up and protect their photos offsite securely and privately. Users can designate a cloud service as a Vault to back up and protect their entire Mylio Photos Library or add a Cloud service for specific purposes, such as an archive for a particular group of media (e.g., your favorite photos) using a Custom Device Sync Policy. Mylio Photos includes several helpful Device Sync Policy Presets, or you can make your own.

Mylio Photos supports the following third-party Cloud services:

• Google Drive
• Microsoft OneDrive (personal)
• S3 Compatible Storage Services (e.g., Backblaze B2, Amazon AWS, Wasabi, etc.)

To add a 3rd Party Cloud Service:

1. Click the Dashboard icon  in the left sidebar.
2. Select Devices, click or tap the ADD button at the top of the Devices section, then choose Cloud Service.

Once a Cloud service has been added to your Mylio Account, Mylio Photos+ will update the drive using your selected Device Sync Policy whenever an internet connection is available. If you’re off-the-grid, Mylio Photos+ will update it the next time it has an internet connection.

You can retrieve all synced media from the Cloud service if a device is lost, stolen, or broken. If your Cloud Service has been designated as a Vault, it can fully repopulate your Mylio Photos Library. Cloud services can also populate Mylio Photos+ on other devices that cannot be synced on your local or peer-to-peer connection.

Mylio Photos+ allows uploading encrypted or unencrypted files to cloud services.

Uploading Encrypted Photos

By default, Mylio Photos+ is set to upload full-quality encrypted image files. This means the Cloud service will not be able to read your files and provides the highest level of security. You must use your Mylio Account and the Mylio Photos+ application on a viewing device (computer, tablet, or phone) to unencrypt these images.

Uploading Unencrypted Photos

If you upload unencrypted image files, Mylio Photos+ will upload your full-quality image files without encryption. Unencrypted media and any personal data contained in that media will be viewable by the Cloud service.

!WARNING: Mylio Photos+ is not an alternative uploader for viewing your Mylio Photos Library within the Cloud service’s website or apps. Tampering with files inside the Mylio folder on a cloud service can cause your catalog to become corrupt and may cause data loss.

S3 Compatible Storage (Advanced)

S3 or Simple Storage Service is a protocol supported by many cloud storage service providers such as Amazon Web Services, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, etc. S3 support is also possible with popular Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices such as Synology, allowing users to create their own personal cloud.

To add an S3-compatible service as a Mylio Photos+ device, you’ll need to provision a Bucket and retrieve the correct Server Endpoint URL, Access Key, and Secret Key for your service.

To host your S3 private cloud on a NAS, you must install a container environment (such as Docker) and an S3 application (such as MinIO). You’ll use this S3 server app to create your Bucket, build your Server Endpoint URL, and generate your Access Key and Secret Key. In addition, opening specific router ports and securing SSL certificates is required. You can even access the S3 private cloud outside your home network by configuring DDNS and opening a firewall port.

This chapter includes example configurations for several popular S3 services and setup instructions for Synology NAS devices using Docker and MinIO. Other S3-compatible services or NAS devices may be used, but the setup and configuration may differ slightly.

*NOTE: Only one S3 compatible cloud service (including NAS Private Cloud using S3) can be added to a Mylio Account.

Differences Between S3 Private Cloud and Standard Mylio NAS Setup

Setting up your NAS using the standard Mylio Photos+ configuration (Windows only) will display in the Devices section of the Dashboard as a storage device with a NAS symbol on the Device Card. This configuration will display the complete file structure exactly as it appears in the Mylio Photos+ Folders view. If you want to see and navigate your files directly, use the standard NAS configuration.

Setting up your NAS as an S3 Private Cloud will display in the Devices section of the Dashboard as a cloud device with a cloud symbol on the Device Card. This configuration will display as a single Mylio folder managed and viewable only through the Mylio Photos+ application. If you want a protection repository with the convenience of cloud access and no host dependency, choose the S3 private cloud option.

	Always online PC/MAC Required	Folder & File Structure Visible	Internet Access for Sync	Configuration Level	Protection Level
Standard Mylio NAS	Yes	Yes	Via host computer only	Basic	Good (host required)
NAS S3 Private Cloud	No	No	Yes	Advanced	Best

Learn More:

• Use Backblaze B2 with Mylio Photos+
• Use Wasabi with Mylio Photos+
• Use Amazon AWS with Mylio Photos+
• Set Up an S3 Server on Synolgy NAS