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Secure and simple cloud file backup

Rest easy—we’ve got your back. Dropbox enables you to back up your files, photos, and videos to keep them safe and easy to recover—no matter what happens to your hardware.

A user selecting files to be backed up to the cloud in Dropbox
Back up any file—anywhere, anytime

Whether you’re trying to back up an image collection, a large video, a CAD file, or entire folders, you can store all your important files safely in your Dropbox account. With access to your Dropbox files from any device, operating system or platform, you can work and collaborate on projects with ease. No internet connection? No problem.

With Dropbox, you can work on files while offline, from your desktop computer, Android, iPhone, or iPad. Once you get back online, your files and folders will automatically sync with any edits you made when you weren’t connected.

A collection of different types of files that will be backed up to Dropbox
Get extra assurance

Losing precious family photos or unintentionally deleting work files because your phone goes missing or your external drive stops working can be stressful. Accidents happen, but cloud storage services from Dropbox help make disaster recovery easier.

When you move or delete a file in your Dropbox folder or on the web, we’ll confirm it’s the action you want to take. This ensures fewer chances that accidental data loss will occur. Relax knowing that all of your important files are safe in the cloud.

A file being backed up to the cloud
Recover your files

If your files are accidentally deleted, lost, or updated too early, there’s no need to worry. With file recovery and version history, you can restore your deleted files or previous versions of work without missing a beat. By default, Dropbox stores all of your individual files, including early versions of files, for a full 30 days—or 180 days for Dropbox Standard, Advanced, and Enterprise plans.

A user selecting a file in Dropbox to restore

Frequently asked questions

File backup is a duplicate copy of your data that can be used to recover your files or even an entire hard drive after a data loss event. A cloud backup is the same as your file backup, only stored online in a network of off-site servers operated by a cloud storage provider.

Simply put, storing your files in the cloud is vital because content is irreplaceable. Whether it’s important documents, work, or family photos and videos, it’s important to count on cloud storage services so that there’s always a duplicate copy of these important files. Then, if an accident happens, you can easily restore your files.

With Dropbox Backup, you can automatically back up folders on your computer like your Desktop, Documents, and Downloads folders. This ensures content is safely backed up to the cloud. With Backup, you can also back up your external hard drives to the cloud by getting prompted whenever you plug it in (available in select plans).

When you store your files to Dropbox, your files are synced across your devices and accessible in real time. With Dropbox Backup, your folders and files from your computer or external hard drives* are automatically backed up to the cloud and you can quickly recover your content if something goes wrong.

*select plans

It’s easy to store files from your phone in the cloud using the Dropbox mobile app. Once you’ve downloaded the Dropbox mobile app to your phone or tablet, you can create or upload files you’d like to save directly to Dropbox. Plus, any uploaded files sync with Dropbox on your iOS, Windows, and other connected devices. For more details read our how to back up iPhones article.

Dropbox can automatically upload and store your photos to the cloud by copying them from your mobile device or camera to your Dropbox folder.

With the camera uploads feature enabled, any photo or video you’ve taken with your mobile device will be saved to your Dropbox account (Dropbox Basic users must have the desktop app installed).

You can also store your existing photos in the cloud by uploading them to your Dropbox account.

See more features

A Dropbox file with a cloud icon

Cloud storage

Keep all your files safe with powerful online cloud storage

A deleted file being recovered from the cloud

File recovery

Recover or restore lost files, accidental edits, or deleted work

The doc scanner app on a mobile phone

Doc scanner app

Take the work out of paperwork with the doc scanner app

Computer files being backed up automatically to Dropbox

Automatic backup

Easily back up your computer and external drive to the cloud