Are you backing up your photos? This survey says most of us aren’t

And we’re also not even looking at the photos we have

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Not enough of us are backing up our photos and videos - that’s the message fromMixbookfollowing itssurveyon the photography habits of Americans.

While there’s no shortage ofphoto cloud storageandcloud backupservices, the popularonline photo printing servicerevealed just 35% of surveyed respondents regularly backup the photos on their camera roll.

The report also showed just how fleeting some photography is. Of those surveyed, 80% said they have pictures or videos on their phone that they haven’t looked at since the day they took them.

Gathering digital dust

We’re all taking more and more pictures and videos. High-resolution camera phones and a steady stream ofphoto editorsandvideo editing appshave made it easier than ever before. Yet so much media is left gathering digital dust.

Google wants to help provide faster AI photo editing for all> We tested out thebest laptops for photo editing>Security experts found a major bug in Google Cloud

Mixbook calls it “phlushing”, which is probably the ugliest word to be written this week. It’s the act of taking photos, then flushing them down the memory hole like they didn’t happen. Moments captured in time, and never seen again. It all sounds suspiciously like the time before everyone had a camera in their pocket.

The data revealed users stored an average 3,139 pictures and videos on their phones. But 55% of respondents admitted not looking at their camera roll in the last year. And despite thebest cloud storageproviders storing years’-worth of media, users said they rarely went back to those taken more than twelve months ago. The same number confessed to feeling overwhelmed by how many photos and videos were stored on their device. Perhaps a problem easier ignored - at least until the likes ofApple iCloudandGoogle Onecome knocking for a storage space subscription.

What actually happens to all those photos and videos? In 50% of cases, nothing at all. A further 30% share them with family and friends, while 17% post to social media. In a sign of the times, just 3% print them, online or with aphoto printer.

Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed!

But the real concern is that 65% who are not regularly securely storing media - especially with so manyways to backup photos- whether they’re “phlushing” those images or not.

Steve is TechRadar Pro’s B2B Editor for Creative & Hardware. He began in tech journalism reviewing photo editors and video editing software at the magazine Web User, where he also covered technology news, features, and how-to guides. Today, he and his team of reviewers test out a range of creative software, hardware, and office furniture. Once upon a time, he wrote TV commercials and movie trailers. Relentless champion of the Oxford comma.

7 myths about email security everyone should stop believing

Best Usenet client of 2024

Your doctor may have an AI assistant taking notes during your next Zoom call