Use AmberTime when you want to
- Back up iPhone photos directly to a USB drive without a Mac.
- Back up iCloud-only photos to an external SSD after downloading originals from Apple.
- Keep original HEIC, RAW, ProRAW, ProRes, Live Photos, GPS, and EXIF metadata where iOS exposes them.
- Back up only new photos after the first run.
- Archive old iPhone photos by year or date range.
- Back up DJI, Blackmagic, downloads, and project folders from the Files app.
Quick start
Plug a USB drive or external SSD into your iPhone, open AmberTime, choose Photo Library or a folder from Files as the source, select a destination folder on the drive, then start the task. The next run will only transfer what is new. In AmberTime 1.1.0, Photo Library tasks can also be limited to a date range such as one year or everything before a chosen date.
Common questions
Does AmberTime upload anything?
No. AmberTime does not upload your files to AmberTime servers, does not require an AmberTime account, and does not use analytics trackers. Backup data goes from your iPhone to the USB drive you choose.
Can AmberTime work with iCloud photos?
Yes. If "Optimize iPhone Storage" leaves originals in iCloud, AmberTime can download the full-resolution file from Apple before writing it to your USB drive. That download needs network access, but the backup is still written locally to your drive.
Can I back up iPhone photos to an external SSD without iCloud?
Yes. If the originals are already on your iPhone, AmberTime can write them directly to the selected USB drive or external SSD. If some originals are only in iCloud because Optimize iPhone Storage is enabled, AmberTime can fetch those originals from Apple first before writing them locally.
Do I need a Mac to back up iPhone photos to USB?
No. Create a task, connect an external drive through Files, and run the backup on the iPhone. The drive can later be opened from Finder, Explorer, Linux, or AmberTime's archive browser.
Can I back up only photos before a date or by year?
Yes. AmberTime 1.1.0 supports Photo Library date-range backup tasks. You can choose everything before a date, everything after a date, or a specific range such as Jan 1 through Dec 31 for a single year.
Can I back up only new iPhone photos after the first backup?
Yes. AmberTime backup tasks are incremental. After the first run, AmberTime compares that source with its backup record and transfers only new items that have not already been written to the drive.
Can I back up folders outside of Photos?
Yes. Besides Photo Library, AmberTime can back up custom folders exposed through the iOS Files app. Create separate tasks for DJI footage, camera imports, downloaded media, and project folders.
What USB drives and external SSDs work with AmberTime?
AmberTime works with external storage that iOS exposes through Files, including many USB-C SSDs and flash drives. APFS, exFAT, and FAT32 are supported; FAT32 has a 4 GB single-file limit.
Does AmberTime delete anything from my iPhone after backup?
No. AmberTime backs up files to your drive. It does not delete your Photo Library or source folders after backup.
What happens if the cable disconnects mid-backup?
Completed files are recorded and skipped next time. In-progress writes use temporary .part files, so the next incremental run can continue from the remaining items.
Is the backup really the original file?
AmberTime writes the original PhotoKit resources where available, preserves timestamps, and keeps Live Photos as paired resources. There is no compression step or format conversion in the backup pipeline.
Does AmberTime preserve Live Photos?
Yes. AmberTime backs up Live Photos as paired photo and video resources, usually HEIC plus MOV, where those resources are available through iOS.
Does AmberTime preserve GPS and EXIF metadata?
AmberTime writes original PhotoKit resources where available, so GPS, EXIF, capture timestamps, and related metadata are preserved where iOS exposes them.
Can I open the backup on a Mac or Windows PC?
Yes. AmberTime writes regular files and folders to the selected drive. The archive can be opened on a Mac, Windows PC, Linux computer, or in AmberTime's archive browser.
Is AmberTime a cloud backup app?
No. AmberTime is a local physical archive tool, not a cloud backup service. It does not provide AmberTime cloud storage or upload your files to AmberTime servers.
Can AmberTime handle large photo libraries and ProRes videos?
Yes. The transfer engine streams files in 4 MB chunks, so large ProRes videos and big photo libraries are copied without loading a full file into memory.