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.
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 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.
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.