Build a DIY Portable Photo Backup Device Using the Raspberry Pi

While it doesn’t happen frequently, it’s not uncommon to lose photos and videos from smartphones and other mobile devices. Hard drives fail, micro SD cards and other storage mediums can become corrupt, which means some, or even all data stored on them is lost. Though most smartphone manufacturers offer their respective cloud services, some prefer to save their valuable images on backup storage devices, but these can be costly or difficult to use.

For the technically savvy, a DIY route is a great option, and DPHacks (Digital Photography Hacks) has created a DIY Portable Photo Backup Device that’s both affordable and easy to use. The gadget is designed around the Raspberry Pi Zero W (although he states any Pi will do) and includes a Zero4U USB Hub with pogo pins (if using the Zero), micro SD card, memory card reader, and a large capacity thumb drive (128Gb/256Gb).

DPHacks doesn’t include a power source in the list of required parts as he used a power bank he had on hand, meaning almost any power bank will do with a somewhat large mAh capacity. It should be noted that there is no soldering involved with the build, making it one of the more accessible solutions in the DIY category. DPHacks provides a detailed walkthrough on how to build the backup device, which is straightforward on the hardware end.

On the software side, DPHacks used Dmitri Popov’s collection of scripts known as the Little Backup Box, which are used to transform the Pi into a fully automated and remote control backup device. While the Little Backup Box provides a myriad of scripts for features such as DNLA and file sharing, DPHacks decided to keep it simple and only use the options mentioned earlier. The remote control option broadcasts a Wi-Fi signal that can connect to other devices, which you can use to transfer photos, while the automated backup option saves the images to the connected thumb drive.