# PhotoDump Export: full documentation > PhotoDump Export is an app for iPhone, iPad and Mac with Apple silicon (M1 and later) that exports photos and videos from iCloud Photos, including files stored only in iCloud, to a USB or SSD drive, S3-compatible storage, or a REST server the user controls. Made by 278labs. This file contains the support FAQ and the privacy policy in full, in English. Site: https://photodump.278labs.co.uk/ App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/photodump-export/id6785649717 Studio: https://278labs.co.uk/ Contact: sapar@278labs.co.uk ## What it does ### iPhone storage full? Move photos and videos off the phone instead of deleting them. Nothing gets marked safe to delete until it is confirmed on the drive. ### Tired of paying for iCloud+? A 2TB plan runs $9.99 a month, forever. Move your library to a drive you own once, then downgrade or cancel. ### Library bigger than your phone's storage? A 256GB iPhone can still move a 2TB library to a 2TB SSD: one file at a time, never holding it all at once. ### Your own storage, not a cloud provider's S3-compatible and REST server support (Beta) works with a home NAS, a self-hosted object store, or any server you control. PhotoDump itself never holds a copy of anything: files go straight from your phone to the destination you set up. ## Guides ### iPhone Storage Full? Don't Delete Anything Yet PhotoDump Export App moves your photos and videos off the phone instead — nothing gets marked safe to delete until it's already somewhere else. #### The notification that starts most of this Almost nobody opens a photo migration app because they're planning a grand archiving project. Usually it's the "iPhone Storage Almost Full" warning blocking a system update, or a new app that won't install. The instinct is to start deleting things — but deleting is permanent, and picking through thousands of photos to find what's safe to remove isn't realistic. #### Move instead of delete PhotoDump copies your photos and videos to a USB/SSD drive, your own S3-compatible storage, or a server you control. A file is only marked safe to delete from your phone after PhotoDump has confirmed it actually exists on the destination — never before. If you'd rather delete manually later, that's fine too; the app just tells you what's already safely backed up. #### How quickly does this actually free up space? Because files transfer one at a time rather than requiring the whole library to process before anything happens, usable space starts coming back within minutes of starting, not after some long wait. For a phone that's completely full right now, that matters more than the eventual total. #### Related ### An iCloud Storage Alternative That Doesn't Bill You Monthly PhotoDump Export App moves your library to a drive you own once. Stop renting space for photos you already have. #### What iCloud+ actually costs Apple's free tier is 5GB — a few dozen photos. Past that, 2TB runs $9.99 a month, 6TB is $29.99, and 12TB is $59.99. None of these have an annual discount, so a 2TB plan adds up to roughly $120 a year, every year, indefinitely. Miss a payment or let a card expire, and Apple restricts access to whatever doesn't fit in the free tier until you pay again. You're not paying to own anything. You're paying rent on space for files you already have. #### The alternative: buy the storage once An external SSD is a one-time purchase. A 2TB drive costs roughly what two or three months of iCloud+ would. PhotoDump copies your photos and videos onto it directly from your iPhone — including anything still sitting in iCloud — and once a file is on the drive, it doesn't need to stay in iCloud to remain accessible through PhotoDump's own browsing and search. From there, downgrading or cancelling iCloud+ is safe: the drive is already the real copy, not iCloud. #### What if I don't want a physical drive? PhotoDump also supports S3-compatible storage and REST servers (Beta) — your own bucket, your own NAS, your own infrastructure, instead of Apple's. Either way, PhotoDump itself never holds a copy of anything; files go straight from your phone to whatever destination you set up. #### Related ### Transfer Photos to an External Drive, Even If They Don't Fit on Your Phone With PhotoDump Export App, a 256GB iPhone can still move a 2TB library to a 2TB SSD. Here's the actual mechanism. #### The case that sounds impossible An iPhone with 256GB of storage, iCloud Photos set to "Optimize iPhone Storage," and a library that's quietly grown to 2TB in iCloud over the years — the phone only ever kept previews and whatever was recently opened. Buy a 2TB external SSD, and the obvious question is: how does a 256GB device move 2TB of data anywhere? It would need to "hold" all of it first, and it can't. #### It doesn't hold all of it — it never has to PhotoDump processes the library one file at a time (or a handful concurrently). Each file gets downloaded from iCloud if needed, written briefly to the phone, copied to the drive, confirmed, and the temporary copy deleted — all before the next file starts. At any given moment the phone is only holding whatever's currently in transit, typically under a gigabyte total. By the time the whole library has moved, the phone's storage is back where it started, and the 2TB lives entirely on the SSD. #### Video is usually the bigger problem A minute of 4K video runs several hundred megabytes, and ProRes on newer iPhones is bigger still — video is usually what pushes a library from tens of gigabytes into the terabytes, not photos. It moves through the same one-file-at-a-time process, so archiving years of 4K or ProRes footage doesn't require it to ever fit on the phone. #### One drive for the whole family The same drive can hold more than one iPhone's library. Each device gets its own folder, so a household can put everyone's photos on one shared 4TB or 8TB drive without anyone's files getting mixed together. #### Related ## Support FAQ ### Getting Started **What does PhotoDump do?** PhotoDump copies your photos and videos, in full quality including Live Photos, from your iPhone to a destination you control: a USB or SSD drive, your own S3-compatible storage, or a REST server you run. **Which destinations are supported?** USB/SSD drives, S3-compatible object storage (AWS S3, MinIO, and compatible services), and REST servers you control. USB/SSD is the most mature option today; S3 and REST are labeled Beta. **Do I need to create an account?** No. There is no sign-up, login, or PhotoDump account of any kind. You only configure the destination you want to use. **Is there a subscription or in-app purchase?** No recurring subscription. PhotoDump is a single one-time purchase that unlocks all destinations, including the Beta ones. **What iOS version do I need?** iOS 16 or later. Some features, such as Live Activities on the Lock Screen, take advantage of newer iOS versions when available. **What languages does PhotoDump support?** English, Russian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Kazakh. The app follows your device's language automatically, or you can pick one manually in Settings. ### USB & SSD **How do I connect a USB or SSD drive?** Connect the drive to your iPhone (directly or via an adapter), open PhotoDump, and choose "USB Drive" as your destination. Grant folder access when prompted. **Is USB/SSD really 100% local, with no internet required?** Yes. Files stream directly from your Photos library to the drive. Nothing is uploaded anywhere, and no internet connection is needed for the transfer itself (only for downloading originals that are still stored in iCloud rather than on your device). **Can I use one drive with more than one iPhone?** Yes. Give each device a different destination folder name during setup so their records stay separate and files from different phones don't get mixed together. **What happens if the drive disconnects mid-migration?** Migration pauses automatically. Reconnect the drive and it resumes exactly where it left off — nothing is re-copied or lost. **Why does the app ask for a folder name?** The folder name determines where on the drive your files (and PhotoDump's internal record database) are stored. This is what keeps multiple devices sharing one drive from mixing their files together. **Does PhotoDump reformat or erase my drive?** No. PhotoDump only writes into the destination folder you choose. It never reformats, erases, or touches anything else on the drive. ### S3 & REST (Beta) **How do I set up an S3-compatible destination?** Choose "S3 Storage" as your destination and enter your bucket name, region, access key, and secret key. Any S3-compatible provider works, not just AWS. **Is Amazon S3 the only supported provider?** No. Any storage service that speaks the S3 API — including self-hosted options like MinIO — works the same way. **How do I set up a REST server destination?** Choose "REST API" as your destination and provide your server's upload URL and any required authentication headers. See the in-app setup guide for the exact request format PhotoDump sends. **Why are S3 and REST marked Beta?** They are newer than USB/SSD support and are still being hardened against edge cases like network interruptions and provider-specific quirks. They are safe to use, but USB/SSD is currently the most battle-tested path. **Is my S3 access key stored securely?** Yes. Credentials are stored in your device's Keychain, the same secure storage iOS uses for passwords, and are never sent anywhere except directly to the destination you configured. ### Migration **How does "Safe to Delete" work?** A file is only marked safe to delete from your phone after PhotoDump confirms it exists on the destination. Nothing is ever suggested for deletion before that check passes. **Can I pause and resume migration?** Yes, at any point. Close the app, come back later, and migration continues exactly where it stopped instead of starting over. **Why is migration slow, or stuck downloading from iCloud?** If a photo or video is still stored in iCloud rather than on your device, downloading it runs at the speed Apple's iCloud service allows for your account. This is controlled by Apple, not by PhotoDump. Once a file is downloaded, it no longer depends on iCloud. **What happens if my phone locks during migration?** PhotoDump keeps the screen from locking on its own while the migration screen is open, so you can dim the brightness safely. If you lock the phone manually, migration pauses and resumes once you unlock it again. **Does migration run in the background?** iOS limits background photo uploads for all apps, so PhotoDump works best with the app open. It uses Live Activities to show progress on your Lock Screen, and will prompt you to reopen the app if background time runs out. **What happens if a file fails to migrate?** PhotoDump automatically retries failed files a few times before marking them as failed. Failed items are listed in the migration log and can be retried manually at any time. **Will PhotoDump ever delete my photos automatically?** No. PhotoDump only marks files as safe to delete — it never deletes anything from your Photos library on its own. Deleting is always a manual action you take. **Can I choose which albums or photos to migrate?** Yes. You can migrate your entire library or pick specific presets and albums from the migration setup screen. ### Browsing & Search **Can I browse my destination like the Photos app?** Yes. Albums, full-screen viewing, and search all work the same way whether a file is still on your phone or already migrated to your destination. **How does search work?** PhotoDump indexes what's in each photo (people, places, objects) and where it was taken, entirely on-device, so you can search by content or location without typing exact filenames or dates. **Does search work when the drive isn't connected?** Search tags are hidden when the source drive isn't currently reachable, so you never get results pointing at content that can't actually be opened right now. ### Storage & Cache **Does PhotoDump use extra storage on my phone?** No meaningful amount. PhotoDump does not keep a second copy of a migrated file in your phone's storage. Small temporary files used during transfer are cleaned up automatically. **What does "Clear Cache" in Settings do?** It clears thumbnails and any temporary files left behind by an interrupted migration or video preview, reclaiming the space immediately rather than waiting for automatic cleanup. **Is USB/SSD storage usage different from S3/REST?** USB/SSD never copies files into your phone's local storage at all — it streams directly to the drive. S3/REST briefly hold a file locally while uploading it, then remove it automatically. ### Privacy **Does PhotoDump collect analytics or tracking data?** No. There is no analytics, crash reporting, or advertising SDK in the app. See the Privacy Policy for full details. **Who can see my photos?** Only you. Files go directly from your device to the destination you configure. PhotoDump's developer never receives a copy of anything you migrate. ### Still Need Help? **Contact us** If your question isn't covered above, send us a message and we'll get back to you. Please mention your app version and which destination type (USB/S3/REST) you're using — Settings → Send Feedback fills this in automatically. Send Feedback ## Privacy Policy Effective date: July 11, 2026 ### 1. Introduction This Privacy Policy describes how PhotoDump Export App ("the Application", "we", "us") handles information in connection with your use of the Application. By downloading, installing, or using the Application, you agree to the terms described in this Policy. ### 2. Information We Access The Application requests access to your device's Photo Library, subject to your explicit authorization through Apple's system permission prompt, for the sole purpose of identifying and transferring photos and videos you select to a destination you configure. Where a photo or video contains embedded location metadata, the Application may use Apple's on-device CoreLocation framework to resolve that coordinate into a city or country label, solely to support search and organization features within the Application. This resolution occurs through Apple's system geocoding service and is not performed by, or transmitted to, the Application's developer. ### 3. Information We Do Not Collect The Application does not collect, transmit, or have access to the content of your photos, videos, or associated metadata. The Application does not integrate any third-party analytics, advertising, crash-reporting, or tracking software development kit (SDK). No usage data, device identifiers, or behavioral data are collected by the developer. ### 4. Destination Data The Application transfers your photos and videos directly from your device to a destination you configure, which may be a USB or SSD storage device physically connected to your device, an S3-compatible storage service, or a REST server. The developer of the Application does not operate, control, or have access to any such destination, and does not receive a copy of any file transferred. Where you configure an S3-compatible or REST destination, any access credentials (including access keys, secret keys, or authentication tokens) you provide are stored exclusively within your device's Keychain, a secure storage facility provided by the operating system, and are transmitted only to the destination you specified. Such credentials are not accessible to, or transmitted to, the developer. ### 5. Data Storage and Retention Records the Application maintains regarding migration status (such as which files have been transferred) are stored locally on your device and, where applicable, on the destination you configure. The developer does not maintain a copy of this information on any server. ### 6. Third-Party Services The Application does not share information with third parties for advertising or marketing purposes. Where the Application interacts with Apple system services (such as Photos, CoreLocation, or iCloud), such interactions are governed by Apple's own privacy practices, available at apple.com/legal/privacy. This support and marketing website (the pages you are currently viewing) uses Google Analytics to understand visitor traffic. Google Analytics may set cookies and collect information such as your IP address, browser type, and the pages you visit. This is separate from the Application itself, which — as described in Section 3 — does not use Google Analytics or any other analytics or tracking SDK. You can decline this by selecting "Decline" in the cookie banner shown on this website. For details on how Google processes this data, see Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy. ### 7. Children's Privacy The Application is not directed at children under the age of 13, and the developer does not knowingly collect information from children under 13. ### 8. Your Rights Because the developer does not collect or store your photos, videos, or personal data on any server, there is no developer-held data to access, correct, or delete. You retain full control over your content and any destination you configure at all times. ### 9. GDPR — European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland For users located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland: the Application does not act as a data controller or data processor with respect to your photos, videos, or personal data, because no such data is transmitted to, or processed by, the developer at any point. The Photo Library access and location-resolution functionality described in Section 2 are performed entirely on your device through Apple's operating system frameworks; the developer never receives this data and therefore does not determine the purposes or means of its processing within the meaning of Article 4(7) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Because the developer does not collect personal data, the data subject rights set out in GDPR Articles 15–22 (including the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection) have no corresponding developer-held data to which they would apply. Where a destination you configure, such as an S3-compatible storage provider, independently processes personal data as part of storing the files you transfer to it, that provider acts as an independent controller for that processing, and its own privacy policy governs that processing. No international transfer of personal data by the developer occurs, as the developer does not receive personal data in the first instance. ### 10. CCPA/CPRA — California Residents For California residents: the developer does not sell or share your personal information, as those terms are defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), and has not done so in the preceding twelve months. The developer does not collect any of the categories of personal information enumerated in California Civil Code §1798.140 in connection with your use of the Application, for the reasons described in Sections 2 and 3 above. Because no personal information is collected, the rights to know, delete, correct, or opt out of sale or sharing afforded under the CCPA/CPRA have no corresponding developer-held data to which they would apply. ### 11. Changes to This Policy This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Application following any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. ### 12. Contact Questions regarding this Privacy Policy may be directed to the developer using the contact method below. The same support and privacy pages exist in Russian, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, Korean, Arabic and Kazakh, under /ru/, /de/, /fr/, /es/, /pt-br/, /zh-hans/, /ja/, /ko/, /ar/ and /kk/.