How to Back Up Your PC and Phone to a UGREEN NAS

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Use UGREEN’s desktop client and the UGOS Sync & Backup app to back up selected Windows or Mac folders, then use the UGREEN NAS mobile app’s Photos Backup feature for phone photos and videos. These are separate workflows: a phone photo backup is not a full phone backup, and copying files to a NAS does not protect them if the NAS itself is lost. Verify the files on the NAS before deleting anything from your devices.

The right setup depends on what you need to recover. For selected computer folders, UGREEN provides a backup task; for active folders you want kept aligned, it provides sync. Mac users who want backup history that includes files, applications, and settings can use Time Machine. Phone Photos Backup handles media available to the app, but it does not replace a full-device backup. The steps below help you choose the right workflow, complete the first transfer, check the results, and plan a second copy.

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Choose backup or sync before setting up your computer

For files you may need to recover later, choose Backup this computer. UGREEN describes this as making a recoverable copy of selected folders on the NAS. Choose Sync this computer when your goal is to keep working folders aligned across locations. Sync is not a substitute for a historical backup: with two-way sync, a deletion can be passed to the other location as well.

Think about the direction of recovery before creating a task. If your aim is to get a past copy of a folder back after changing or losing something on the computer, start with the backup workflow. If your aim is to have the same active working files available in more than one place, sync may fit—but alignment means changes can travel too. A deleted file is not necessarily protected just because it once existed in a synced folder. For important files, do not assume that a synchronized copy provides the same recovery options as a backup task.

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The desktop-client backup flow is for selected folders on Windows or Mac. This means the selection matters: the task protects the folders you choose, so review them rather than assuming the whole computer has been captured. If you want Mac backup history that covers more than chosen folders, UGREEN’s guide positions Time Machine as the alternative. The available menu labels and setup details can differ with UGOS and macOS versions, so follow the current interfaces on your devices rather than relying on a fixed menu path for Time Machine.

Back up selected Windows or Mac folders

Install and configure the NAS before starting: it must be reachable on the network, and the UGOS Sync & Backup app must be installed. The computer must remain available for the initial run; a sleeping or disconnected computer cannot finish sending its files. Plan the first run for a time when the computer can stay awake and connected. A large initial transfer may take longer than later runs, especially when the source contains many small files or the network is busy.

1. Install the UGREEN NAS desktop client on the computer and sign in to your NAS.
2. In UGOS, confirm that the Sync & Backup app is installed.
3. In the desktop client, open Sync & Backup, then Back up & Restore.
4. Click Add and choose Backup this computer.
5. Select the folders to back up and choose their destination on the NAS. Review both selections so you do not omit an important folder or save the task somewhere unexpected.
6. Review the task and start it. Keep the computer powered on, awake, and connected to the NAS, and leave the desktop client open while the backup runs.

Before starting, consider the scope of the folder selection: include the locations that hold the files you care about, and make sure the chosen NAS destination is the intended one. This is especially useful if you have separate personal or shared destinations on the NAS. A task can finish successfully while still not protecting a folder you never selected. If you later change which folders matter, revisit the task and confirm that its selection still matches your needs.

For a large first backup, Ethernet can make the transfer more predictable than Wi-Fi. UGREEN’s 2025 guide gives a rough estimate of about 110 MB/s over 1GbE under favorable conditions; this is a manufacturer estimate, not an independent benchmark or guaranteed rate. Treat it as an indicative best-case figure, not a promise of how quickly your own computer will complete the job. Wi-Fi, many small files, competing network traffic, and sleep or disconnection can make the transfer take longer. Keep the computer awake and connected until the job has finished, and avoid judging progress against a speed estimate that assumes favorable conditions.

Use Time Machine when you want Mac backup history

UGREEN’s guide distinguishes the selected-folder desktop-client workflow from Time Machine’s Mac backup history, which can include files, applications, and settings. The described NAS setup uses a dedicated destination over SMB and Bonjour. Set up a separate backup folder and quota for each Mac so each computer has its own destination and allocated space.

This is a different decision from choosing a few folders for the desktop-client task. Use the selected-folder workflow when that scope matches what you want to protect. Use Time Machine when you want the Mac’s broader backup history. A dedicated folder and quota for each Mac help keep the destinations distinct; if more than one Mac uses the NAS, avoid treating one shared destination as though it were automatically a separate allocation for every computer.

Because macOS and UGOS menus can change between versions, use the current Time Machine controls in macOS and the corresponding current NAS settings. Check that the intended NAS destination is selected before the first run, then confirm that the Mac can complete a backup and that the resulting history is visible to Time Machine. Do not assume that the selected-folder desktop-client task and Time Machine protect identical things; choose according to whether you need selected folders or Mac backup history covering files, applications, and settings.

Back up phone photos and videos to the NAS

UGREEN’s mobile-app Photos Backup workflow copies photos and videos available to the app from the phone’s photo library. It is a media-copy workflow, not a complete restorable backup of the phone. It does not, by itself, preserve items such as settings, installed apps, messages, passwords, or the Home Screen for a full-device restore. If your priority is preserving phone media, this workflow addresses that media; if you need a complete device recovery, do not mistake the photo copy for one.

1. Install and open the UGREEN NAS mobile app, then connect it to your NAS.
2. Open Photos > Settings > Photo Backup.
3. Choose whether to back up all photos or particular albums.
4. Select a personal or shared NAS destination, and set any available date-range and folder-organization preferences.
5. Choose background, nighttime, or cellular behavior if those options are available in your app and appropriate for your data plan and device.
6. Start the initial backup and keep the phone connected and the app authorized to access the media it needs. After the initial run, UGREEN says the task copies new media.

Album selection, date range, and destination let you define what the task should copy and where it should go. Review those choices before the first run: backing up only selected albums is different from choosing all photos, and a selected date range can leave other media outside the task’s scope. Folder-organization settings can help determine how the destination is arranged. The names and availability of settings can vary by app version, so check what your current app offers rather than expecting every option to appear on every phone.

Consider the conditions under which the phone can transfer media. Background, nighttime, and cellular options may be available, but their suitability depends on when you want the task to run and whether cellular use fits your data plan. Keep the app authorized and allow it to run in the background during the initial upload. If the phone restricts background activity, the task may not progress as expected while the app is not open.

For iPhone, the source workflow reads the Photos library, not iCloud Drive. If iCloud Photos is set to Optimize iPhone Storage, some full-resolution originals may remain in iCloud rather than on the phone. A phone-to-NAS transfer can only copy what is available to the app locally. Before relying on the NAS as a full-resolution archive, make sure originals have downloaded to the phone or use a computer-mediated transfer route that retrieves them from iCloud. Do not infer that every original has been copied merely because its thumbnail or a reduced local version is visible in Photos.

iPhone background uploading can be interrupted or limited by Photos permissions, Background App Refresh, Low Power Mode, or force-closing the app. UGREEN also advises granting local-network and Photos or Gallery permissions and allowing background operation; on Android, battery-optimization controls may need adjustment. The exact settings and behavior vary by operating-system version and device. If a phone task stalls, check these permissions and restrictions as well as the app’s album, date-range, and destination choices before starting it again.

Check the NAS copy before removing originals

A completion indicator tells you a task reported completion; it does not prove every file is present and usable. Check the destination on the NAS before deleting originals, emptying a phone’s recently deleted folder, or reducing cloud storage. Verification matters because the task may have copied only the selected folders or albums, and because phone media may not have included a full-resolution original that remained in iCloud.

• Open the NAS destination and confirm that representative folders and files appear where expected.
• Where practical, compare the expected and actual item counts for the folders or albums you selected.
• Open several documents and photos, and play representative videos from the NAS.
• For iPhone Live Photos, check that both components were retained.
• If an item is missing or will not open, keep the original, check the selected folders or albums and destination, then rerun the task after resolving permissions, connectivity, or background restrictions.

Sample more than one kind of file rather than checking only a single item. For a computer task, inspect representative documents and files from the folders you chose. For a phone task, inspect photos and play videos from the NAS destination; on iPhone, check Live Photos for both retained components. Where a folder or album contains many items, comparing counts is a practical extra check, although it does not replace opening files to confirm that they can be used.

Keep the originals until you have confirmed both the intended destination and usable copies. This is particularly important before deleting phone media or reducing cloud storage: the NAS may be the only place you expect to keep an archive, but a task-completion message alone does not establish that every original reached it. If checks reveal an omission, retain the source, correct the scope or settings, and repeat the run before treating the NAS copy as sufficient.

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Keep a second copy of the NAS data

A NAS gives you another place to store files, but it is not an independent safeguard against loss of the NAS. RAID can help keep storage available after some drive failures, but it does not protect against every event, including accidental deletion, ransomware, theft, fire, or damage beyond the array’s tolerance. Snapshots can help with some recovery scenarios, but should not be treated as a replacement for a separate copy. A copy that exists only on the NAS remains exposed to events that affect that NAS.

Add a destination independent of the NAS: an external drive, a cloud destination, or a second NAS. UGREEN describes a 3-2-1 approach as a planning framework: keep three copies, use two types of storage, and keep one copy elsewhere. It is a way to reduce dependence on one device or location, not a guarantee against every failure. The useful distinction is independence: a second copy on a separate destination provides protection that another folder on the same NAS does not.

For an external drive, distinguish incremental backup from mirror mode. In the guide’s description, incremental mode can retain a prior backup of a source file after that source file is deleted; mirror mode also deletes the destination copy. For recovery-oriented protection, UGREEN recommends incremental mode. If offline protection matters, disconnect the external drive after the backup run so it is not continuously exposed alongside the NAS. That offline copy is useful precisely because it is not always connected to the same devices and risks.

When considering what equipment to use, treat the external drive or SSD as a separate destination for NAS data rather than as a replacement for the NAS’s own computer and phone workflows. A cloud destination or second NAS can serve as another independent copy too. Which option fits depends on the destination you can maintain and keep separate; the core requirement is not to count the NAS itself as protection from losing the NAS.

Match the workflow to what you need to recover

When planning NAS capacity, account for the size of the data you intend to store and the space needed for any additional backup history. Drive-bay count and usable capacity matter when choosing a NAS, but RAID capacity is still part of the NAS, not a separate backup destination. Consider the network connection as well: a large first transfer depends on the computer, network, and NAS being able to remain connected, and Ethernet may help make that run more predictable than Wi-Fi. UGREEN’s rough 110 MB/s estimate for favorable 1GbE conditions is a manufacturer figure, not a guaranteed result.

Also plan the capacity and location of the independent copy, not only the primary NAS. A device with more usable capacity or drive bays may address storage needs, but it does not eliminate the need for a second destination if the goal is protection against NAS loss. UGREEN’s NASync DH4300 Plus is one manufacturer-backed example with multi-device app support; it is an example, not a requirement for the workflows above. The important comparison is whether the equipment and destination match the data you need to store and the separate copy you need to maintain.

UGREEN’s computer and mobile procedures are manufacturer guidance, not independent performance testing. Desktop-client steps, app permissions, and interface labels may change with hardware, UGOS, app, iOS, and Android versions. Use the current controls on your own devices, then verify the resulting files directly on the NAS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does UGREEN Photos Backup make a complete backup of my iPhone or Android phone?

No. The described Photos Backup workflow copies available photos and videos from the phone’s media library. It does not create a full restorable copy of settings, apps, messages, passwords, or the Home Screen.

Why are some iPhone photos missing their full-resolution originals on the NAS?

With iCloud Photos and Optimize iPhone Storage, some originals may remain in iCloud rather than on the phone. The mobile app can copy media available locally from the Photos library; download the originals to the phone or use a computer-mediated transfer route that retrieves them from iCloud.

Should I use Backup this computer or Sync this computer?

Use Backup this computer for a recoverable copy of selected folders. Use Sync to keep active folders aligned. With two-way sync, deletions may propagate to the other location, so sync is not necessarily a historical backup.

Can I delete the originals once the task says it is complete?

Not until you have checked the NAS destination. Confirm representative files appear, compare item counts where practical, and open documents, photos, and videos. For iPhone Live Photos, verify that both components were retained.

Will the first computer backup really run at 110 MB/s?

No speed is guaranteed. UGREEN’s 2025 guide gives roughly 110 MB/s over 1GbE under favorable conditions as an estimate. Wi-Fi, many small files, other network activity, sleep, or disconnection can extend the transfer.

Does RAID mean I do not need another backup?

No. RAID can help maintain availability after some drive failures, but it does not cover every risk, including accidental deletion, ransomware, theft, fire, or damage beyond the array’s tolerance. Keep an independent external, cloud, or second-NAS copy.

The Bottom Line

Use Backup this computer for selected Windows or Mac folders, Time Machine for Mac backup history, and Photos Backup for phone photos and videos. Keep devices connected and authorized, verify representative files on the NAS before deleting originals, and maintain an independent second copy to protect against NAS loss.

Quick Recap

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