Skip to content

Phase 3 — Auto Photo Backup

Goal: Set up automatic photo backup from both phones to the UNAS2 so every new photo taken is backed up to the NAS without any manual effort.

Time estimate: 30–45 minutes
What you need: Bipin's Android phone, Ahana's iPhone, UNAS2 running on home network, File Service Credentials for both accounts
Prerequisites: Phase 2 complete (existing photos migrated to NAS)

Overview

Device App Destination Trigger
Bipin's Android FolderSync Photos_Bipin/Camera Daily at midnight
Bipin's Android FolderSync Documents_Bipin Daily at midnight
Ahana's iPhone PhotoSync Premium Photos_Ahana/Camera When charging on WiFi

Why different apps for Android and iPhone? Android allows true background sync via FolderSync (free). iOS restricts background activity — PhotoSync Premium (~$15 lifetime) is the best solution for iPhone SMB backup. The UniFi Endpoint app requires Identity Endpoint / UI organisation which is not set up yet — this will be revisited when a UniFi gateway is added in future.

Part A — Bipin's Android (FolderSync)

Step 1 — Install FolderSync

  1. Open the Play Store on your Android phone
  2. Search for FolderSync by Tacit Dynamics
  3. Download and install — free

Step 2 — Add the UNAS2 as an SMB Account

  1. Open FolderSync
  2. Go to Accounts → Add Account → SMB
  3. Enter:
  4. Name: UNAS2
  5. Host: 192.168.1.2
  6. Username: your File Service Credentials username
  7. Password: your File Service Credentials password
  8. Tap Test to confirm the connection succeeds
  9. Save the account

Step 3 — Add Google Drive as an Account

  1. Go to Accounts → Add Account → Google Drive
  2. Sign in with your Google account
  3. Authorise FolderSync access
  4. Save the account

Step 4 — Set Up Camera Backup Sync Pair

  1. Go to Folderpairs → Add Folderpair
  2. Configure:
  3. Name: Camera Backup
  4. Sync type: To remote folder (one way: phone → NAS)
  5. Local folder: /DCIM/ (your phone's camera folder)
  6. Remote folder: Browse to Photos_Bipin/Camera on UNAS2
  7. Sync subfolders: ✅ Enabled
  8. Schedule: Daily at midnight
  9. WiFi only: ✅ Enabled
  10. Delete if deleted on source: ✅ Disabled
  11. Sync hidden files: Optional
  12. Save the folderpair

Step 5 — Set Up Google Drive Backup Sync Pair

  1. Go to Folderpairs → Add Folderpair
  2. Configure:
  3. Name: Google Drive Backup
  4. Sync type: To remote folder (one way: Google Drive → NAS)
  5. Source account: Google Drive (your account)
  6. Source folder: Root (entire Drive)
  7. Remote folder: Browse to Documents_Bipin on UNAS2
  8. Schedule: Daily at midnight
  9. WiFi only: ✅ Enabled
  10. Delete if deleted on source: ✅ Disabled
  11. New files synced: ✅ Yes — new files added to Google Drive are picked up on the next sync
  12. Save the folderpair

Step 6 — Disable Battery Optimisation for FolderSync

Without this, Android may kill FolderSync before the midnight sync completes.

  1. Go to Android Settings → Apps → FolderSync
  2. Tap Battery
  3. Set to Unrestricted

Step 7 — Verify

Run a manual sync on both folderpairs to confirm they work correctly before relying on the scheduled sync:

  1. Open FolderSync → tap each folderpair → tap Sync now
  2. Confirm files appear in the correct NAS folders
  3. Check the sync log for any errors

Part B — Ahana's iPhone (PhotoSync)

Step 1 — Install PhotoSync

  1. Open the App Store on Ahana's iPhone
  2. Search for PhotoSync – Transfer & Backup by touchbyte GmbH (orange/red icon)
  3. Purchase and install Premium (Lifetime) — required for Auto Transfer feature
  4. Open the app

Why not UniFi Endpoint? The UniFi Endpoint app requires an Identity Endpoint / UI organisation setup which is designed for use with a UniFi gateway. Since we currently have an ISP router, this will be set up properly when a UniFi gateway is added in future. PhotoSync is the correct solution for now.

Why not FolderSync? FolderSync is Android only.

Step 2 — Add UNAS2 as SMB Target

  1. In PhotoSync → tap + → Add Target → select SMB
  2. Enter:
  3. Host: 192.168.1.2
  4. Share: Photos_Ahana
  5. Username: Ahana's File Service Credentials username
  6. Password: Ahana's File Service Credentials password
  7. Tap Test Connection — confirm it connects successfully
  8. Save the target

Step 3 — Configure Auto Transfer

  1. In PhotoSync → tap Auto Transfer
  2. Configure:
  3. Source: All Photos
  4. Target: the UNAS2 SMB target configured above
  5. Destination folder: Camera (inside Photos_Ahana)
  6. Trigger: When Charging
  7. WiFi only: ✅ On
  8. Delete after transfer: ✅ Off
  9. Tap Start Auto Transfer to enable

Step 4 — Run Initial Backup

Plug Ahana's iPhone into a charger while on home WiFi. PhotoSync will automatically begin backing up all existing photos on the device to Photos_Ahana/Camera on the NAS.

The initial backup can take several hours for a large photo library. Keep the iPhone plugged in and on WiFi throughout. Monitor progress in the PhotoSync app.

Once the initial backup completes, every subsequent Auto Transfer will only pick up new photos and will be very quick.

iCloud Note

Ahana's iCloud Photos was disabled on her iPhone — photos were already stored at full resolution on the device. No iCloud export was needed. PhotoSync handles the full migration and ongoing backup directly from the device.

Sync Schedule Summary

What When How
Bipin's new photos Daily midnight FolderSync (auto)
Bipin's Google Drive updates Daily midnight FolderSync (auto)
Ahana's new photos Every time iPhone charges on WiFi PhotoSync (auto)

Verification Checklist

  • [ ] FolderSync installed on Bipin's Android
  • [ ] UNAS2 SMB account added and tested in FolderSync
  • [ ] Camera backup folderpair configured and tested
  • [ ] Google Drive backup folderpair configured and tested
  • [ ] FolderSync battery optimisation disabled
  • [ ] PhotoSync Premium installed on Ahana's iPhone
  • [ ] UNAS2 SMB target added and tested in PhotoSync
  • [ ] Auto Transfer configured with correct settings
  • [ ] Initial iPhone backup started and completed
  • [ ] Both phones' new photos appearing in correct NAS folders

Troubleshooting

FolderSync not running at midnight: Check battery optimisation — Android may be killing the app. Go to Settings → Apps → FolderSync → Battery → set to Unrestricted. Also confirm the schedule is set correctly in the folderpair settings.

FolderSync SMB connection failing: Confirm the UNAS2 is on and SMB is enabled (UniFi Drive → Settings → Services → SMB). Confirm you are on the same WiFi network as the NAS. Confirm File Service Credentials are correct.

PhotoSync not triggering automatically: Confirm the iPhone is both charging AND on WiFi when you expect it to run. iOS requires both conditions to be met simultaneously for the trigger to fire. Also confirm Auto Transfer is enabled (not just configured) — there should be a green indicator in the app.

PhotoSync showing connection error: Confirm Ahana's File Service Credentials are correct. In UniFi Drive → People → Ahana's account → Settings → Assignment → File Services Credentials — reset if needed.

Photos not appearing in correct folder: Check the destination folder setting in PhotoSync Auto Transfer configuration — confirm it points to Photos_Ahana/Camera and not the root of Photos_Ahana.

FolderSync syncing too slowly: Large initial syncs take time. For the first run, make sure the phone is on WiFi and charging. Subsequent syncs will only pick up new files and will be much faster.

Phase 3 complete. Proceed to Phase 4 — Remote Access.