The Lost Files: Over a quarter of Brits have lost treasured photos and videos tied to important memories and people
In light of World Backup Day, new research from Three UK reveals that nearly half of Brits have lost photos, files or data from not backing up their devices
Three UK’s Discovery Team provides their top tips for backing up, as well as debunking the myths of the Cloud
As World Backup Day approaches on the 31st March, Three UK – the UK’s fastest 5G network* – has revealed the amount of sentimental content that has been lost from not backing up.
Nearly half of Brits (47%) have lost data, photos or files from not backing up, and over a quarter of those (28%) lost sentimental photos and videos tied to important memories and people.
Not backing up can have an emotional impact, with nearly two thirds (60%) saying that they felt sad about losing the items from their phone.
And despite this, 17% of those who have lost items from not backing up, still don’t make sure to backup properly. There is a lot of confusion around backing up, as 14% don’t understand how backup systems like the Cloud work, and 12% have no idea how to access their backup files.
So for those worried about losing sentimental data, fear not as Craig Miller, Head of Retail at Three UK has shared their top five tips for backing up:
- Don’t be Afraid – People can be nervous of jargon such as “The Cloud”. Just think of it as an encrypted service that creates copies of your most important files and photos and stores them safely and securely, that can only be accessed by you when needed.
- Be Proactive – Don’t wait for your phone to send you notifications about backing up. You can head to your settings to perform a manual backup, whenever you like.
- Automate your backups – Most devices and applications will allow you to automate your backups. This way you can make sure your photos and files are secure, without really thinking about it.
- Remember your logins – You can do everything needed to backup your files, but when it comes to accessing them, you’ll need your password. If you struggle to remember your passwords, consider using a password keeper app such as Keeper or LastPass.
- Ask for help – Three helps all consumers, (not just Three customers) get the most from their device. Anybody can pop into their local Three store for a Discovery session to learn a new digital skill and get the most from their device/s or visit three.co.uk/discovery for online and in-person training sessions from our Team of Discovery Specialists.
Other common questions that the Three Discovery team receive from the public include, when to pay for storage, and transferring backed up files between different devices.
Miller suggests: “Paying for storage is only necessary if you’re likely to exceed the free allowance, Additional Cloud storage ranges between 0.79p to £7.99 a month dependent on how much you need which will keep all of your files in one secure place.
“New devices will mostly ask you if you are transferring from a different phone and take you through an easy setup process and the transfer of data from the old to the new.
“Internet-connected tech is more important than ever, but the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis are exacerbating the digital divide. We are committed to building a network for all of the UK and that means ensuring customers and communities up and down the country can benefit from tech that makes life and work that little bit easier.
“Our instore Discovery sessions are designed to empower and educate people of all ages and abilities to develop the skills needed for a digital world. No question is too silly, and no solution too hard to find. The feedback from customers has always been incredibly positive, and it’s been heartening to hear these comments once more. We look forward to rolling this out further over the coming months.”
If you’d like to book a workshop with Three Discovery Team, you can visit three.co.uk/discovery give us a call on 0800 1300 333, or email at discovery@three.co.uk.
