From iPhone or Mac to your Pixel, wirelessly.
Back up your photo
library, or photos and videos in folders on Mac.
Free for noncommercial use · No account · No cable
BackupDuck
LESS MANAGING. MORE LIVING.
Back up new photos as your library grows. Bring your existing library along whenever you’re ready.
Original photos, videos, Live Photos and bursts. Supported Live Photos become motion photos on Pixel, with both original parts preserved during transfer.
On Mac, add a folder from your computer, an external drive or an SD card. Include subfolders and automatically back up new and changed photos and videos. Your source files stay untouched.
Background uploads on iPhone. A running Mac for bigger libraries. Interrupted transfers resume without starting over.
iOS decides when background preparation runs; continuous locked-screen backup is not guaranteed.Pair by QR code. Transfer on your local network with encryption. No BackupDuck account or cloud storage in between.
A SECOND LIFE FOR YOUR PIXEL
Let your Pixel receive the photos you take on iPhone. Then let Google Photos back them up to the cloud—with the storage benefits available on your model.
Check Google’s Pixel storage policy ↗Pair over Wi-Fi. Bring your library. Keep new photos coming. See how BackupDuck gives your memories another home.
Illustrated workflow with sample photos; visual details may differ from the current native apps. Google Photos handles cloud backup on Pixel. iOS schedules background uploads. iOS is available through TestFlight; you can also build with Xcode.
FROM ONE DEVICE TO ANOTHER
Open BackupDuck on your sender and Android receiver. Start receiving on Android.
Scan the receiver’s code with iPhone. On Mac, show the code and scan it with your receiver.
Start with a few photos, then enable automatic backup. On Mac, choose your photo library or add a folder.
A BRIDGE, NOT A WALLED GARDEN
Today: iPhone and Mac send to Android and Pixel. The shared foundation separates sending from receiving, so more combinations can grow from here.
Future directions · Not available yet
Choose a sender. Add a receiver. Make your first copy.
Checking the latest release…
Back up your photo library or folders
macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon
View releasesMove to Applications. This build is not Apple-notarized; allow it in Privacy & Security if prompted. Future updates use Sparkle.
Your always-ready receiver
Android 10+ · arm64
View releasesInstall the APK. Android asks you to allow installation. Later updates are checked in the app and installed with your confirmation.
Send straight from Photos
iOS 17+
Install with TestFlight ↗Join the iOS beta through TestFlight. You can also build from source with Xcode and your own signing team. Development installs need periodic renewal.
A little clarity before your first backup.
Yes. On Mac, add a folder and its subfolders are included. Supported formats are JPEG, HEIC/HEIF, PNG, GIF, WebP, TIFF, MOV, MP4 and M4V; RAW files and documents are not supported. A disconnected drive waits until it is available again. Google Photos does not recreate the folder hierarchy as albums.
For the same folder source and receiver, unchanged files already queued or received are skipped. New or changed files are eligible for backup. Files added through another source or sent to a new receiver may be backed up separately. BackupDuck does not modify or delete your originals.
Not for originals already on your device. If a photo exists only in iCloud, Apple Photos needs to download it first. iPhone can send directly, without a Mac.
BackupDuck supports background transfers and preparation. iOS controls when preparation runs, so uninterrupted overnight backup is not guaranteed. Avoid force-quitting the app. A running Mac is useful for large first imports.
Storage budgets pause new reception when space is low. Verified gallery copies can replace BackupDuck’s private staging copies. Experimental Google Photos space management uses its own safe-backup confirmation and may need attention if the interface changes.
No. BackupDuck verifies delivery to the receiver. Google Photos uploads separately; enable backup for the BackupDuck folder and confirm cloud completion there.
BackupDuck is an release candidate. Keep your original library and another trusted copy. Try photos, a video and a Live Photo before a large import.