Our Google accounts hold a significant amount of data, from cherished photos and important documents to critical emails and contacts. Ensuring that all this data is backed up can be invaluable, especially if you want to keep a copy offline, switch to a new account, or protect against potential data loss.

Here are some ways in which you can backup valuable information and files from various Google apps.

Backing up Google Drive files

Google Takeout remains one of the most straightforward ways to back up all data from Google Drive. It allows you to export files into a downloadable format, ideal for keeping an offline copy.

If you use Google Drive for a desktop, it provides automatic syncing from Google Drive to your computer. This tool creates a real-time mirror of your files on your local device, making it easy to access and back up files offline. After setting up Google Drive for desktop, copy your synced Drive folder to an external hard drive to keep a second backup.

Several other platforms can be integrated with Google Drive to create a backup in a separate cloud environment. One example is MultCloud, which offers a cloud-to-cloud transfer feature, allowing you to move or sync files from Google Drive to another cloud service, like Dropbox or OneDrive. 

Backing up Google Photos

The Google Photos app on mobile devices has a built-in sync feature that saves copies to Google's cloud but can also export to your device, providing a quick way to back up photos offline.

Additionally, Amazon Photos offers unlimited photo storage for Amazon Prime members and works similarly to Google Photos. You can sync Google Photos with Amazon Photos via MultCloud or by downloading photos manually from Google and uploading them to Amazon Photos.

Finally, with Microsoft OneDrive, you can automatically upload your photos. The OneDrive app can connect to Google Photos through MultCloud or by using the 'Auto Upload'  feature in OneDrive itself.

Backing up Gmail 

For Gmail, there are several options to create a backup of your emails. Google Takeout allows you to download your Gmail data in an MBOX format, which can then be imported into email clients like Mozilla Thunderbird or Outlook.

By connecting Gmail via IMAP or POP settings, you can also automatically download emails to your desktop. IMAP syncs emails with Gmail, while POP downloads them, creating a local backup.

Gmvault, another method, is a dedicated tool for Gmail backups. It can sync your emails to a local drive, allowing you to restore them if needed. It supports encryption and periodic backups, ideal for users who prefer an automated approach.

Backing up Contacts

Google Contacts contain essential information for communication, and backing them up ensures you never lose touch. In Google Contacts settings, select the option to export contacts. You can save them in Google CSV, Outlook CSV, or vCard formats for easy import into various apps.

You could also export your Google Contacts in vCard format and import them into iCloud for a secondary backup. Similarly, you can export contacts in CSV format and import them into Microsoft Outlook to keep a synchronised backup.

For Android users, apps like Contacts Sync can create an additional backup on an external drive or another Google account, ideal for maintaining a redundant copy.

Backing up Google Calendar

Google Calendar can be backed up directly or synced with other calendar services for added redundancy. In Google Calendar settings, choose 'Export' to download '.ics' files for each calendar. These files are compatible with most calendar software, allowing you to import events into other applications.

Google Calendar can be synced directly with Apple Calendar for Mac and iOS users, ensuring all events are saved in another cloud environment. You could also export your Google Calendar and import it into Outlook Calendar for an alternative backup that syncs across Microsoft devices.

Backing up YouTube content

For YouTube creators or users with important playlists, Google Takeout can export your uploaded videos, playlists, comments, and history, but files may require reformatting for certain platforms.

4K Video Downloader is a third-party tool that can download your uploaded videos or entire playlists in high quality. Use this to maintain a local copy of all your content. Moreover, with YouTube API tools like Zapier or IFTTT, you can set up automation to back up your video data or add new uploads to secondary storage.

Automated backup tools

For seamless, ongoing backups, automated tools are essential. IFTTT and Zapier are popular automation tools that let you create workflows between Google services and other platforms. CloudHQ specialises in cloud backup and sync solutions. It supports continuous synchronisation across Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Amazon S3, providing a hands-off approach to backup.

If you want a secure, offline backup, saving data to an external drive is ideal. After using any of the options above (such as Google Takeout, IFTTT automation, or third-party backup tools), copy the backup files to an external hard drive or USB for an added layer of security.

For example, Western Digital My Passport or Seagate Backup Plus provide high-capacity storage for complete backups of Google Takeout files or other downloaded data. To secure sensitive data, consider using software like VeraCrypt to encrypt your external drive, which should ensure your Google data is safe even if the drive is misplaced.