Self-Hosted Photo Backup with Immich
Published August 2026 · Last verified August 2026
Your phone is full of photos, and right now most of them live on somebody else's computer in another state, behind a monthly bill that keeps creeping up. Immich is a way to keep all of that at home instead. It backs up your pictures automatically, lets you search them, and puts faces to names, all on a little server in your own house. It sounds fancy, and under the hood it is. But you do not have to understand the engine to drive the car. No jargon. No judgment. No rushing.
Your phone is full of photos, and right now most of them live on somebody else's computer in another state, behind a monthly bill that keeps creeping up. Immich is a way to keep all of that at home instead. It backs up your pictures automatically, lets you search them, and puts faces to names, all on a little server in your own house. It sounds fancy, and under the hood it is. But you do not have to understand the engine to drive the car. No jargon. No judgment. No rushing.
What's inside this guide
The printable PDF walks through 18 short chapters, in plain language. It also includes an everyday cheat sheet and at-a-glance pictures.
- What Immich Actually Is
- Why Folks Move Off Google Photos
- The Computer That Runs It
- How Immich Gets Installed
- Backing Up From Your Phone
- It Does Not Touch Your Phone Photos
- Finding The One Photo You Want
- Putting Names To Faces
- Sharing Albums With Family
- Reaching Your Photos From Anywhere
- Keeping Immich Up To Date
- One Copy Is Not A Backup
- Planning For A Growing Library
- The Honest Truth About Privacy
- When Something Acts Up
- Is Immich Right For You?
- Moving Your Existing Photos In
- Keeping It Healthy For Years
Get the printable guide
Everything above is a quick summary. The full, printable guide — the same words, laid out to read and keep by the computer — is a free PDF.
Last verified August 2026. Information accurate as of October 18, 2026.
Want someone to set it up with you?
I'll sit beside you, we'll go through it together, and you set the pace. $99 flat for the first visit, 30-day follow-up included. Serving Portage County — Atwater, Ravenna, Kent, Streetsboro and the townships.
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Any prices or outside products mentioned in this guide can change over time — the details here were last checked August 2026 and this page is accurate as of October 18, 2026; please confirm current pricing before you buy. See how often we review our guides →