Your memories,
safely at home.
Immich automatically backs up your phone photos in the background — like iCloud or Google Photos, but stored privately at home. No subscription, no big tech, no snooping.
Download & connect the app
Do this once. Takes about 5 minutes.
Get your login details from me
I'll set you up with a username, password, and the server address. Just ask — I'll send it over in a text. The address will look something like http://192.168.1.x:2283.
Download the Immich app
Search "Immich" in the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) and install it. It's free.
Connect to the server
Open the app. On the first screen, it asks for a Server URL. Paste in the address I sent you, then tap Next.
Sign in with your credentials
Enter the email and password I gave you and tap Login. You should land on the main photo timeline — if it's your first time it'll be empty, that's normal.
Grant photo permissions
Immich will ask for access to your photo library. Tap Allow Access to All Photos (not "limited access") — this is what lets it back everything up.
Turn on automatic backup
This is the key step — once it's on, your photos back up silently in the background forever.
Open Backup settings
In the Immich app, tap the profile icon in the top right, then tap Backup. You'll see a toggle at the top.
Enable background backup
Toggle Background Backup on. The app will ask for background app refresh permissions — allow it. This is what lets it upload photos automatically even when the app isn't open.
Start your first backup
Tap Start Backup. The first backup uploads your entire photo library — this can take a while (hours even, depending on how many photos you have). Leave the app open on your phone while it runs, plugged in if possible.
After the first backup — you're done
Once the initial backup finishes, every new photo you take will automatically back up in the background within a few minutes of being taken (as long as you're on WiFi). You never have to think about it again.
Viewing & organizing your photos
Immich works a lot like Google Photos — here's what you can do with it.
Timeline view
The main screen shows all your photos in chronological order. Scroll up for older photos, down for recent.
Smart search
Search by anything — "beach 2022", "birthday cake", "dogs." Immich uses AI to understand what's in your photos.
People / Faces
Tap Explore to see photos grouped by person. Immich recognizes faces and lets you name them.
Albums
Create albums to organize photos by trip, event, or theme. You can also share albums with other people on the server.
Map view
See where all your photos were taken on a map. Tap any cluster to view photos from that location.
Download photos
Long-press any photo to select it, then use the download button to save it back to your phone's camera roll.
Tips & things to keep in mind
WiFi only by default
Backups only run on WiFi so they don't eat your data plan. Keep that in mind if you've been away from home for a while.
Completely private
Your photos are yours alone. Nobody else can see your library, and it's not on any cloud service — just the server at home.
Don't delete originals yet
Until you've confirmed backups are working smoothly, keep your photos on your phone too. The server is reliable, but better safe than sorry.
Smart search & albums
Immich can search by face, location, and date — just like Google Photos. Try it out once your library is backed up.
Remote access
Want to view your photos while away from home? It's possible — just ask and I'll help you get connected remotely.
Storage & limits
There's plenty of space. If you ever get close to running low I'll give you a heads up well in advance — don't worry about it.