What’s the best way to store old phone pictures?

Honestly, it depends on how much you value those pictures. To really protect your data, you should store it in at least two places. Local and cloud storage can be a good strategy, especially since local storage alone might put you at risk of losing everything in case of disasters. An external HDD would be a great starting point, but keep in mind it’s wise to replace storage methods every so often.

Buying an external SSD to store your photos is definitely an option. You can easily transfer them to your PC, and it makes it convenient to access them whenever you want. Just be aware, though, that SSDs have a shorter lifespan—usually around 5 to 10 years, so keep that in mind for your long-term plans.

I think exporting your photos to an external SSD is a solid idea, but remember that SSDs aren’t reliable for long-term data. It might be wise to also have an HDD for backups, as they can last longer even if they do have their own issues.

If you only have one backup, you might be setting yourself up for trouble. A regular HDD can last a bit longer than an SSD, but it could still fail. Consider using at least two backup methods to be safe—maybe a local option plus a cloud solution if you change your mind about subscriptions.

Honestly, I see a lot of mixed opinions here. External SSDs can be risky for long-term storage since if they fail, you might lose everything. HDDs can rust or demagnetize, but they typically fail more gracefully, and some data can often still be recovered. If you want something reliable, I would stick with an external HDD.