# How do I back up Samsung My Files? — Adinand Auto File Sorter

Last reviewed: September 24, 2026. HTML version: https://adinandsorter.com/answers/backup-samsung-my-files

**You do not back up My Files — you back up the files it shows you, and the only method Samsung documents that plainly covers any file you choose is copying them somewhere else.** Samsung's one-tap backups list what they include, and documents and downloads are not on those lists.

## What My Files actually is <p>Samsung calls it the app that "stores every file you have on your phone or tablet", and compares it to "the File Explorer on a PC" ([*Manage files on your Galaxy phone or tablet*](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00076845/), read 24 September 2026; all Samsung pages here are the US edition). In practice it is a window onto your storage: the Documents, Downloads, Images and other categories it shows are files on the phone. Backing it up means deciding where copies of those files should live.</p>

## Samsung Cloud: check the list before you rely on it <p>Samsung's page on its backups is specific about what goes in: "Call logs, Messages, Contacts, Calendar, Clock, Settings, Home screen, and Apps data are backed up to Samsung Cloud." Two exclusions are spelled out — "Your photos and videos cannot be backed up to Samsung Cloud" — and documents, PDFs and downloaded files are simply not named ([*Access your device backups in Samsung Cloud*](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10002032/), read 24 September 2026). We would not assume they are included when the list does not say so.</p> <p>Two more conditions from the same page are worth knowing: "Samsung Cloud is not available on Verizon phones or tablets", nor in some countries, and "All data stored in Samsung Cloud will be deleted if it has not been used for more than 12 months." Samsung's general backup guide adds that "Some limitations may apply, such as a 1GB file size limit" ([*Back up and restore data or files on your Galaxy phone or tablet*](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10002780/), read 24 September 2026).</p>

## Smart Switch: a full backup, but read the categories <p>Smart Switch can save a backup "on a Windows PC, a Mac, or external storage devices such as a microSD card or USB flash drive". When you run it from a computer, "A list of different data categories (Call logs and contacts, messages, apps, etc.) will be displayed", and "'Select all' is the default option" ([*Back up and restore data or files on your Galaxy phone or tablet*](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10002780/), read 24 September 2026). Samsung's page does not list every category, so it does not tell you in writing whether a folder you created in My Files is one of them. Our suggestion: after the first backup, open the category list and look for your documents before you rely on it.</p>

## Copying: the route that covers everything you pick <p>My Files itself can send copies out. Its destinations include "Google Drive", "OneDrive" — where you "grant permissions for My Files to access the OneDrive cloud" — and, with a card inserted, "SD card". Samsung describes the difference between the two buttons plainly: "Tap Copy to create a copy of the files in a different storage area. Or, tap Move to completely remove the file from its current location" (Manage files guide above). For a backup you want Copy, never Move.</p> <p>A computer works too. Connect by USB and choose "Transferring files or MTP", then copy folders across in File Explorer or Finder. Samsung's own framing of when to prefer this: "if you only need to transfer specific files or folders, copying or moving data manually to a computer or external storage may be a better option" (same backup guide).</p>

## What gets missed <p>Three places people forget:</p> <ul> <li>**Secure Folder.** Samsung says it "no longer supports backing up data" ([*Use the Secure Folder on your Galaxy phone or tablet*](https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10001401/), read 24 September 2026). [Getting files out of it first.](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/transfer-files-from-samsung-secure-folder)</li> <li>**The Trash.** My Files keeps deleted files for a while — "The file will stay in the Trash for 30 days before being permanently deleted" — and none of the backup pages we read says whether items in the Trash are included. Restore anything you want kept before you back up.</li> <li>**Downloads.** Our view: this is the folder most likely to hold one-off documents — tickets, statements, forms — that exist nowhere else, which makes it the first folder to copy.</li> </ul>

## The practical answer <p>Run Samsung Cloud for what it lists, and Smart Switch if you have a computer. Then copy Documents and Downloads yourself to a drive, a card or a cloud folder, because that is the one method whose coverage you can see.</p>

Related: [Transfer files out of Secure Folder](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/transfer-files-from-samsung-secure-folder) · [How to move files to an SD card](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/move-files-to-sd-card) · [Access Samsung files on a computer](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/access-samsung-files-on-my-computer) · [Network storage in My Files](https://adinandsorter.com/answers/network-storage-in-samsung-my-files)