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How to replace iCloud for iPhone backup?
Vicky Du - Aug 15, 2025
In the world of photography, discovering beauty is second nature to John. His iPhone is filled with stunning photos and videos that capture every breathtaking moment through his lens. These digital assets are his most treasured possessions, but like many users, John grew dissatisfied with relying on iCloud for backups.
As his data accumulated, he felt his files were essentially “at the mercy of others,” lacking a true sense of control. So, he began searching for a more flexible and secure backup solution—one that would allow him to firmly hold his iPhone data in his own hands.
The risks of iCloud: Why John chooses local backup for ultimate control
John realized that behind the “convenience” of iCloud lay risks he couldn’t accept:
- Lack of Control: The data is entirely stored on Apple’s servers, making it impossible to freely view, manage, or migrate it—his digital assets felt like they were “locked away.”
- Privacy Concerns: Although Apple promises to protect privacy, entrusting data to a third-party cloud still carries potential risks. He preferred achieving absolute data privacy.
- Capacity and Costs: The free 5GB space is far from sufficient, and long-term subscriptions bring additional financial pressure.
Considering control, privacy, and costs comprehensively, John ultimately turned his attention to “local backups.”
What is Local Backup? Demystifying NAS for iPhone Users
Local backup, simply put, is backing up your iPhone data directly to a home hard drive instead of Apple’s servers. Check out this: https://www.zimaspace.com/blog/network-attached-storage-what-and-why.html
This might sound like something reserved for “tech enthusiasts,” but John discovered that there’s now a very user-friendly way to achieve it. He found ZimaOS, a lightweight operating system designed specifically for home users. Learn more in this ZimaOS introduction: https://www.zimaspace.com/docs/zimaos/
The arrival of ZimaOS completely eliminated his fear of building a NAS (Network Attached Storage). It features a clean interface, convenient app installations, no complex command lines required, and it’s easy for beginners to get started.
John describes it this way: “ZimaOS requires no hassle, no tutorialsneeded—it‘s ready to use right out of the box.”
John’s Local Backup Solution: ZimaOS + iMazing
John’s specific operation steps are very simple. If you want to try it too, you can follow along completely:
- Install ZimaOS: He installed ZimaOS on an idle old computer, easily setting up his own “family data center.” https://www.zimaspace.com/docs/zimacube/How-to-Install-ZimaOS
- Create a Shared Folder: In ZimaOS, he created an SMB shared folder, as simple as creating a new shared drive on a computer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dChSMhnJgPU
- Use iMazing: He installed iMazing on his computer, this powerful iPhone backup tool that allows custom backup paths.
- Start Backup: He set iMazing’s backup path to the ZimaOS shared folder, then connected the iPhone, and started the backup with one click.
After the entire process, all of John’s iPhone data is completely saved on his home hard drive. He can view and manage it anytime, no longer worrying about capacity or privacy issues.
One Backup Solution, One Complete Digital Space
ZimaOS’s features go far beyond that. John not only uses it to back up his phone but has gradually moved his entire family’s data management onto it:
- Photo Management: He installed Immich, an app that automatically recognizes faces and organizes photos by timeline, just like having a local version of Google Photos.
- FileOrganization: He uses Paperless-NGX to manage various scanned documents and files, keeping everything orderly with support for OCR search.
- Device Backup: His Mac computer also connects to ZimaOS via Time Machine, achieving automatic backups.
For John, ZimaOS is not just an iPhone backup tool; it’s more like a lightweight and complete family digital space that helped him regain control over his data.
If you also want to bid farewell to iCloud and own a truly personal “private cloud,” perhaps ZimaOS is a worthwhile starting point.
Start trying now: https://github.com/IceWhaleTech/ZimaOS
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