iOS Photos / WebDAV / Safe Backup

Safe photo backup

Pair an iOS Photos album with your own WebDAV storage, pick a simple mode, and see exactly what Biko will do before anything changes. No sync anxiety required.

Join TestFlight Choose a mode

Safe by default: New photos upload. Nothing gets deleted.
Preview first: Uploads, downloads, skips, and deletes are shown up front.
Your storage: NAS, Nextcloud, Synology, or any WebDAV you trust.

Choose your sync mode

Three plain choices, no sync jargon

Biko hides the technical sync levels behind the decisions people actually care about: back up, keep both sides together, or clean up with confirmation.

Default

Safe Backup

Best for starting out. New Photos media is backed up to WebDAV, and deletes are ignored.

Uploads: Yes
Downloads: No
Deletes: Never

Simple two-way

Keep Together

Add new items from both sides. Biko keeps the album and remote folder topped up without deleting.

Uploads: Yes
Downloads: Yes
Deletes: Never

Needs review

Cleanup Sync

For tidy albums. Delete actions are shown in a review sheet before Biko runs them.

Uploads: Yes
Downloads: Yes
Deletes: Confirm first

The first mode is intentionally boring: it backs up new photos and refuses to delete anything.

App tour

A small flow for a normally stressful job

The app keeps the everyday path short: connect storage, choose a Photos album, pick a mode, then let Biko explain each run in normal words.

01

Browse WebDAV

Find the folder where backups should live.
02

Pair an album

Bind one Photos album to one remote folder.
03

Check backup status

See whether the album is backed up, paused, or needs attention.
04

Keep it calm

Notifications, cache, and background work stay explicit.

Files

Pick the WebDAV folder you trust.

Gallery

Albums show clear backup state at a glance.

Album detail

Sync now starts with a preview, not a surprise.

Settings

Cache, notifications, and background sync stay understandable.

Preview before action

Know what will happen before you tap start

Biko turns each run into a short checklist: what will upload, what will download, what will be skipped, and whether anything needs your review.

23: Upload
4: Download
6: Skipped
0: Deletes by default

1
Choose a mode

Safe Backup, Keep Together, or Cleanup Sync.
2
Read both sides

Photos album and WebDAV folder are checked before work is queued.
3
Show the plan

Uploads, downloads, skips, and review items are summarized first.
4
Explain skips

Unsupported media, permissions, conflicts, or waiting originals get clear reasons.
5
Ask for deletes

Cleanup Sync shows delete targets before any destructive action runs.
6
Save the result

The album keeps its last good state so a failure does not feel like data loss.

Canceling the preview does not change local or remote media.

Friendly recovery

When sync gets stuck, Biko tells you why

The common blockers are ordinary things: a wrong WebDAV path, limited Photos access, an iCloud original still downloading, or storage that is full.

Connection test

Checks server URL, sign-in, folder read access, and upload access step by step.

Plain error copy

Bad password, missing folder, no upload permission, TLS issues, and full storage get next steps.

Photos permission

Limited access is treated as a permission issue, not as an empty album.

iCloud originals

If Photos is still downloading the original resource, Biko can skip it and let you retry later.

Media support

RAW, videos, Live Photo packages, and sidecars are skipped when the target cannot handle them.

Conflict protection

Same-name files with different metadata are surfaced for review instead of being overwritten.

Remote organization

Keep the WebDAV folder readable too

Simple presets keep remote storage tidy without asking users to learn path rules, regular expressions, or batch renaming.

Same

Current Folder

Put backed-up files directly into the folder you selected.

Album

Album Folder

Create one folder named after the Photos album.

Month

Month Folders

Group uploads into simple YYYY-MM folders by photo date.

Safe

Original names

Biko keeps filenames stable and avoids overwriting same-name conflicts.

Automatic sync

Automatic work stays honest

iOS decides when background processing can run. Biko uses those chances, reports what happened, and leaves destructive review for you.

Runs opportunistically with network connectivity.
May be delayed, skipped, or terminated by iOS.
Never auto-confirms delete work.
Notifies you when a run completes, fails, or needs review.

FAQ

Small print, clearly stated

What is WebDAV and where can I use it?

Biko connects to any WebDAV server you trust, including NAS, Nextcloud, Synology, or other private storage.

Does Biko upload my data to its own cloud?

No. Your data stays on the WebDAV server you configure.

How are files matched?

Biko matches by filename basename. Same-name conflicts are skipped for manual review rather than overwritten.

Will Biko delete my photos?

Safe Backup and Keep Together never delete. Cleanup Sync can delete only after Biko shows a review and you confirm.

Can I change modes later?

Yes. Changing mode or major filters starts the next run with a fresh plan so the new choice is clear.

Where will my files go?

You can keep uploads in the selected folder, create an album folder, or group files by month.

Is my data safe?

Biko uses your WebDAV server, previews sync work before it runs, and keeps already-loaded album views available when refresh fails.