Who This Is For
Intermediate.
Think of it like a family photo album kept in your own attic instead of a stranger's storage unit. You decide who ever gets a copy of the key.
What You'll Build
A phone backs up selected photos to Immich, with the original library and database included in your backups.
Prerequisites
- Docker host
- Adequate storage for full-resolution originals
- A mobile device
What Immich Doesn't Eliminate
- The need for real backups of its own data
- The need for enough storage
- The need for ongoing maintenance and upgrades
Plan Hardware
- SSD for the database and thumbnails
- A large HDD or NAS share for originals
- GPU/iGPU acceleration if you want faster ML features (face/object recognition)
Deploy with Docker Compose
Immich publishes an official docker-compose.yml and .env template, use those as the starting point rather than assembling one from scratch.
Onboard the Mobile App
- Install the Immich app
- Point it at your server URL
- Log in and enable camera backup
- Choose which albums to include
Import an Existing Library
Immich has a bulk-import path for existing photo collections, check current docs for the exact CLI/tool, as this changes between versions.
Family Accounts and Sharing
Create separate accounts per family member rather than sharing one login, and use Immich's shared album feature for cross-account sharing.
Security & Backup Notes
- Back up originals, the database, and configuration, thumbnails are lower priority but still convenient to keep
- Immich's own documentation is explicit: the operator (you) must perform the actual backup of Immich's data with a separate tool, the app itself is not a backup system
Troubleshooting
- Permission errors, check the mounted storage paths match the UID/GID Immich expects
- Storage fills unexpectedly, full-resolution photo/video libraries grow fast; monitor free space proactively
- Mobile uploads stop in background, mobile OS battery optimization often throttles background upload apps; check the app's background permission settings
- ML workload spikes, face/object recognition is CPU/GPU intensive on first import of a large library; expect a slow first pass
- Upgrade breaks due to skipped release notes, Immich moves fast; always read release notes before pulling a new image
Lab Finish Line
A phone backs up selected photos to Immich, with the original library and database included in backups.