Best Automatic Backup External Hard Drives of 2025

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Automatic backup external hard drives are an essential tool for anyone who wants to keep their important files safe and secure. These devices automatically back up your files on a regular basis, ensuring that you never lose any important data. They are easy to use and offer a range of features, including password protection and encryption. With a range of storage capacities available, there is an automatic backup external hard drive to suit all needs. Whether you are a business owner, student, or simply someone who wants to keep their photos and documents safe, an automatic backup external hard drive is a must-have accessory.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 5 Automatic Backup External Hard Drives
Toshiba Canvio Advance 4TB Drive
The Toshiba Canvio Advance is a portable external hard drive designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle. Its compact design and stylish textured finish make it a practical choice for on-the-go storage. With built-in automatic backup software, you can easily safeguard your files without hassle. Additionally, the included password protection software helps keep your data secure from unauthorized access, giving you peace of mind. This drive is compatible with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, ensuring fast data transfer speeds and versatility for various devices.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB
The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is a portable 2TB external hard drive designed for both Mac and Windows users. With its sleek, brushed metal design, this drive not only looks good but also allows you to easily store and access your photos and files wherever you go. You can back up your data with just a click or set up automatic backups daily, weekly, or monthly, giving you peace of mind. Plus, you get a year of Mylio Create and two months of Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan to help you edit and share your photos effortlessly.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB HDD
The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is a portable external hard drive that allows you to store and access 2TB of photos and files wherever you go. You can easily back up your data with just one click or set up automatic backups to keep your files safe. Its sleek brushed metal design adds a touch of style to your tech collection. Plus, you’ll enjoy a year of Mylio Create for managing your photos and a two-month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography, making it easier to edit and share your favorite memories.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim 1TB
The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is a sleek external hard drive designed for Mac users, offering 1TB of storage for your files. Its minimalist metal design adds a touch of style while providing easy access to your data. You can quickly back up your files with just one click or set up automatic backups to keep your data safe without hassle. Plus, it includes a complimentary two-month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography, giving you powerful tools for photo and video editing right at your fingertips. This drive is perfect for anyone looking to combine functionality with aesthetics.
Seagate Backup Plus 5TB HDD
The Seagate Backup Plus is a portable 5TB external hard drive designed for both Mac and Windows users. You can easily store and access a vast amount of photos and files, helping to keep your digital life organized. With its sleek brushed metal design, it complements your personal style while providing reliable storage. The USB 3.0 connectivity allows for quick backups at the touch of a button, or you can set it to automatically back up on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Plus, you receive a year of Mylio Create and two months of Adobe Creative Cloud Photography, enhancing your photo management and editing experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is there an external hard drive that backs up automatically?
Yes, there are external hard drives available that offer automatic backup functionality. One example is the WD - easystore 12TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive, which comes with automatic backup software to make it easy to keep your information backed up.
2. How do I make my external hard drive automatically back up?
To make your external hard drive automatically back up, you can follow these steps: 1. Go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Backup. 2. Add a drive and select your external drive or network location. This will set up your external hard drive as the destination for your backups, allowing them to happen automatically.
3. Does Seagate automatically backup?
Yes, Seagate offers external drives like the Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable Drive that can be used with Time Machine for automatic backups. Time Machine can back up everything on your computer, including data, photos, and documents, in just a few steps.
4. Are external hard drives good for long term storage?
Yes, external hard drives are a reliable option for long-term storage. You can simply copy your data to the connected drive, similar to copying files between folders. Flash drives like USBs and memory cards also provide flash storage for long-term storage needs.
5. How to set up automatic backup to external drive on Windows 11?
To set up automatic backup to an external drive on Windows 11, follow these steps: 1. Connect the external hard drive to your computer. 2. Open System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Backup Options. 3. Click 'Add a drive' under 'Back up using File History' and select your external hard drive. 4. Toggle on 'Automatically back up my files as needed'.
6. How do I save directly to my external hard drive?
To save files directly to your external hard drive, you can follow these steps: 1. Select the files or folders you want to save. 2. In the Home tab, select Organize > Copy to. 3. Choose your external storage device from the list of options. This will copy the selected files directly to your external hard drive.
7. How does a Seagate Backup work?
A Seagate Backup involves creating a system backup that copies everything on your computer, including the operating system, applications, and data, onto an external storage device. In the event of a hard drive failure, the computer can be restored to its previous state using the backed-up system data.
8. Where are Seagate Backup files stored?
Seagate Backup files are stored in the Seagate Backup folder on the FreeAgent external drive. To access the files, open (My) Computer, open the FreeAgent external drive, open the Seagate Backup folder, and then open the folder with the name of the computer from which the backup was run. There will be two folders listed: C and History.
During our automatic backup external hard drive research, we found 24 automatic backup external hard drive products and shortlisted 5 quality products. We collected and analyzed 454,510 customer reviews through our big data system to write the automatic backup external hard drives list. We found that most customers choose automatic backup external hard drives with an average price of $116.89.
The automatic backup external hard drives are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of automatic backup external hard drives, including TOSHIBA, Seagate. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 385 consumers with an average rating of 4.7.

Mike Davis is a professionally trained electrician with six years of working experience in the electronics industry. He has written an array of web and mobile-based articles for e-magazines and blogs. He loves trying out some novel and popular gadgets and his expertise is in the areas of electronics and computers which is built over many years of working and personal experiences.