Connect Your Phone to Your Computer Using a USB Cable

The fastest way to back up your Samsung S23 Ultra is to plug it directly into your computer with a USB-C cable. Use the cable that came with your phone or any certified USB-C cable. Plug the USB-C end into the port at the bottom of your S23 Ultra and the other end into an available USB port on your computer.

When you first connect, your phone will ask you to choose a connection mode. Tap the notification that appears at the top of your screen, then select File Transfer (sometimes labeled "MTP" or "Media Transfer Protocol"). This mode lets your computer see your phone's files instead of just charging it. If you don't see a notification, swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full notification panel.

Your computer should now recognize the phone as an external drive. On Windows, it will appear in File Explorer. On Mac, it will show up in Finder. If your computer doesn't recognize the phone, try a different USB port or restart both devices.

Key Takeaways

  • Connect your S23 Ultra with a USB-C cable and set it to File Transfer mode so your computer can read the files.
  • You can manually copy photos, videos, and documents by dragging folders from your phone to your computer, which takes a few minutes depending on file size.
  • Samsung Smart Switch is the official backup tool and backs up settings, apps, and data that manual file transfer cannot, though it requires installation on your computer.
  • Google Drive and Samsung Cloud both back up photos and some settings automatically if you set them up on your phone, and you can restore them to any Android device later.
  • Backing up to your computer protects your files if your phone is lost, stolen, or damaged, and gives you a copy separate from cloud storage.

Copy Photos and Videos Manually to Your Computer

The simplest backup method is to drag your photos and videos directly from your phone to a folder on your computer. Once your phone is connected and set to File Transfer mode, open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Look for your phone's name in the left sidebar or under "Devices."

Double-click your phone to open it, then navigate to DCIM (the folder where photos and videos are stored). You will see numbered folders like "100SAMSUNG" or "101SAMSUNG." Select all the folders you want to back up by clicking the first one, holding Shift, and clicking the last one. Then drag them to a folder on your computer—your Desktop, Documents, or a dedicated backup folder you create.

The time this takes depends on how many files you have. A few hundred photos might take 5 to 10 minutes. Several thousand files could take 30 minutes or longer. Leave your phone plugged in and do not unplug it until the transfer is complete. You will see a progress bar on your computer showing the copy status.

Use Samsung Smart Switch for a Complete Backup

Samsung Smart Switch is the official tool from Samsung for backing up your entire phone. Unlike manual file copying, it backs up your apps, settings, messages, contacts, and call history—not just photos and videos. read Smart Switch from Samsung's website onto your computer, then install it.

Open Smart Switch on your computer and select Backup from the menu. Connect your S23 Ultra with the USB cable and set it to File Transfer mode. Smart Switch will detect your phone and show you what it can back up: apps, settings, messages, contacts, calendar, and more. You can choose what to include or back up everything. Click Backup and the process will begin.

A full backup usually takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have. Your phone will stay connected the entire time. When it finishes, Smart Switch saves the backup as a file on your computer that you can restore to this phone or transfer to a new Samsung phone later. This backup file is separate from your phone, so if your device is damaged or lost, you still have a complete copy on your computer.

Back Up Photos and Settings Using Google Drive

Google Drive automatically backs up your photos, videos, and some settings if you turn on backup on your phone. You do not need to connect to a computer for this method. Open Settings on your S23 Ultra, tap Accounts and backup, then Backup and restore. Tap Back up to Google Drive and select the Google account you want to use.

Choose what to back up: photos, videos, contacts, messages, call history, and device settings. The first backup may take several hours depending on how many photos and videos you have and your internet speed. After that, Google Drive backs up new photos automatically when you are connected to Wi-Fi. You get 15 GB of free storage; if you have more files, you can pay for additional storage or use Samsung Cloud instead.

The advantage of Google Drive is that you can restore your photos and data to any Android phone, not just Samsung devices. Your backup stays in your Google account, so you can access it from any computer by logging into Google Drive online. This method does not back up your apps or app data, so it works best alongside either manual file copying or Smart Switch.

Back Up Using Samsung Cloud

Samsung Cloud is Samsung's own backup service and works similarly to Google Drive but is designed specifically for Samsung phones. Open Settings, tap Accounts and backup, then Samsung Cloud. Sign in with your Samsung account (create one if you do not have one). Tap Back up and choose what to include: photos, videos, contacts, messages, settings, and app data.

Samsung Cloud gives you 5 GB of free storage. Like Google Drive, the first backup takes longer than later ones. New photos back up automatically when you are on Wi-Fi. The main difference is that Samsung Cloud backs up more types of data than Google Drive, including some app settings and app data. However, you can only restore a Samsung Cloud backup to a Samsung device, whereas Google Drive works on any Android phone.

You can use both Google Drive and Samsung Cloud at the same time for extra protection. If one service has an outage or you lose access to one account, your data is still backed up in the other. Neither method requires a computer connection, so they work even if you do not have access to a PC or Mac.

Disconnect Your Phone Safely When Done

After your backup is complete, do not straightforward unplug your phone. On Windows, right-click your phone's name in File Explorer and select Eject. On Mac, click the eject icon next to your phone's name in Finder. Wait for the system to confirm the phone is safe to disconnect, then unplug the USB cable.

If you unplug without ejecting, you risk corrupting files or losing data that was still being transferred. The eject step only takes a few seconds and protects your backup. After ejecting, your phone will return to normal charging mode and you can use it as usual.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between backing up to my computer and backing up to the cloud?

A computer backup creates a copy of your files on a device you physically own and control. A cloud backup stores your files on a company's servers online. Computer backups are faster for large amounts of data and do not use your internet bandwidth. Cloud backups are easier because they happen automatically and you can restore them from anywhere. Most people use both for maximum protection.

Can I back up my S23 Ultra to a Mac computer?

Yes. Connect your phone with a USB-C cable, set it to File Transfer mode, and open Finder on your Mac. Your phone will appear in the sidebar under "Locations." You can drag photos and videos to a folder on your Mac the same way you would on Windows. Samsung Smart Switch also works on Mac—read it from Samsung's website.

How much storage space do I need on my computer for a full backup?

This depends on how much data is on your phone. If you have 64 GB of photos, videos, and files, you need at least 64 GB of free space on your computer, plus a little extra. Check how much storage your phone is using by opening Settings, tapping About phone, and looking at Storage. Then make sure your computer has at least that much free space before you start the backup.

What should I do if my computer does not recognize my phone when I plug it in?

First, try a different USB port on your computer. If that does not work, restart both your phone and computer. Make sure you are using a certified USB-C cable—cheap or damaged cables often do not work. If your computer still does not recognize the phone, check that your phone is set to File Transfer mode by swiping down twice and tapping the connection notification. On Windows, you may need to install Samsung USB drivers from Samsung's website.

Can I back up my phone while I am using it?

Yes, but the backup will be slower and may not capture files you are actively using. For the fastest and most complete backup, close apps and avoid using your phone while the backup is running. This is especially important for Smart Switch backups, which can take 30 minutes or longer. For cloud backups like Google Drive, you can use your phone normally—the backup happens in the background.