The cheaper and more accessible data connections get, the larger the acceptance for cloud storage becomes. Using different offers, anyone can get a reasonable amount of cloud storage for free and there is hardly anything that you can not automatically backup in the cloud. So the question remains – Is data recovery a thing? The answer is simple. Yes.
Despite all the automatic backup solutions available there are lots of reasons why you would leave files on your device, especially your mobile device, that you would need to recover is something goes south.
Here are a few reasons why local storage is still being used and data recovery, especially iPhone or Android recovery, is still relevant.
Trust
Everyone is using it and it is all over the place but still a lot of people do not feel comfortable having personal data, or files, flying around in the cloud. When you upload something to the cloud there is nothing solid you can wrap your hands around, this often makes people uncomfortable.
The terminology does not help build trust either. The idea of your important documents, or even family pictures floating around in something fluffy in the sky is not comforting. The word cloud does not convey the feeling of security, we usually associate thick cement walls and iron doors with safety, not clouds.
Regardless of the high security standards service providers offer, most experts advise against uploading sensitive data to the cloud and do not consider it safe practice.
Connectivity
Granted you trust your online storage provider and have full trust in their security measures, there is always the issue of connectivity. No matter how good cell coverage gets, or how reliable and accessible WiFi networks become, there is always the possibility of not having internet access when you need it the most. There is always the possibility, no matter how thin, that that moment when you need your business papers, transaction details or even a digital boarding pass, you can not get connected to the internet. I speak out of experience.
Error
An often underestimated reason for losing data is error or failure.Be it human error like forgetting to backup important files or using the wrong settings, or be it technical failure where your system crashes before you could do the necessary backups. In any case you might unintentionally endup with important data left on a broken phone or hard disk.
Conclusion
There is generally nothing wrong with using the cloud to backup data or storing files. To save on space, weight, energy and costs the majority of manufacturers limit the amount of storage space on devices, especially mobile devices, although modern laptops are no exception. In exchange consumers are encouraged to use online alternatives, evil tongues might say it is a new method to generate revenue, I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Restoring data from modern storage systems can sometimes be more challenging than from the classical hard drive. On modern smartphones the operating systems pose an extra problem. Apple is famous for its closed system and even a Samsung recovery, that uses the open source Android system, might make it necessary to root the phone before trying to access the stored data.
Luckily there are still enough companies that specialise in data recovery.
