Recallio
Recallio is a free, self-hosted photo and video backup for phones.
What Recallio is
Recallio is a free, self-hosted photo and video backup for phones. After setup, its Android app backs up the phone’s library automatically, storing media on hardware the user controls, such as a local disk, NAS, or USB drive. The server installer is designed for an Ubuntu home server and installs FFmpeg and Tailscale. Recallio uses Tailscale’s WireGuard mesh for encrypted access between devices. Its web library supports search, favorites, albums, grid browsing, lightbox previews, and full-resolution originals. Users can also point it to folders on internal disks or external drives, with subfolders treated as albums. Deleted photos go to a Bin with configurable retention, set to 10 days by default. The maker says media travels directly between the user’s devices and that Recallio has no telemetry, advertising SDKs, or content scanning. A server with 2 GB of RAM is enough according to the maker, with storage sized to the library. The server checks for releases nightly during a chosen window and installs updates automatically. The server, web panel, and mobile app are free.
Good
- Automatically backs up an Android phone library after setup.
- Stores media on user-controlled hardware.
- Web library supports search, albums, and full-resolution originals.
- Deleted photos are kept in a configurable Bin.
- Server, web panel, and mobile app are free.
Watch out
- The server installer is for an Ubuntu home server.
- Face recognition is on the roadmap, not available now.
- Shared albums are on the roadmap, not available now.
- Family sub-accounts are planned for v2.
Who it suits
It suits people who want automatic phone backups while keeping photo and video storage on hardware they control. It requires an Ubuntu home server and is not aimed at users seeking a desktop app, face search, or shared albums.
Verdict
Recallio is a free option for people who can host their own backup server and want to keep media on their own storage. Its current limits include no face recognition, shared albums, or family sub-accounts.
Plans and prices
From Recallio's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Server, web panel, and mobile app are free · self-hosted |
The facts
Each one read from Recallio's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Automatic backup
- The Android app backs up the phone’s library automatically after setup.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Data handling
- The maker says media travels directly between the user’s devices and Recallio operates no servers that touch it.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Delete recovery
- Deleted photos go to a Bin with configurable retention, set to 10 days by default.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Existing libraries
- Users can point Recallio at folders on internal disks or external drives, and subfolders become albums.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Library browsing
- The web library supports browsing, favorites, search, full-resolution originals, albums, grid view, and lightbox preview.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Limitations
- The maker says face recognition and shared albums are on the roadmap, and family sub-accounts are planned for v2.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says Recallio has no telemetry, advertising SDKs, or content scanning.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Recallio is a self-hosted photo and video backup for phones.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Remote access
- Recallio uses Tailscale’s WireGuard mesh for encrypted access between devices.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Requirements
- The maker says a server with 2 GB of RAM is enough, with storage sized to the library.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Server setup
- The server installer is for an Ubuntu home server and installs FFmpeg and Tailscale.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Storage
- Photos are stored on hardware the user controls, such as a local disk, NAS, or USB drive.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Updates
- The server checks for releases nightly during a user-chosen window and installs updates automatically.checked 8 Oct 2026
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