{"slug": "ente", "name": "Ente", "category": "files", "category_name": "Files, sync and backup", "description": "End-to-end encrypted photo backup service and 2FA authenticator app, open source.", "recommenders": 11, "commenters": 13, "warners": 1, "score": 9.458, "rising": 5.04, "first": "2025-12-06", "latest": "2026-10-26", "why": "Recommended as an end-to-end encrypted replacement for Google and iCloud Photos, with polished apps, background sync and automatic export, plus a 2FA app with a browser extension and exportable secrets.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 14, "neutral": 0, "compare": 1, "warn": 1}, "spark": [0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 4, 0, 4], "listed": true, "loved": ["Privacy, E2E encryption", "Big Tech replacement"], "caveat": "Desktop apps", "short_quote": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos", "icon": true, "domain": "ente.com", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://ente.io", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["Ente", "Ente Photos"], "verdict": [{"text": "Recommended as an end-to-end encrypted replacement for Google and iCloud Photos", "cites": [{"id": 765221568, "item_id": 47826348, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47826348", "by": "Trasmatta", "date": "2026-04-19", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Moved all my photos over to Ente recently, and I'm very happy to no longer be feeding all of that data into the Google machine.", "excerpt": "Moved all my photos over to Ente recently, and I'm very happy to no longer be feeding all of that data into the Google machine. I'd highly recommend everyone else move their photos out as well (Immich is another good option).", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Google Gemini Is Scanning Your Photos \u2013 and the EU Said No"}, {"id": 789278800, "item_id": 49329925, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49329925", "by": "vertnerd", "date": "2026-08-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "moving half a TB of photos to Ente and canceling our paid Google subscription", "excerpt": "We (wife and I) de-googled ourselves about a year and a half ago, moving half a TB of photos to Ente and canceling our paid Google subscription (while still keeping our gmail addresses). We set up our (Android) phones to back up photos to Ente and everything was lovely. Then I started noticing my wife's Google Photos storage use growing again. Somehow her phone had been switched to backing up on Google again. I turne", "context": "de-googled with wife", "use_case": "photo backup", "switched_from": "Google Photos", "story": "How do I permanently disable Google Photos pop-up prompt to backup my photos?"}, {"id": 801799728, "item_id": 50112483, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112483", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "my move from iCloud Photos to Ente, I\u2019m really still accepting a decent amount of compromises. It\u2019s better in some ways, worse in others.", "excerpt": "I really don\u2019t understand the criticism of Apple\u2019s software. I think we need to keep in mind a couple of things: 1. It\u2019s software designed for the masses. It\u2019s not intended to be a power user\u2019s playground. 2. There\u2019s no such thing as perfect software. If you really look hard for alternatives to the Music or Photos app (to use your examples), it\u2019s actually extremely difficult to find anything that is without compromis", "context": "Apple user on Linux", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "iCloud Photos", "story": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat"}, {"id": 803479328, "item_id": 50217458, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50217458", "by": "privacyishuman", "date": "2026-10-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's also just got really good apps and UX. On par with iCloud photos for the most part", "excerpt": "If you have your server encrypted at rest, don't you have to manually enter a password or use a hardware key each restart? And then it's not encrypted when running. > If you self host, why does it matter if it is E2E? What's your threat model? I prefer E2EE services because clients like GrapheneOS, iPhones, and Macs are a lot harder to hack than a server. And I use Cloudflare tunnels for convenience. It's also just g", "context": "", "use_case": "E2EE photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads"}]}, {"text": ", with polished apps, background sync and automatic export", "cites": [{"id": 782739936, "item_id": 48921246, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921246", "by": "Cider9986", "date": "2026-07-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos", "excerpt": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos, I choose it because I like end-to-end encryption and the clients are really high quality. It's one of the most polished apps I use, which is really important to me for photo management. One smart feature is in the selector, you can lock the selected photos for handing your phone to someone, so they can only see the selected photos without your pin/fingerprint.", "context": "self-hosts it", "use_case": "self-hosted photo management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Privacy Incidents \u2013 Real-world examples of why your photos need protection"}, {"id": 789553424, "item_id": 49347089, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49347089", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-08-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "My photos (I use Ente, not Google or Apple) sync in the background on WiFi", "excerpt": "Is wireless connectivity a barrier there? My home WiFi goes about twice as fast as USB 2.0. My photos (I use Ente, not Google or Apple) sync in the background on WiFi, primarily while I sleep. It\u2019s my understanding that Immich works the same way. For music syncing I\u2019d probably set up Syncthing-Fork and then never manually transfer again. When I transfer ROMs to my Android gaming handheld I just use my local NAS and c", "context": "", "use_case": "photo sync", "switched_from": "", "story": "Fairphone is now officially available in the United States"}, {"id": 740187664, "item_id": 46261729, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46261729", "by": "dangus", "date": "2025-12-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I moved to a cloud photos provider (Ente) with an automated continuous export feature so that everything can go to my NAS.", "excerpt": "This is one reason I moved to a cloud photos provider (Ente) with an automated continuous export feature so that everything can go to my NAS. Also because I know big tech has no real customer support. It\u2019s no comfort to OP though and I feel very sorry for them.", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage with export to NAS", "switched_from": "Apple", "story": "Apple has locked my Apple ID, and I have no recourse. A plea for help"}, {"id": 745308096, "item_id": 46581756, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46581756", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-01-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop.", "excerpt": "I used to use the Photos desktop app to move my photos (\u201cselect from the app and drop into a folder somewhere\u201d worked best) to a separate folder a lot (and regularly) until I started using ente. Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop. But I can still not escape Apple\u2019s gonorrhoeic naming and organisation. Pro: FOSS of course; it ", "context": "", "use_case": "photo backup and sync", "switched_from": "Apple Photos", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}]}, {"text": ", plus a 2FA app with a browser extension and exportable secrets.", "cites": [{"id": 799465856, "item_id": 49966616, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49966616", "by": "mattwad", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "excerpt": "I recommend you get off Authy - they don't have a browser extension or a desktop client, and surprise they don't have a way to export your codes either. I had to send them a GDPR data request, and then Claude decrypted the csv file they sent. I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "Authy", "story": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped"}, {"id": 761335777, "item_id": 47583486, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47583486", "by": "Areena_28", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys.", "excerpt": "Been using Aegis for a while now, the encrypted backup alone makes it worth it over Google Authenticator. losing access to everything because you switched phones once is enough to make you take backups seriously. Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys. haven't tried Raivo personally.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA with cloud sync", "switched_from": "", "story": "GitHub now requiring 2FA for all contributors,what authenticator apps you using?"}]}, {"text": " The main caveat is rough edges: one user calls the desktop apps subpar and non-native, and another says leaving iCloud Photos still means accepting compromises.", "cites": [{"id": 745308096, "item_id": 46581756, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46581756", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-01-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop.", "excerpt": "I used to use the Photos desktop app to move my photos (\u201cselect from the app and drop into a folder somewhere\u201d worked best) to a separate folder a lot (and regularly) until I started using ente. Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop. But I can still not escape Apple\u2019s gonorrhoeic naming and organisation. Pro: FOSS of course; it ", "context": "", "use_case": "photo backup and sync", "switched_from": "Apple Photos", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}, {"id": 801799728, "item_id": 50112483, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112483", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "my move from iCloud Photos to Ente, I\u2019m really still accepting a decent amount of compromises. It\u2019s better in some ways, worse in others.", "excerpt": "I really don\u2019t understand the criticism of Apple\u2019s software. I think we need to keep in mind a couple of things: 1. It\u2019s software designed for the masses. It\u2019s not intended to be a power user\u2019s playground. 2. There\u2019s no such thing as perfect software. If you really look hard for alternatives to the Music or Photos app (to use your examples), it\u2019s actually extremely difficult to find anything that is without compromis", "context": "Apple user on Linux", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "iCloud Photos", "story": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Privacy, E2E encryption", "summary": "Commenters like the end-to-end encryption, control of their keys and keeping photos away from Google.", "quotes": [{"id": 782739936, "item_id": 48921246, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921246", "by": "Cider9986", "date": "2026-07-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos", "excerpt": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos, I choose it because I like end-to-end encryption and the clients are really high quality. It's one of the most polished apps I use, which is really important to me for photo management. One smart feature is in the selector, you can lock the selected photos for handing your phone to someone, so they can only see the selected photos without your pin/fingerprint.", "context": "self-hosts it", "use_case": "self-hosted photo management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Privacy Incidents \u2013 Real-world examples of why your photos need protection"}, {"id": 765221568, "item_id": 47826348, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47826348", "by": "Trasmatta", "date": "2026-04-19", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Moved all my photos over to Ente recently, and I'm very happy to no longer be feeding all of that data into the Google machine.", "excerpt": "Moved all my photos over to Ente recently, and I'm very happy to no longer be feeding all of that data into the Google machine. I'd highly recommend everyone else move their photos out as well (Immich is another good option).", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Google Gemini Is Scanning Your Photos \u2013 and the EU Said No"}, {"id": 761335777, "item_id": 47583486, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47583486", "by": "Areena_28", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys.", "excerpt": "Been using Aegis for a while now, the encrypted backup alone makes it worth it over Google Authenticator. losing access to everything because you switched phones once is enough to make you take backups seriously. Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys. haven't tried Raivo personally.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA with cloud sync", "switched_from": "", "story": "GitHub now requiring 2FA for all contributors,what authenticator apps you using?"}]}, {"label": "Big Tech replacement", "summary": "Several users moved to it from Google Photos, iCloud Photos or iOS Photos.", "quotes": [{"id": 789278800, "item_id": 49329925, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49329925", "by": "vertnerd", "date": "2026-08-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "moving half a TB of photos to Ente and canceling our paid Google subscription", "excerpt": "We (wife and I) de-googled ourselves about a year and a half ago, moving half a TB of photos to Ente and canceling our paid Google subscription (while still keeping our gmail addresses). We set up our (Android) phones to back up photos to Ente and everything was lovely. Then I started noticing my wife's Google Photos storage use growing again. Somehow her phone had been switched to backing up on Google again. I turne", "context": "de-googled with wife", "use_case": "photo backup", "switched_from": "Google Photos", "story": "How do I permanently disable Google Photos pop-up prompt to backup my photos?"}, {"id": 801799728, "item_id": 50112483, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112483", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "my move from iCloud Photos to Ente, I\u2019m really still accepting a decent amount of compromises. It\u2019s better in some ways, worse in others.", "excerpt": "I really don\u2019t understand the criticism of Apple\u2019s software. I think we need to keep in mind a couple of things: 1. It\u2019s software designed for the masses. It\u2019s not intended to be a power user\u2019s playground. 2. There\u2019s no such thing as perfect software. If you really look hard for alternatives to the Music or Photos app (to use your examples), it\u2019s actually extremely difficult to find anything that is without compromis", "context": "Apple user on Linux", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "iCloud Photos", "story": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat"}, {"id": 789980817, "item_id": 49373801, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49373801", "by": "Cider9986", "date": "2026-08-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Ente Photos", "excerpt": "To get you started on switching the ecosystem, which is a pain. Here's some of what I landed on while moving from iOS to GrapheneOS. Ente Photos NotesNook Signal (I use Molly but it's only on Android) Bitwarden Proton", "context": "moved from iOS to GrapheneOS", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "iOS Photos", "story": "GrapheneOS in 2027 available on high-end Motorola phones"}]}, {"label": "Sync and export", "summary": "Photos back up in the background and can be continuously exported to a desktop or NAS.", "quotes": [{"id": 789553424, "item_id": 49347089, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49347089", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-08-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "My photos (I use Ente, not Google or Apple) sync in the background on WiFi", "excerpt": "Is wireless connectivity a barrier there? My home WiFi goes about twice as fast as USB 2.0. My photos (I use Ente, not Google or Apple) sync in the background on WiFi, primarily while I sleep. It\u2019s my understanding that Immich works the same way. For music syncing I\u2019d probably set up Syncthing-Fork and then never manually transfer again. When I transfer ROMs to my Android gaming handheld I just use my local NAS and c", "context": "", "use_case": "photo sync", "switched_from": "", "story": "Fairphone is now officially available in the United States"}, {"id": 745308096, "item_id": 46581756, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46581756", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-01-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop.", "excerpt": "I used to use the Photos desktop app to move my photos (\u201cselect from the app and drop into a folder somewhere\u201d worked best) to a separate folder a lot (and regularly) until I started using ente. Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop. But I can still not escape Apple\u2019s gonorrhoeic naming and organisation. Pro: FOSS of course; it ", "context": "", "use_case": "photo backup and sync", "switched_from": "Apple Photos", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}, {"id": 740187664, "item_id": 46261729, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46261729", "by": "dangus", "date": "2025-12-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I moved to a cloud photos provider (Ente) with an automated continuous export feature so that everything can go to my NAS.", "excerpt": "This is one reason I moved to a cloud photos provider (Ente) with an automated continuous export feature so that everything can go to my NAS. Also because I know big tech has no real customer support. It\u2019s no comfort to OP though and I feel very sorry for them.", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage with export to NAS", "switched_from": "Apple", "story": "Apple has locked my Apple ID, and I have no recourse. A plea for help"}]}, {"label": "Polished apps", "summary": "The apps and UX are described as high quality and on par with iCloud Photos.", "quotes": [{"id": 803479328, "item_id": 50217458, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50217458", "by": "privacyishuman", "date": "2026-10-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's also just got really good apps and UX. On par with iCloud photos for the most part", "excerpt": "If you have your server encrypted at rest, don't you have to manually enter a password or use a hardware key each restart? And then it's not encrypted when running. > If you self host, why does it matter if it is E2E? What's your threat model? I prefer E2EE services because clients like GrapheneOS, iPhones, and Macs are a lot harder to hack than a server. And I use Cloudflare tunnels for convenience. It's also just g", "context": "", "use_case": "E2EE photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads"}, {"id": 782739936, "item_id": 48921246, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921246", "by": "Cider9986", "date": "2026-07-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos", "excerpt": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos, I choose it because I like end-to-end encryption and the clients are really high quality. It's one of the most polished apps I use, which is really important to me for photo management. One smart feature is in the selector, you can lock the selected photos for handing your phone to someone, so they can only see the selected photos without your pin/fingerprint.", "context": "self-hosts it", "use_case": "self-hosted photo management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Privacy Incidents \u2013 Real-world examples of why your photos need protection"}]}, {"label": "2FA authenticator", "summary": "Ente's 2FA app offers a browser extension, exportable secrets and cloud sync with your own keys.", "quotes": [{"id": 799465856, "item_id": 49966616, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49966616", "by": "mattwad", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "excerpt": "I recommend you get off Authy - they don't have a browser extension or a desktop client, and surprise they don't have a way to export your codes either. I had to send them a GDPR data request, and then Claude decrypted the csv file they sent. I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "Authy", "story": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped"}, {"id": 761335777, "item_id": 47583486, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47583486", "by": "Areena_28", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys.", "excerpt": "Been using Aegis for a while now, the encrypted backup alone makes it worth it over Google Authenticator. losing access to everything because you switched phones once is enough to make you take backups seriously. Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys. haven't tried Raivo personally.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA with cloud sync", "switched_from": "", "story": "GitHub now requiring 2FA for all contributors,what authenticator apps you using?"}]}, {"label": "On-device features", "summary": "Face and object search, map view and memories run on-device, even without logging in.", "quotes": [{"id": 788681616, "item_id": 49292601, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49292601", "by": "speedstyle", "date": "2026-08-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Ente photos [0] without logging in, just as a local gallery.", "excerpt": "I use Ente photos [0] without logging in, just as a local gallery. Since their backup solution is E2EE, it does everything on-device \u2013 face/object search, map view, memories [0] https://ente.com", "context": "", "use_case": "local photo gallery", "switched_from": "", "story": "How do I permanently disable Google Photos pop-up prompt to backup my photos?"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Desktop apps", "summary": "One user calls the desktop apps subpar, non-native and glitchy.", "quotes": [{"id": 745308096, "item_id": 46581756, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46581756", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-01-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop.", "excerpt": "I used to use the Photos desktop app to move my photos (\u201cselect from the app and drop into a folder somewhere\u201d worked best) to a separate folder a lot (and regularly) until I started using ente. Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop. But I can still not escape Apple\u2019s gonorrhoeic naming and organisation. Pro: FOSS of course; it ", "context": "", "use_case": "photo backup and sync", "switched_from": "Apple Photos", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}]}, {"label": "Compromises", "summary": "A user who switched from iCloud Photos says it is better in some ways and worse in others.", "quotes": [{"id": 801799728, "item_id": 50112483, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112483", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "my move from iCloud Photos to Ente, I\u2019m really still accepting a decent amount of compromises. It\u2019s better in some ways, worse in others.", "excerpt": "I really don\u2019t understand the criticism of Apple\u2019s software. I think we need to keep in mind a couple of things: 1. It\u2019s software designed for the masses. It\u2019s not intended to be a power user\u2019s playground. 2. There\u2019s no such thing as perfect software. If you really look hard for alternatives to the Music or Photos app (to use your examples), it\u2019s actually extremely difficult to find anything that is without compromis", "context": "Apple user on Linux", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "iCloud Photos", "story": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat"}]}, {"label": "Unclear messaging", "summary": "One commenter finds the marketing ambiguous and predicts Ente will fail.", "quotes": [{"id": 783182256, "item_id": 48948891, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48948891", "by": "MomsAVoxell", "date": "2026-07-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I predict Ente will fail.", "excerpt": "Is it an app or a web service? What does the app look like? What does the web service look like? >Sometimes I see this complaint for products here and I am just... confounded. I think you probably don't have as much experience with the depth and breadth of peoples comprehension of online design language as you might think you do. \"Safe home for your photos\" - even this is ambiguous. Photos, as in hard copy? Or digita", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ente \u2013 Opening Our Books"}]}], "who": [{"by": "Grombobulous", "context": "Apple user on Linux", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112483", "date": "2026-10-16"}, {"by": "Cider9986", "context": "moved from iOS to GrapheneOS", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49373801", "date": "2026-08-20"}, {"by": "vertnerd", "context": "de-googled with wife", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49329925", "date": "2026-08-17"}], "tags": ["self-hostable", "for leaving Google Photos", "for families", "for GrapheneOS users", "for 2FA codes"], "use_cases": ["photo storage", "photo storage alternative to google", "e2ee photo storage", "2fa codes", "photo sync", "photo backup"], "compared": [{"slug": "google-photos", "name": "Google Photos", "co": 4, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "immich", "name": "Immich", "co": 4, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "authy", "name": "Authy", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "apple-photos", "name": "Apple Photos", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "grapheneos", "name": "GrapheneOS", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "proton", "name": "Proton", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50214218", "title": "Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49290545", "title": "How do I permanently disable Google Photos pop-up prompt to backup my photos?", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48761944", "title": "Immich v3.0.0 Released", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50068203", "title": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49964303", "title": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49360242", "title": "GrapheneOS in 2027 available on high-end Motorola phones", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {"compare": 1, "recommend": 1}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 2, "warn": 1}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 4}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 4}}, "quotes": [{"id": 803863232, "item_id": 50241452, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50241452", "by": "mbrochh", "date": "2026-10-26", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Just use Ente.io I have been using it for 2 years now and am happy.", "excerpt": "Just use Ente.io I have been using it for 2 years now and am happy.", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage alternative to Google", "switched_from": "", "story": "Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads"}, {"id": 803479328, "item_id": 50217458, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50217458", "by": "privacyishuman", "date": "2026-10-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It's also just got really good apps and UX. On par with iCloud photos for the most part", "excerpt": "If you have your server encrypted at rest, don't you have to manually enter a password or use a hardware key each restart? And then it's not encrypted when running. > If you self host, why does it matter if it is E2E? What's your threat model? I prefer E2EE services because clients like GrapheneOS, iPhones, and Macs are a lot harder to hack than a server. And I use Cloudflare tunnels for convenience. It's also just g", "context": "", "use_case": "E2EE photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Now Google says it might use your Gmail and Google Photos data to target ads"}, {"id": 801799728, "item_id": 50112483, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50112483", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "my move from iCloud Photos to Ente, I\u2019m really still accepting a decent amount of compromises. It\u2019s better in some ways, worse in others.", "excerpt": "I really don\u2019t understand the criticism of Apple\u2019s software. I think we need to keep in mind a couple of things: 1. It\u2019s software designed for the masses. It\u2019s not intended to be a power user\u2019s playground. 2. There\u2019s no such thing as perfect software. If you really look hard for alternatives to the Music or Photos app (to use your examples), it\u2019s actually extremely difficult to find anything that is without compromis", "context": "Apple user on Linux", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "iCloud Photos", "story": "Apple routed a graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo's hinge to dissipate heat"}, {"id": 799465856, "item_id": 49966616, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49966616", "by": "mattwad", "date": "2026-10-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "excerpt": "I recommend you get off Authy - they don't have a browser extension or a desktop client, and surprise they don't have a way to export your codes either. I had to send them a GDPR data request, and then Claude decrypted the csv file they sent. I now use Ente and it's so nice having 2fa inside a browser extension. I can also export the secrets at will.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA codes", "switched_from": "Authy", "story": "Pixel 11 doesn't yet meet the GrapheneOS security standards and may be skipped"}, {"id": 789980817, "item_id": 49373801, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49373801", "by": "Cider9986", "date": "2026-08-20", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Ente Photos", "excerpt": "To get you started on switching the ecosystem, which is a pain. Here's some of what I landed on while moving from iOS to GrapheneOS. Ente Photos NotesNook Signal (I use Molly but it's only on Android) Bitwarden Proton", "context": "moved from iOS to GrapheneOS", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "iOS Photos", "story": "GrapheneOS in 2027 available on high-end Motorola phones"}, {"id": 789553424, "item_id": 49347089, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49347089", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-08-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "My photos (I use Ente, not Google or Apple) sync in the background on WiFi", "excerpt": "Is wireless connectivity a barrier there? My home WiFi goes about twice as fast as USB 2.0. My photos (I use Ente, not Google or Apple) sync in the background on WiFi, primarily while I sleep. It\u2019s my understanding that Immich works the same way. For music syncing I\u2019d probably set up Syncthing-Fork and then never manually transfer again. When I transfer ROMs to my Android gaming handheld I just use my local NAS and c", "context": "", "use_case": "photo sync", "switched_from": "", "story": "Fairphone is now officially available in the United States"}, {"id": 789278800, "item_id": 49329925, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49329925", "by": "vertnerd", "date": "2026-08-17", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "moving half a TB of photos to Ente and canceling our paid Google subscription", "excerpt": "We (wife and I) de-googled ourselves about a year and a half ago, moving half a TB of photos to Ente and canceling our paid Google subscription (while still keeping our gmail addresses). We set up our (Android) phones to back up photos to Ente and everything was lovely. Then I started noticing my wife's Google Photos storage use growing again. Somehow her phone had been switched to backing up on Google again. I turne", "context": "de-googled with wife", "use_case": "photo backup", "switched_from": "Google Photos", "story": "How do I permanently disable Google Photos pop-up prompt to backup my photos?"}, {"id": 788681616, "item_id": 49292601, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49292601", "by": "speedstyle", "date": "2026-08-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Ente photos [0] without logging in, just as a local gallery.", "excerpt": "I use Ente photos [0] without logging in, just as a local gallery. Since their backup solution is E2EE, it does everything on-device \u2013 face/object search, map view, memories [0] https://ente.com", "context": "", "use_case": "local photo gallery", "switched_from": "", "story": "How do I permanently disable Google Photos pop-up prompt to backup my photos?"}, {"id": 783182256, "item_id": 48948891, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48948891", "by": "MomsAVoxell", "date": "2026-07-17", "stance": "warn", "quote": "I predict Ente will fail.", "excerpt": "Is it an app or a web service? What does the app look like? What does the web service look like? >Sometimes I see this complaint for products here and I am just... confounded. I think you probably don't have as much experience with the depth and breadth of peoples comprehension of online design language as you might think you do. \"Safe home for your photos\" - even this is ambiguous. Photos, as in hard copy? Or digita", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ente \u2013 Opening Our Books"}, {"id": 782739936, "item_id": 48921246, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921246", "by": "Cider9986", "date": "2026-07-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos", "excerpt": "I've had a wonderful experience self-hosting Ente photos, I choose it because I like end-to-end encryption and the clients are really high quality. It's one of the most polished apps I use, which is really important to me for photo management. One smart feature is in the selector, you can lock the selected photos for handing your phone to someone, so they can only see the selected photos without your pin/fingerprint.", "context": "self-hosts it", "use_case": "self-hosted photo management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Privacy Incidents \u2013 Real-world examples of why your photos need protection"}, {"id": 781624992, "item_id": 48851562, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48851562", "by": "Cider9986", "date": "2026-07-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "They seem like a really good company. I love the branding, I love how they keep their servers open", "excerpt": "They seem like a really good company. I love the branding, I love how they keep their servers open while most like Proton only open their clients.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ente's business metrics are open now"}, {"id": 780313456, "item_id": 48769591, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769591", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I feel like this is the best of all worlds. I get cloud convenience and no real self-hosting burden", "excerpt": "True, e2ee is pretty scary as far as data loss. Still, good application design can help mitigate that. Apple does it with their e2ee recovery methods, although Ente does rely on a recovery key that you should print out and put in a safe as well as store in other safe locations. But also, what I love about the E2EE of Ente is that I can securely use a cloud hosted provider but then my home NAS backups are unencrypted.", "context": "", "use_case": "E2EE photo storage with NAS backup", "switched_from": "", "story": "Immich v3.0.0 Released"}, {"id": 780310272, "item_id": 48769392, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48769392", "by": "Grombobulous", "date": "2026-07-02", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use and like Ente Photos a lot", "excerpt": "I use and like Ente Photos a lot but I\u2019ve never understood the appeal of their other products. Ente Auth and Locker both seem like limited feature subsets of solutions like 1Password.", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Immich v3.0.0 Released"}, {"id": 765221568, "item_id": 47826348, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47826348", "by": "Trasmatta", "date": "2026-04-19", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Moved all my photos over to Ente recently, and I'm very happy to no longer be feeding all of that data into the Google machine.", "excerpt": "Moved all my photos over to Ente recently, and I'm very happy to no longer be feeding all of that data into the Google machine. I'd highly recommend everyone else move their photos out as well (Immich is another good option).", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Google Gemini Is Scanning Your Photos \u2013 and the EU Said No"}, {"id": 761335777, "item_id": 47583486, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47583486", "by": "Areena_28", "date": "2026-03-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys.", "excerpt": "Been using Aegis for a while now, the encrypted backup alone makes it worth it over Google Authenticator. losing access to everything because you switched phones once is enough to make you take backups seriously. Ente is worth a look if you want cloud sync without giving up control of your keys. haven't tried Raivo personally.", "context": "", "use_case": "2FA with cloud sync", "switched_from": "", "story": "GitHub now requiring 2FA for all contributors,what authenticator apps you using?"}, {"id": 745308096, "item_id": 46581756, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46581756", "by": "crossroadsguy", "date": "2026-01-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop.", "excerpt": "I used to use the Photos desktop app to move my photos (\u201cselect from the app and drop into a folder somewhere\u201d worked best) to a separate folder a lot (and regularly) until I started using ente. Now ente not only backs up to their e2ee cloud but its desktop app keeps those media synced to the OS of my choice on my laptop. But I can still not escape Apple\u2019s gonorrhoeic naming and organisation. Pro: FOSS of course; it ", "context": "", "use_case": "photo backup and sync", "switched_from": "Apple Photos", "story": "Open-source iCloud Photos Downloader (AKA escape from iCloud)"}, {"id": 740187664, "item_id": 46261729, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46261729", "by": "dangus", "date": "2025-12-14", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I moved to a cloud photos provider (Ente) with an automated continuous export feature so that everything can go to my NAS.", "excerpt": "This is one reason I moved to a cloud photos provider (Ente) with an automated continuous export feature so that everything can go to my NAS. Also because I know big tech has no real customer support. It\u2019s no comfort to OP though and I feel very sorry for them.", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage with export to NAS", "switched_from": "Apple", "story": "Apple has locked my Apple ID, and I have no recourse. A plea for help"}, {"id": 738765297, "item_id": 46172831, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46172831", "by": "sylens", "date": "2025-12-06", "stance": "compare", "quote": "I\u2019ve experimented with both Immich and Ente over the last year", "excerpt": "I\u2019ve experimented with both Immich and Ente over the last year and run Immich in parallel with Google Photos right now for my family. Once they add a few more features to support things like smart albums, I\u2019ll be able to drop Google Photos entirely. I love that the consumer space is getting this kind of attention. It\u2019s one of the biggest opportunities for big tech to lock people into their ecosystem, as photos are so", "context": "", "use_case": "photo storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "Self-hosting my photos with Immich"}]}