Keep your memories in the family.
Immich automatically backs up photos and videos from your phone to our family-managed server, then makes them easy to browse from your phone or computer.
- No separate cloud-storage billUse the family service without paying Apple, Google, or another photo company for additional photo storage.
- Self-hosted privacyYour photo library is stored on family-managed hardware instead of being held as a commercial cloud photo library.
- Automatic backupNew photos and videos can upload from your phone in the background.
- Original qualityKeep full-quality photos and videos instead of compressed social-media copies.
- Find memories quicklyBrowse by date and use albums, search, people, and places where available.
- Available anywhereView your library from the Immich app or a web browser.
Extra care for irreplaceable memories
These photos are not left dependent on a single server. A private off-site backup is kept separately so a serious hardware problem does not have to mean losing the family library.
Storage, backups, and recovery have all been thought through ahead of time. If the main server ever has to be rebuilt, downloading and restoring the complete collection may take a few days—but there is a plan and another protected copy to restore from.
Use your Hoots family account
If you already use another Hoots family service, use the same Authentik username and password.
If you do not have a family account yet, ask a family administrator for a private enrollment invitation and complete that invitation first.
You do not need a separate Immich account. Your Immich account is created automatically the first time you sign in with Authentik.
Install Immich
Install the official Immich app for your phone.
Connect the app to Family Photos
- Open the Immich app.
- Tap the box labeled Server Endpoint URL.
- Enter exactly: https://photos.hootsfamily.com
- Tap Next.
- Wait for the family login choices to appear.
Include https:// at the beginning. Do not enter only hootsfamily.com.
Sign in with Authentik
- Tap Login with Authentik.
- Your phone will open the Hoots family sign-in page.
- Enter your family username and password.
- Tap Sign in and approve the login if asked.
- Your phone should return to Immich automatically.
Do not use the email-and-password boxes on the Immich screen. Use the Login with Authentik button.
Allow access to your photos
- When your phone asks whether Immich may access photos and videos, allow access.
- For a complete automatic backup, choose Allow full access or Allow all photos and videos.
- Allow notifications if you want the phone to report backup problems.
If you choose only selected photos, Immich can back up only the items you allowed.
Turn on automatic backup
- Open the main Photos screen in Immich.
- Tap the cloud-shaped backup button near the top of the screen.
- Under Backup Albums, tap Select.
- Choose the albums you want to protect. Select the camera or recent-photos album for normal phone-camera backup.
- Return to the backup screen and tap Enable Backup.
- Keep Immich open while the first backup begins.
Immich normally uses Wi-Fi for backup. The first upload can take a long time if your phone contains many photos or videos. Keeping the phone plugged in and the app open will help.
Make sure the backup worked
- Wait for several photos to upload.
- Open photos.hootsfamily.com in a browser.
- Tap Login with Authentik.
- Confirm that your recent photos appear.
- Return to the app and check the cloud-shaped backup button for the current backup status.
Do not delete photos from your phone until you have confirmed that the backup is complete and opens correctly.
What “self-hosted” means
The photos stored in Immich live on family-managed equipment rather than in an advertising company’s commercial photo library. There is no separate monthly cloud-storage subscription to use this family service.
The family still maintains and pays for the server hardware, drives, electricity, internet, and backups. Immich is private and self-hosted, but it is not end-to-end encrypted; trusted administrators who maintain the server can technically access stored files.
Immich does not automatically turn off iCloud Photos or Google Photos. Do not disable another backup service until your Immich library has been verified and you understand what else that subscription provides.
Common problems
“Server could not be reached”
Enter the complete address https://photos.hootsfamily.com and make sure the phone has internet access.
I see email and password boxes
Scroll if needed and tap Login with Authentik. Do not create or use a separate Immich password.
The browser did not return to Immich
Switch back to Immich manually. If it is still waiting, cancel and repeat the Authentik login using Safari or Chrome.
Backup stops when the app closes
Allow background activity, notifications, and photo access for Immich. On Android, remove battery restrictions for Immich. Keep the app open and the phone plugged in during the first large backup.
Some photos are missing
Open the backup page, choose Select under Backup Albums, and confirm that the album containing those photos is selected.
Still stuck?
Take a screenshot of the screen where you stopped and send it to a family administrator. Never include your password.