Samsung Smart Switch for PC/Mac does not officially support backing up directly to a network drive (NAS) path. The software is designed to save backups to a local disk or a connected external drive.
However, you can use a two-step method to store your backups on your network server:
Method 1: Backup Locally and Transfer
The most reliable approach is to back up your phone to your PC's local storage first, and then transfer the backup files to your network drive.
Perform the local backup: Use Smart Switch to back up your phone to your PC's local hard drive as usual. Ensure your PC has enough temporary space for the full backup size.
Locate the backup files: The default location for backups on Windows 10 is:
C:\Users\[your PC user id]\Documents\Samsung\SmartSwitch\backup\[device model number]\.
For Mac OS X, it is:
/Users/[username]/Documents/Samsung/SmartSwitch/backup/.
Move the backup folder: Once the backup is complete, use File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) to manually move the entire backup folder (named after your device model) from the default location to your network server.
You will need to repeat this manual transfer process for each new backup you create.
Method 2: Use a Mapped Network Drive (Less reliable)
While Smart Switch may not officially support network paths, some users have success by tricking the application into using a mapped network drive as if it were a local drive.
Map the network drive: On your PC, map the network share from your server to a local drive letter (e.g., map \\Server\SmartSwitchBackups to the Z: drive).
Attempt to change the location: Open Smart Switch, go to More > Preferences > Backup items, and look for an option to change the save location. Navigate to the newly mapped network drive (Z:). If Smart Switch accepts the path, you can attempt a backup.
Troubleshoot: If the backup fails, as you experienced, Smart Switch likely cannot work with a network path directly, and you should revert to Method 1.
Alternative Solution
Consider backing up your PC's default Smart Switch backup folder to your NAS automatically using your NAS's built-in backup software or a third-party PC backup utility (e.g., Synology Drive client for Synology NAS users). This automates the second step of Method 1.
