Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This was for my son to use to backup photos from his iPhone for archive without putting the pictures online on a cloud storage. He explained that cloud storage is not private ... it is up to the cloud owner to use the data as they agree to. Typically, the cost of maintaining the storage is born by the owner ... who seeks to extract information from whatever is stored ... metadata and identity of faces in the pictures, for whatever value can be achieved in the digital information marketplace. I want none of that. I imagined this device would allow my son to backup our pictures from iPhones and iPads easily and privately without sharing them on the cloud. This USB storage device is not like the one I've used with a personal computer; this PNY device will not function without the app. That is a design limitation which may be from iOS and certainly is from PNY. The iOS app is necessary to use this device, and has poor reviews. I could've seen this before I paid for the storage device. I hope this review provides insight/warning to other Amazon customers so the mistake I made is not repeated. 1. The device will not function on iOS devices without the Duo Link app. That is its own problem -- a deal breaker for my son and for me. 2. The Duo Link app is not easy enough to use. Apple products are supposed to just work. This storage device just doesn't work without the app, and the app is not easy enough to use. 3. I believe this app wants to have access to the Duo Link server infrastructure on the network to function. That is not private enough for my family. I am very unsatidfied with the concept of requiring web access and access to anything on a company server (where? It's "Made in China"). for such a simple idea of backing up photos onto a USB device. This is suspiciously too complicated and connected (to what and where?) for my family to use it. Beware.