How to Self-Host Immich
Immich self-hosted photo and video backup platform with mobile upload, timeline browsing, albums, sharing, search, and machine-learning features. It was added to SelfHub after appearing in What I Self-Host, What I Don't, and Why; the product facts below were checked against the project's official site and source repository.
When Immich is a good fit
Choose Immich when you want this capability on infrastructure you control and are prepared to own updates, access control, monitoring, and recovery. Review the upstream documentation before selecting a version because deployment requirements can change between releases.
Deployment notes
Use the official release compose file and environment template, pin a release, and keep the application, database, cache, and machine-learning services aligned.
Place any browser-accessible interface behind HTTPS. Pin a release rather than an unqualified latest tag, apply updates deliberately, and keep the service reachable only from the networks and users that need it.
Data and recovery
Back up the upload library and PostgreSQL database together. Keep an independent copy of original photos outside Immich.
Write down the restore sequence, required secrets, exposed ports, and external dependencies. A scheduled backup is not complete until a clean host can restore it and pass a functional check.
Important limitation
Immich is not itself a backup strategy; upgrades can include breaking changes, so read release notes and test restores.
Production checklist
- Pin and record the deployed version.
- Persist every documented data and configuration path.
- Terminate TLS at a maintained reverse proxy or trusted tunnel.
- Restrict administrative interfaces and rotate default credentials.
- Monitor uptime, disk space, certificate expiry, and failed jobs.
- Test an off-host backup with a real restore.
