What it means
بکآپ (bek-âp) is the colloquial Persian word for a data backup, a copy of files, photos, contacts, or system data kept in case the original is lost or damaged. It is a direct phonetic borrowing from the English compound “backup.” The word is used as a noun in everyday speech: you take a بکآپ, you lose your بکآپ, or your phone reminds you to make a بکآپ. The verb form بکآپ گرفتن (bek-âp gereftan), literally “to take a backup,” is the standard construction. A more formal Persian alternative, پشتیبانگیری (poshtibân-giri), exists in technical documentation and official contexts, but very few people say it in conversation.
How to use it
- از گوشیت بکآپ گرفتی؟ (az gushit bek-âp gereft-i?) “Did you back up your phone?”
- بکآپ نداشتم، همه عکسام پاک شد. (bek-âp nadâshtam, hame aksâm pâk shod.) “I didn’t have a backup, all my photos got deleted.”
- بکآپ رو توی گوگل درایو نگه دار. (bek-âp ro tu-ye Gugel Drâyv negah dâr.) “Keep the backup on Google Drive.”
- قبل از آپدیت، حتماً بکآپ بگیر. (qabl az âpdayt, hatman bek-âp begir.) “Before the update, definitely take a backup.”
Cultural note
The importance of بکآپ in Iran goes beyond ordinary data hygiene. With phones subject to inspection at borders or during street stops, some users deliberately keep sensitive data in encrypted cloud backups outside the country rather than on the device itself. Conversely, the risk of losing access to a Google account due to US sanctions (which have historically blocked Google services for Iranian users) means that relying on a single cloud backup is itself seen as risky. These practical pressures make بکآپ a word tied to both data safety and digital self-protection.