How long has it been since you backed up your iPhone?
Hopefully it wasn’t too long ago; otherwise, you’re just one mishap away from losing a significant amount of data.
Experts advise backing up all of your data and regularly upgrading those backups. And, thankfully, there are various options for backing up your iPhone and protecting your data.
You can use a backup to copy and store data from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. You can use a backup to transfer your data to a new device if you change your smartphone.
Decide which method is best for you
In case you ever need an alternative backup, you can back up your device using iCloud and also using your computer. Learn how to back up your device or restore your device from a backup.
iCloud
- Stores backups in iCloud
- Offers up to 2TB of storage (with an Apple One Premier plan, you can get up to 4TB)
- Always encrypts your backups
- Lets you create and use backups from anywhere with Wi-Fi
Computer
- Stores backups on your Mac or PC
- Storage depends on your Mac or PC’s available space
- Offers encrypted backups (off by default)
- Lets you create and use backups from your Mac or PC
iCloud backups
You can use iCloud to back up your device if you have a Wi-Fi network connection. To back up with iCloud, you don’t need to connect your device to a computer.
iCloud backups include nearly all data and settings stored on your device. iCloud backups don’t include:
- Data that’s already stored in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, Notes, iCloud Photos, iMessages, Voice Memos, text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages, and Health data
- Data stored in other cloud services, like Gmail and Exchange mail
- Apple Mail data
- Apple Pay information and settings
- Face ID or Touch ID settings
- iCloud Music Library and App Store content
Backups from your computer
A computer backup of your device, which is not the same as a sync, contains nearly all of the data and settings on your device.
The following items are not included in a computer backup:
- iTunes and App Store content, as well as PDFs downloaded straight to Apple Books
- Imported MP3s or CDs, films, books, and images were all synced from Finder or iTunes.
- iCloud Photos, iMessages, and text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages are already stored in the cloud.
- Settings for Face ID or Touch ID
- Information and settings for Apple Pay
- Data from Apple Mail
- Activity, Health, and Keychain data (you’ll need to enable Encrypted Backup in iTunes to back up this content.)
Certain types of content will not transfer if you restore a device from a backup of another device, such as an iPad backup for an iPhone.
Photos, Messages and attachments in Messages, Voice Memos, and programs that aren’t compatible with the device you’re setting up are examples of this content. Apps that are only compatible with the iPad, for example, will not migrate to your iPhone.
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