The two ways to back up an iPhone, and what each one saves

You can back up your iPhone in two ways: through iCloud (Apple's cloud storage) or by connecting to a computer running macOS or Windows. iCloud backs up automatically if you turn it on, while a computer backup requires you to plug in and run the process manually. Both save your photos, messages, contacts, app data, and settings — but they protect you against different disasters.

An iCloud backup protects you if your phone is lost, stolen, or stops working. You can restore everything to a new iPhone by signing in with your Apple ID. A computer backup (called an encrypted local backup) protects you if Apple's servers go down or your iCloud account is compromised, and it's the only way to back up certain data like health records and home automation settings. Most people use iCloud because it's automatic; some use both for maximum protection.

Key Takeaways

  • iCloud backs up automatically once a day if you have Wi-Fi, are plugged in, and have turned on iCloud Backup in Settings — it requires at least 5 GB of free iCloud storage.
  • A computer backup happens only when you plug in your iPhone and click Back Up in Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows), and it saves everything including health data that iCloud cannot.
  • iCloud backups restore to a new phone by signing in with your Apple ID; computer backups restore only to the same computer you backed up to.
  • If you use iCloud, check Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage once a month to make sure you have room and the backup completed.

Setting up automatic backup with iCloud

Open Settings on your iPhone and tap your name at the top. Then tap iCloud, scroll down, and tap iCloud Backup. Toggle it on. Your iPhone will now back up automatically once per day, but only if three conditions are met: you are connected to Wi-Fi, your phone is plugged in or charging, and your screen is locked. Most people meet these conditions overnight.

iCloud gives you 5 GB of free storage. Your backup uses part of that space — photos, messages, and app data add up quickly. If you run out of room, the backup will fail silently and you won't know until you need it. Check how much space you're using by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage. If the backup is larger than your free space, you can either delete old photos and messages from your phone, buy more iCloud storage (50 GB for $0.99 per month), or use a computer backup instead.

Backing up to a Mac or Windows computer

Connect your iPhone to your computer with the USB cable that came with it. On a Mac running macOS Catalina or newer, open Finder and click your iPhone in the sidebar. On Windows or older Mac, open iTunes. Click Back Up Now. The backup will take 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have.

By default, this backup is encrypted — your passwords, health data, and home settings are included. You can see the backup in Finder (Mac) or Edit > Preferences > Devices (Windows). If you want to back up regularly this way, you can set it to back up automatically every time you plug in: on Mac, click the iPhone in Finder, check "Back up automatically when this iPhone is connected", and click Done. On Windows, open iTunes, click Edit > Preferences > Devices, check "Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected", and click OK.

Restoring from an iCloud backup

If you get a new iPhone or reset your current one, you can restore everything from iCloud. During setup, you'll see a screen that says "Apps & Data". Tap Restore from iCloud Backup, sign in with your Apple ID, and choose which backup to restore from (usually the most recent one). Your phone will download all your data — this can take an hour or more depending on your Wi-Fi speed and how much data you have.

The restore will include your photos, messages, contacts, app data, and settings, but not the apps themselves. The iPhone will download and install each app from the App Store automatically after the restore finishes. If an app is no longer available in the App Store, it won't be restored. You'll need to sign in to some apps (like email and banking apps) again because passwords are not restored for security reasons.

Restoring from a computer backup

Connect your iPhone to the same computer you backed up to. Open Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows), click your iPhone, and click Restore Backup. Choose the backup you want to restore from — usually the most recent one — and click Restore. Your phone will restart and the data will be restored. This takes 10 to 30 minutes.

A computer backup restores everything exactly as it was, including app passwords and health data. However, you can only restore to the same computer you backed up to — you cannot restore a backup made on your Mac to a Windows computer, or vice versa. If you lose that computer or its hard drive fails, the backup is gone. This is why many people use both iCloud and a computer backup: iCloud protects you if your computer fails, and a computer backup protects you if iCloud fails.

What gets backed up and what doesn't

Both iCloud and computer backups save: photos and videos in your Camera Roll, messages and attachments, contacts, calendar events, reminders, notes, voice memos, app data (like game progress or saved preferences), home automation settings, and most of your settings. Neither backup saves: apps themselves (they download from the App Store during restore), Apple Pay cards (you re-add them after restore), Face ID or Touch ID settings (you set them up again), or data from apps that store information only on their own servers (like Gmail or Instagram).

Computer backups also save health data, home automation automations, and encrypted passwords — iCloud cannot back these up. If you use the Health app or HomeKit, a computer backup is worth doing at least once, even if you mainly use iCloud.

Checking if your backup actually happened

For iCloud: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage. You should see "iPhone Backup" listed with today's date next to it. If the date is old, your backup failed — usually because you didn't meet the three conditions (Wi-Fi, plugged in, screen locked) or you ran out of storage space. Plug in your phone, connect to Wi-Fi, lock the screen, and wait a few hours. Then check again.

For a computer backup: On Mac, open Finder, click your iPhone, and look at the top of the window. You should see "Last backed up: [date and time]". On Windows, open iTunes, click your iPhone, and look under the Summary tab. If the date is recent, your backup worked. If it's old, plug in your phone and click Back Up Now to run it manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I back up to iCloud and a computer at the same time?

Yes. You can have iCloud Backup turned on and also plug in to a computer and back up there. They don't interfere with each other. Many people do both for extra protection — if one backup fails, the other still works.

What happens if I turn off iCloud Backup?

Your existing backup stays on Apple's servers for 180 days. After that, it's deleted. If you turn iCloud Backup back on within 180 days, you can still restore from the old backup. If you want to keep a backup after turning off iCloud, plug in to a computer and back up there first.

Do I need to do anything to back up my photos?

If you use iCloud Photos (Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos > iCloud Photos), your photos are backed up automatically as part of your iCloud backup. If you use Google Photos or another service, those photos are backed up by that service, not by your iPhone backup.

Can I back up to someone else's computer?

Yes, but you can only restore to that same computer later. The backup is tied to that computer, not to your Apple ID. If you need to restore on a different computer, you'll need to back up to that computer first.

How often should I back up my iPhone?

If you use iCloud Backup, it happens automatically once a day, so you don't need to do anything. If you use a computer backup, once a week or once a month is reasonable — more often if you create a lot of new photos or messages that you'd be upset to lose.