How to Back Up Your iPhone Using iTunes on a Computer

iTunes backs up your iPhone to your computer, storing everything from photos to app data in one file you can restore later

iTunes is Apple's media and device management software for Windows and Mac computers. When you connect your iPhone to a computer running iTunes, you can create a backup — a complete copy of your phone's contents saved to that computer's hard drive. This backup includes your photos, contacts, messages, app data, settings, and more. If your iPhone is lost, stolen, or stops working, you can restore from this backup to get your data back on a new or repaired phone.

The process takes about 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much data is on your phone and how fast your computer is. iTunes must be installed on your computer first, and you need a USB cable that connects your iPhone to the computer.

Key Takeaways

iTunes creates a full backup of your iPhone stored on your computer's hard drive, not in the cloud.
You need iTunes installed on a Windows PC or Mac, plus a USB cable to connect your iPhone.
The backup process starts automatically when you connect your phone, but you can also start it manually from the iTunes window.
Encrypted backups protect sensitive data like passwords and health information, but require a password to restore.
You can schedule automatic backups to run whenever your phone connects to your computer.

What you need before you start

First, make sure iTunes is installed on your computer. On a Mac running macOS Catalina or newer, iTunes has been replaced by the Finder app — you will use Finder instead of iTunes to back up your phone. On Windows or older Mac computers, download iTunes from Apple's website if you do not have it.

You also need a USB cable that works with your iPhone. Most iPhones come with a USB-C to Lightning cable, but older iPhones use a Lightning to USB-A cable. Test the cable with your phone before you start the backup to make sure it connects properly.

Finally, make sure your computer has enough free storage space. Your backup will take up roughly the same amount of space as the data on your phone, so if your iPhone has 64 GB of photos and apps, you need at least 64 GB free on your computer.

How to back up your iPhone in iTunes on Windows or older Mac

Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable. iTunes will open automatically, or you can open it yourself. When iTunes opens, look for your iPhone's name or icon in the top left corner of the window and click it.

In the left sidebar, click "Summary." On the right side of the window, you will see a section labeled "Backups." Under this section, make sure "This computer" is selected, not "iCloud." Then click the button that says "Back Up Now." iTunes will start creating a backup of your phone.

While the backup is running, you will see a progress bar. Do not disconnect your iPhone until the backup is complete — unplugging the phone during a backup can corrupt the backup file. Once the progress bar disappears and you see a message saying the backup is complete, you can safely disconnect your phone.

How to back up your iPhone using Finder on Mac with Catalina or newer

Connect your iPhone to your Mac using the USB cable. Open Finder and look in the left sidebar for your iPhone's name under "Locations." Click on it.

At the top of the Finder window, you will see several tabs. Make sure you are on the "General" tab. Look for the section labeled "Backups" and confirm that "Back up all of the important data on your iPhone to this Mac" is selected. Then click the button that says "Back Up Now."

Finder will display a progress indicator while the backup runs. Leave your iPhone connected until the backup finishes. Once you see a confirmation message, the backup is complete and you can disconnect your phone.

Encrypted backups and what they protect

By default, iTunes and Finder create unencrypted backups. This means anyone with access to your computer can view some of the data in the backup file. To add password protection, you can turn on encryption.

In iTunes, go to Summary and look for a checkbox labeled "Encrypt iPhone backup" or "Encrypt local backup." Check this box and create a password. In Finder on Mac, the option is called "Encrypt local backup" and appears in the same General tab. Once you enable encryption, all future backups will be protected with that password.

Encrypted backups include passwords, health data, home automation settings, and other sensitive information that unencrypted backups do not store. If you forget the encryption password, you cannot restore from that backup — Apple does not have a way to recover a lost encryption password. Write down your password or store it somewhere safe.

Setting up automatic backups

You can tell iTunes or Finder to back up your iPhone automatically every time you connect it to your computer. In iTunes on Windows or older Mac, go to Summary and look for the "Backups" section. Check the box next to "Automatically back up when this iPhone is connected."

On Mac with Catalina or newer, open Finder, click your iPhone's name, go to the General tab, and check "Automatically back up when this iPhone is connected."

Once you turn on automatic backups, iTunes or Finder will create a new backup each time you plug in your phone. This means you will always have a recent backup on your computer, even if you forget to start one manually. The automatic backup runs in the background and does not interrupt your work.

Where your backup is stored and how to find it

iTunes and Finder do not show you where the backup file is located on your computer — it is stored in a hidden folder. On Windows, backups are saved in C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. On Mac, they are in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup.

You do not need to find this folder to restore from a backup. When you connect your iPhone to iTunes or Finder and choose to restore, the software will automatically find and use the most recent backup. However, knowing where the backup is stored can be useful if you want to copy the backup to an external hard drive for extra safety, or if you need to delete old backups to free up space on your computer.

If you want to back up to an external hard drive instead of your computer's main drive, you can move the backup folder to the external drive. However, this requires some technical steps and is not the standard method — most people keep backups on their computer's main hard drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I back up my iPhone if I do not have a computer?

No, iTunes backups require a computer with iTunes or Finder installed. If you do not have a computer, you can back up your iPhone using iCloud instead, which stores your data on Apple's servers rather than on a computer. iCloud backups happen automatically over Wi-Fi.

What happens if I disconnect my iPhone during a backup?

If you unplug your phone while a backup is running, the backup file may become corrupted and unusable. Always wait for the progress bar to finish and for iTunes or Finder to show a completion message before disconnecting. If a backup is interrupted, you can start a new one by connecting your phone again.

How often should I back up my iPhone?

If you turn on automatic backups, your phone will back up every time you connect it to your computer. If you back up manually, aim for at least once a week, or more often if you take a lot of photos or make important changes to your data. The more frequently you back up, the less data you will lose if something goes wrong.

Can I restore from an iTunes backup to a different iPhone?

Yes, you can restore a backup from one iPhone to a different iPhone as long as both phones are compatible with the same iOS version. When you set up a new iPhone and connect it to iTunes or Finder, you will be given the option to restore from a backup. Choose the backup you want to use, and your data will be transferred to the new phone.

Do iTunes backups include photos and videos?

Yes, iTunes backups include all photos and videos stored on your iPhone. However, if your photos are stored in iCloud Photos rather than on your phone's storage, they will not be included in the iTunes backup — they are already backed up in iCloud. The iTunes backup includes only the data actually stored on your phone.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.