The two ways to back up an iPad

You have two main paths: iCloud, which backs up over the internet to Apple's servers, or Finder (on Mac) or iTunes (on Windows), which backs up to a computer you physically own. iCloud is simpler and happens automatically. A computer backup gives you a copy stored locally, which some people prefer because they control where the data sits.

Most people use iCloud because it requires almost no setup — you turn it on once and it runs in the background. But if you have a lot of photos or videos, iCloud storage fills up quickly and costs money after 5 GB. A computer backup takes longer to set up but stores as much as your computer's hard drive can hold, and it costs nothing.

You can use both at the same time. Many people do: iCloud for daily automatic backups, and a computer backup as a second copy in case something goes wrong with iCloud.

Key Takeaways

  • iCloud backs up automatically over the internet once you turn it on in Settings, but free storage is limited to 5 GB and fills up quickly if you have many photos.
  • A computer backup using Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) stores data on a device you own, costs nothing, and holds as much as your hard drive allows.
  • iCloud backups include apps, settings, messages, and photos in your Photos app, but not photos stored in iCloud Photos library or files in cloud storage apps.
  • A computer backup includes everything on your iPad except apps you can reinstall from the App Store.
  • You can set up both types of backup at the same time for extra protection.

Setting up iCloud backup

Open Settings on your iPad and tap your name at the top. Then tap iCloud. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup. Turn on the toggle next to "iCloud Backup" so it shows blue. Your iPad will now back up automatically whenever it is plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi.

Before you turn on iCloud Backup, check how much free space you have. Tap Settings, then your name, then iCloud, then "Manage Account Storage". The number at the top shows your total storage and how much you are using. If you have less than 1 GB free, your backup will fail. You can buy more storage from the same screen — 50 GB costs $0.99 per month, 200 GB costs $2.99 per month, and 2 TB costs $9.99 per month.

iCloud Backup happens automatically once a day, but only when your iPad is plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi. If you want to back up right now, go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, tap iCloud Backup, and tap "Back Up Now". The backup can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on how much data you have and how fast your internet is.

Setting up a computer backup on Mac

Connect your iPad to your Mac with a USB cable. Open Finder and look for your iPad in the sidebar on the left — it appears under "Locations". Click it. At the top of the window, you will see options including "General", "Info", "Backups", and others. Click "General".

Under "Backups", you will see a checkbox next to "Back up all of the data on your iPad to this Mac". Check that box. Below it, you can choose whether to encrypt the backup — if you check "Encrypt local backup", you will need a password to restore from this backup later, but it protects your data if someone gets access to your Mac. Most people leave this unchecked unless they have sensitive information.

Once you have checked the backup box, click "Back Up Now" to start the backup immediately. Your first backup takes the longest — usually 15 minutes to an hour. After that, Finder backs up automatically whenever you connect your iPad to your Mac, as long as you have the backup box checked.

Setting up a computer backup on Windows

Connect your iPad to your Windows computer with a USB cable. Open iTunes (if you have not installed it, download it from the Microsoft Store). Your iPad appears in iTunes — look for a small iPad icon near the top left of the window. Click it.

On the left side, click "Summary". Under "Backups", you will see a section labeled "Automatically Back Up". Choose "This Computer" from the radio buttons. Below that, you can check "Encrypt backup" if you want to password-protect the backup — this is optional. Click "Back Up Now" to start your first backup.

iTunes backs up automatically whenever you connect your iPad to your computer, as long as "This Computer" is selected. Your first backup takes 15 minutes to an hour. After that, backups are faster because iTunes only backs up what has changed since the last backup.

What gets backed up and what does not

An iCloud backup includes your settings, app data, messages, contacts, calendar events, notes, reminders, health data, home automation settings, and photos in your Photos app. It does not include apps themselves — when you restore from iCloud, the apps reinstall from the App Store automatically. It also does not include photos or videos stored in iCloud Photos library (those are already in iCloud), files in cloud storage apps like Google Drive or Dropbox, or music you have not purchased from iTunes.

A computer backup includes everything on your iPad except apps, which reinstall from the App Store when you restore. This means a computer backup is more complete — it includes photos in iCloud Photos library, files in cloud apps, and music files. The trade-off is that a computer backup is larger and takes longer.

Neither type of backup includes data from apps that store information only on their own servers — for example, Gmail messages are not backed up because Gmail stores them on Google's servers, not on your iPad. If you delete the Gmail app and reinstall it, your messages are still there because they live in Gmail, not on your device.

Restoring from a backup

If you get a new iPad or need to restore an old one, you can restore from either type of backup. When you turn on a new iPad for the first time, you will see a setup screen. Choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" if you want to use iCloud, or "Restore from Mac" or "Restore from Windows PC" if you want to use a computer backup. Sign in with your Apple ID and choose which backup to restore from — if you have multiple backups, the most recent one appears first.

Restoring from iCloud takes 30 minutes to several hours depending on your internet speed and how much data you have. Restoring from a computer is faster — usually 15 minutes to an hour — because the data transfers over USB cable instead of the internet. During the restore, your iPad will restart several times. Do not unplug it or turn it off.

After the restore finishes, your apps reinstall from the App Store automatically. This can take an hour or more depending on how many apps you have. You can use your iPad while apps are installing, but the process is faster if you leave it plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi.

Checking that your backup is working

For iCloud, go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, tap iCloud Backup, and look at the line that says "Last Backup". It should show today's date and a recent time. If it shows a date from several days ago, your backup is not running — check that your iPad is plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi when you expect the backup to happen.

For a computer backup on Mac, connect your iPad to your Mac and open Finder. Click your iPad in the sidebar, then click "General" at the top. Under "Backups", look at the line that says "Latest Backup". It should show today's date. On Windows, open iTunes, click your iPad, click "Summary", and look under "Backups" for the date of your latest backup.

If your backup has not run recently, try backing up manually right now. If the backup fails, check that you have enough storage space — on iCloud, go to Settings and check your storage; on a computer, make sure your hard drive has at least 10 GB free. If you still have problems, restart your iPad and try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes. You can turn on iCloud Backup and also connect your iPad to a computer for backups. Both run independently, so you have two copies of your data. This is actually a good idea — if something goes wrong with one backup, you have the other.

How often should I back up my iPad?

iCloud backs up automatically once a day if your iPad is plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi. Computer backups happen automatically whenever you connect your iPad. For most people, this is often enough. If you make changes you want to protect immediately, you can tap "Back Up Now" in iCloud settings or manually back up to your computer.

What happens if I run out of iCloud storage?

Your backup stops working. You will see a message in Settings saying your iCloud storage is full. You can delete old backups you no longer need, buy more storage, or switch to a computer backup instead. To delete old backups, go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, tap "Manage Account Storage", tap "Backups", and tap the backup you want to delete.

Do I need to keep my iPad plugged in during a backup?

For iCloud, your iPad needs to be plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi, but you can unplug it once the backup finishes. For a computer backup, you need to keep the USB cable connected until the backup is done — unplugging it early can corrupt the backup. Once it finishes, you can unplug safely.

Will backing up use a lot of my internet data?

iCloud backups use your Wi-Fi connection, not your cellular data, so they do not count against a phone data plan. Computer backups use your USB cable and do not use internet at all. If you have a limited Wi-Fi connection, your first iCloud backup might take a while, but after that only new or changed data backs up, which is much smaller.