How to backup iPhone to Computer?

How to backup iPhone to computer

iPhone or iPad is an electronic gadget useful to store all preferences, memories, personal or official data, unlike essential documents, emails, messages, photos, running apps, calling, settings, and more. Some data are especially important, and it should be kept a safe time to time. The smooth and portable way to save and secure your precious data is by backing it up as no device works as expected all the time. Imagine if you have relevant data, valuable documents, and priceless images in your iPhone and accidently it gets lost or stolen.

In that case all your data is gone which can cause you huge loss. To prevent the loss of any data, apple gadgets support inbuilt credibility to back up your data via iCloud directly (where the data gets stored on Apple’s servers) or transfer your data directly from your phone to another system or computer using iTunes. Hence, you should always make sure to back up your device regularly just in case something happens to your iPhone or iPad, like software crashes or phone breaks, lost or gets stolen.

What is Backup?

The Backup of your electronic device is a process of replicating your original data files virtually at cloud space or at some other system to use it if in case your original data files are deleted or lost. The backup of your iPhone or iPad copies all your music, messages, contact list emails, voicemails app data, chats, visual passcode, Homekit configurations device settings, etc., windows, the backups are generated using.BAK file extension.

If you back up your iPhone data regularly using iCloud (where the data will be stored at virtual space using cloud computing), you can access it anytime, anywhere at icloud.com, or any other Apple device through which you can log in to your iCloud account. In contrast, backing your data using iTunes, then you can only access the data on the particular computer where you have stored them initially. There are also some paid third-party apps that plug directly into your system, iPad, or iPhone and have automated backup features. For example, the SanDisk’s iXpand Flash drive.

Different ways to back up your iPhone or iPad

No digital device is perennial. Sooner or later, every electronic gadget experience problem. And with smartphones, device failures often end up with data loss. So, it’s advisable to procure your data by maintaining routine backups. There are several solutions for backing up the data on your iPhone. Let’s briefly look analyze the commonly used back up methods: iCloud, iTunes, Third-party vendor (Acronis True Image).

1. iPhone Back up through iCloud

iCloud is an inbuilt IOS (unlike iPhone, iPad, iPods) software that extends the credibility to perform the backup operations automatically or manually.  The user can fetch this option from the setting of an IOS device and can enable or disable it anytime. If iCloud option is selected and your device is connected to Wi-Fi, it automatically backup the data after every 24 hours or so.

 Apple allocates a free cloud storage space of 5 GB for every unique Apple ID. But one can easily extend this space, but in that case, you need to purchase it by paying the storage fee and must renew it yearly. The only limitation is that it doesn’t have the capability to procure your purchased music, book, apps, movies, or other data. You must download these from the iTunes, App and iBook store when you restore from an iCloud Backup.

 iCloud automatically syncs your data. But technically, an automated sync method is not considered as the valid backup option. The advantage of a backup is to retrieve the data from the destination, even if your original file got deleted. But, in case of automated sync, even if you have mistakenly deleted a file from your iPhone, it’s gone forever once the automated sync is performed.

Following are the steps to procure your data using iCloud:

1. Connect your iPhone/iPad to a Wi-Fi network. Go to Settings options.

2. Tap your apple id at the top of your iPhone screen. The apple id and password would be used to access you iCloud backup data for future use. 

3. Click on the iCloud option.

4. From iCloud selection option, click on the iCloud Backup option.

• And flip the switch next to enable the automatic backup option. You will notice that a “Start iCloud Backup” alert message will pop up, stating ‘Your iPhone no longer back up to your computer automatically when you sync with iTunes”. Click on OK.

6. You will notice the top panel will reflect the iCloud storage. The second panel will display all your application using iCloud. 

1. iPhone back up through iTunes

iTunes is a client management utility app developed by Apple Inc. It acts as a media player, media library, and Internet radio broadcaster. Apple users use it to download movies, songs, music, books, and various apps. iTunes was initially launched to facilitate the sharing and processing of music libraries, purchasing video content, podcasts, books, apps, etc. but lately it used to back up all your data unlike images, documents, music, files, videos, pdfs, settings, calendar, bookmarks, contact lists, etc., It acts as a bridge between your phone and PC, sync all your files and store them in your computer (PC). Local iTunes backups are preferred more over iCloud as it is faster and complete to restore the data.

Following are the steps to procure your data using iCloud:

1. Firstly, download iTunes either from Microsoft Store or Apple’s website to your Windows or Mac.

• Next, connect your iPhone (iPad or iPod) to your computer using USB cable. You can even use the cable for your charger.
  • Once you connect, the following dialogue box pops up asking for your access. Click on the continue button.

• It will configure the Phone owner’s validation as well. A “Trust From Computer” alert dialog box will be displayed on your phone to seek the permission of the phone owner before giving the access of your data to the computer. Click on the Trust button and then enter the passcode again. This process will enable the computer to access the data. 

• Open iTunes. You will notice a small phone icon on the right-hand side of the toolbar, near the top left corner of the iTunes window.

• Scroll Down and select the backup option.

• Enable the Encrypt iPhone backup option. This will also include the back up for all your account passwords, Health, and HomeKit data

Note: Before backing up the data always make sure that your phone is encrypted with some password. This step ensures that the data is protected so as any other user who wants to access the data needs a password for the data they contain. Unencrypted backups won’t contain all the data unlike account passwords, Health, and HomeKit data whereas these data are procured by encrypted backups.

• As shown below a ‘Set Password’ prompt will pop up. Enter the password and verify it. Make a note of the password because it will be required for accessing your encrypted backups.

• iTunes will start creating the backup for your data and will take a few minutes to compile up the data. Don’t disconnect your phone in between wait for the process to complete.

1. In the below status area, iTunes will create a backup and show you the progress in the status display area at the top of the window.  To back up your data in the future simply click on the ‘Back Up Now’ option available at the right side of the pane.

Restore Your Data

1. Connect your phones to iTunes. Follow the same steps and five access to your compute. Make sure to restore the backup on the same computer where you have created it in the beginning.
   1. Next, we will click on the Restore option.

1. The “Restore from Backup’ pop up window will we displayed.  Wait until the complete process is done.