How to Backup iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch to iTunes or iCloud?

Diana Joan

Dec 04, 2015 07:47 am / Posted by Diana Joan

It is very essential to make a regular data backup for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch in case that your iOS devices get replaced, lost or damages so that you can use the backup data on a new devices transferred from your old devices.

Backup iPhone/iPad/iPod

For Apple users, there are main two ways to backup your iOS Devices data: either to iTunes or to iCloud. You can have a reference at the difference between iTunes and iCloud backup method to confirm which is the most suitable way, then following the guides below to backup your iOS Data to iTunes or iCloud respectively.

Backup iPhone/iPad/iPod data using iTunes

Backup iPhone/iPad/iPod data using iCloud

Backup Backup iPhone/iPad/iPod using iTunes

If you backup using iTunes, you can do either by connecting your iOS Devices to computer or by syncing with iTunes over WiFi. Before you make a backup, it’s a good idea to check whether you have the latest version of iTunes (go to Help > Check for Updates). In addition, make sure that the iCloud on your iPhone or iPad is turned off (Go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup and turn off the iCloud Backup switch.), you can’t create backups using iTunes when iCloud is enabled.

Wireless sync:
On your iOS devices, go to Settings > General > iTunes Wi-Fi Sync and select your computer from the list. You’ll see an option to “Sync Now” but by default the iOS device will automatically sync when the device meets three conditions: 1) the screen is locked (i.e., you’re not using the device), 2) the device is connected to Wi-Fi, and 3) the device is plugged into a power source.

With a cable:

1. Open iTunes and connect your iOS devices to your computer
2. Click File > Devices > Back Up.

After the process ends, you can see if if your backup finished successfully in iTunes Preferences > Devices. You should see the name of your device with the date and time that iTunes created the backup. If you encrypted your backup, you should also see a “locked” icon beside the name of your device.

Backup using iTunes

Now that you have a backup with iTunes, you can find iTunes backup on your Mac or PC in the following location according to your computer operating system

Mac:
/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10:
>
\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
Windows XP:
\Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\\

Backup iPhone/iPad/iPod using iCloud

1. Connect your iOS devices to a Wi-Fi network.
2. In iOS 8 or later, tap settings > iCloud > Backup, in iOS 7 or earlier, tap settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup
3. Make sure that iCloud Backup is turned on.
4. Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process completes.
5. Make sure the backup finished by tapping Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage, and then select your device. The backup you just made should appear in the details with the time and backup size.

Backup using iCloud

Back up automatically in iCloud
After you’ve turned on iCloud Backup, iCloud can automatically back up your device each day. iCloud makes these daily automatic backups only if:
Your device is connected to a power source
Your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network
Your device’s screen is locked
You have enough available space in iCloud for the backup