To back up your iPhone, either use iCloud (Settings > your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now) or connect it to a computer and back it up with Finder or the Apple Devices app. iCloud is wireless and automatic; a computer backup is free, unlimited, and stored locally. Most people should use iCloud for everyday peace of mind, and many pair it with an occasional computer backup. Here is how to do both correctly.

A backup is a complete copy of your iPhone’s content and settings, so if the phone is lost, stolen, damaged, or replaced, you can restore everything onto a new device and pick up where you left off. It is the single most valuable habit an iPhone owner can build.

Back up to iCloud (wireless, automatic)

This is the easiest method and the one Apple recommends for most people:

  1. Connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network.
  2. Open Settings and tap your name at the top of the screen.
  3. Tap iCloud.
  4. Tap iCloud Backup.
  5. Tap Back Up Now, and stay on Wi-Fi until the backup finishes.

Under the same screen, make sure Back Up This iPhone is switched on. With it on, your iPhone backs up automatically every day, as long as it is connected to power, locked, and on Wi-Fi, usually overnight. That means your most recent day is almost always protected without any effort from you.

What iCloud backups include, and the storage catch

An iCloud backup captures your app data, device settings, Home screen layout, messages, ringtones, and more. Anything already synced to iCloud, such as your photos if iCloud Photos is on, your contacts, calendars, and notes, is not duplicated in the backup because it already lives in the cloud.

The catch is space. Apple gives every account 5 GB of iCloud storage free, and a full iPhone backup often exceeds that. If you see a message that there is not enough iCloud storage, you can either upgrade to a paid iCloud+ plan or switch to a computer backup, which costs nothing. It is also a good moment to check your iPhone storage and clear out what you do not need.

Back up to a Mac with Finder

Computer backups are free, have no size limit, and keep a full copy in your own hands. On a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, you use Finder rather than iTunes:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac with a cable.
  2. Open a Finder window and select your iPhone in the sidebar.
  3. If prompted, tap Trust on your iPhone and enter its passcode.
  4. Click the General tab, then choose Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
  5. (Recommended) Tick Encrypt local backup and create a password.
  6. Click Back Up Now.

Back up on Windows with the Apple Devices app

On a Windows PC, use the Apple Devices app (available from the Microsoft Store). On older setups without it, use iTunes instead:

  1. Open the Apple Devices app (or iTunes) and connect your iPhone with a cable.
  2. If asked, enter your passcode or tap Trust This Computer.
  3. Select your iPhone, then click General (in Apple Devices) or the Summary tab (in iTunes).
  4. Choose to back up to this computer, tick Encrypt local backup if you want the full backup, and click Back Up Now.

Why encryption matters

On a computer, an ordinary backup leaves out sensitive data. Ticking Encrypt local backup is what includes your Health and Activity data, saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, and call history, and it protects the whole backup with a password. It is well worth enabling, with one firm warning: if you forget the encryption password, there is no way to recover that backup. Write it down and store it somewhere safe.

iCloud or computer: which should you choose?

Both are valid, and they are not mutually exclusive. iCloud wins on convenience: it runs automatically, needs no cable, and lets you restore a new phone from anywhere with Wi-Fi. Its downside is the 5 GB free limit, so a full backup often means paying for iCloud+. A computer backup wins on cost and control: it is free regardless of size, keeps your data physically in your possession, and, when encrypted, captures extra data like Health records. Its downside is that you have to remember to plug in and do it. For most people the ideal setup is iCloud for the daily automatic safety net, plus an occasional encrypted computer backup before major changes. That way you are covered even if one method ever fails.

Good backup habits

Let iCloud handle the daily automatic backup, and run a manual backup before anything risky: updating to a new iOS version, transferring to a new phone, or handing your device in for repair. If you are about to move to a new iPhone, a fresh backup is the foundation of a smooth switch, which we cover in how to transfer data to a new iPhone. The best backup is the one that already exists when you need it, so set it up once and let it run.