A complete guide to working with backups on iPhone, iPad, and more. IPhone Backup How to Backup iPhone Before Updating

An iPhone backup is a collection of files with all the data stored on a device. Includes photos, documents, settings, a list of contacts from the phone book and other important information for the user. You can back up your iPhone in different ways, with or without a computer.

Making an iCloud backup

All users of Apple devices have access to 5 GB of free iCloud cloud storage space. It can be used to back up data. To do this, on the smartphone, it is enough to enable the corresponding option. Procedure:

1. Launch your iPhone and connect it to high-speed Wi-Fi, or activate mobile data transmission.
2. Open the Settings menu and find the iCloud item here.
3. If you are using an iPhone with iOS version 10.3 or later, you can access the icloud settings through the menu to manage your account settings.
4. ICloud Backup appears. Move the slider to the right to enable Apple Cloud Backup. A message will appear on the screen stating that when the device is connected to a PC, the iTunes backup will not be created automatically.
5. Wait for the iPhone to turn on the backup function and transfer all important user information to the cloud. If necessary, put iPhone on charge, lock the screen.

If the iPhone has been used for a long time and a lot of information has accumulated on it, then the free space in the icloud (5 GB) may not be enough. Then the backup will not be created, a notification will appear on the screen. In this case, you can purchase a subscription and expand the space available in the cloud, or use another method.

Features of backup via iCloud

All Apple devices create backups by default when connected to a charger (if the function is activated in the settings and the iPhone is connected to a wireless network). Other features:

• Media content that has been purchased or officially downloaded is not copied. But it will be downloaded again from official stores (App Store, iTunes Store, iBookStore and so on).
• To recover data from iCloud, just connect your iPhone to high-speed Wi-Fi, sign in to your Apple ID account. You don't need a computer for this. Therefore, the method is convenient in cases when you need to urgently recover data from a lost or stolen iPhone.
• Notes, phonebook contacts, calendar and other information are automatically saved (even if backup is disabled).

If you wish, you can make a new backup manually. To do this, go to the icloud settings and select "Create a copy now". Information on the date of the last copy will be displayed below.

If your iPhone contains a lot of information, then it is better to use iTunes to create backups. This is special software available as a free download from Apple's official website. Allows you to back up and restore data from Apple devices, as well as other operations. Procedure:

1. Install and run the software on your computer (available for Windows, OS X operating systems).
2. Connect iPhone to PC using a USB cable and wait while the drivers are downloaded for the device.
3. The connected device will be displayed on the main iTunes screen, select it.
4. Go to the menu on the left. Here find the "Settings" block and click "Browse" in the list of available ones.
5. A new window will appear on the right. Here, in the "Backups" block, check the box next to "This computer" to.
6. If you want to move files to iCloud through iTunes, then check the box next to the corresponding item. This will only make copies of important data.
7. To set a password on the backup (you will need to enter it when restoring data), check the box "Encrypt local copy". If the password is lost, the copy cannot be used.
8. After that click the "Create a copy now" button. The process of copying the information and its transfer to the memory of the local computer or to the Apple servers will begin. You cannot turn off the iPhone before copying data is finished.

When the copy is created, the iPhone can be disconnected. After that, the finished file can be used to restore user information on the new device. If you checked the encryption item, you will need to provide a password.

Since all backups that are created through aytyuns are stored only in the PC memory, for greater security, copy them to the cloud storage or an external drive.

Features of backup via iTunes

If in the process of creating a backup via iTunes the user uses data encryption, then the following information will be copied along with the rest of the data:

• Medical data.
• Settings from wireless networks (saved by the user) and passwords in the keychain.
• History of visits through the Safari browser.

By default, the backup is saved to the main disk (the one on which the operating system is installed), but if you wish, you can change it in the program settings before creating a backup.

Touch ID, Apple Pay, and media settings that are already in your iCloud library will not be copied to your computer's local drive when you sync using iTunes.

Difference of ways

Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is recommended to back up your data via both iCloud and iTunes. If this is not possible, or you do not think that important information is stored on the iPhone, then you can get by in one way. Consider the features of each in the table below:

The applications themselves downloaded to the iPhone (licensed copies) are not copied when creating a backup via iCloud and iTunes, but they will be downloaded automatically through the App Store. The software does not save music, movies and other information, but through iTunes the information can be backed up and quickly transferred to the iPhone manually.

Data backup is available to all owners of iOs-based devices. If you turned off the creation of a backup in automatic mode, then be sure to synchronize information via iTunes or iCloud manually. This way you can regain access to all files and documents stored in memory in case of loss or theft of your iPhone.

Each owner of an "apple" smartphone, regardless of its model, receives 5 GB of disk space in the iCloud cloud upon registration of Apple ID. They are used for synchronizing data between devices, storing photos and backing up. In other words, the "cloud" is an important part of the ecosystem created by Apple. Users who have several devices on hand get more options, but one smartphone is enough to set up a backup. In this article, we will provide step-by-step instructions on how to back up your iPhone to iCloud.

The main condition for creating a "cloud" backup is a stable connection to Wi-Fi, since the mobile network is not used for this purpose.

1. Open the iPhone settings on the main page. We need two sections on it, indicated in the screenshot by numbers.

1. In the first, we get access to the wireless settings. First, make sure that the connection request switch is off. The next step is to click on the button with the letter "i". Thus, we get access to the parameters of active Wi-Fi.

1. Having opened the details of the wireless connection, we activate the switch responsible for automatic connection. Now, once in the range of this signal, the phone will automatically switch from the cellular to the wireless network.

1. In the second section, we go down to the very end of the page. Turn off the "Wi-Fi Help" switch. This must be done so that the smartphone does not switch to LTE while in the range of the wireless network.

After completing the preparatory manipulations, you can be sure that every time you put your iPhone on charge, a backup will be created. The smartphone will not arbitrarily disconnect from Wi-Fi, and the stability of the signal when working with Icloud is more important than speed.

Making a copy

You don't need a computer to create a "cloud" backup. The user performs all actions directly on his smartphone. To simplify the interface in iOS 10.3, the parameters related to the operation of Apple branded services are collected in one section.

1. Open the main settings page. In the upper part, there is an area with a photo and the name of the owner. Click on it to reveal the account settings.

1. At the bottom of the screen, there is a list of devices associated with the Apple ID of the owner of the smartphone. After selecting the desired device, click on its logo.

1. Open the area marked in the screenshot.

1. We translate the switch shown by the arrow to the "On" position. From now on, the OS will automatically create a backup in iCloud using the Wi-Fi network while the device is charging. If desired, a copy can be made manually using the framed virtual button.

Optimizing storage

After some time after performing the above settings, the user may receive a message that the backup failed. In most cases, the system cannot complete the operation due to insufficient free space in the cloud. Both the owners of the old 4S and 5 models and the owners of the new CE, 6, 7, 8 or X are faced with this phenomenon. Most simply ignore this message, thereby depriving themselves of the opportunity to use a copy of iCloud in the future. In fact, the free 5 GB is more than enough for storing backups even from multiple devices. The problem is solved by optimizing the data included in the backup.

1. Go to the iPhone owner's account settings. Click on the area marked in the screenshot.

1. The number "1" marks the system programs that have access to iCloud for data storage. We remove permissions from those that are not used.

1. Going down below, in the list, we perform a similar operation for installed applications. Particular attention should be paid to instant messengers, since thousands of messages contained in dialogs are archived in the "cloud", taking up useful space, while not representing anything of value. Having edited the permissions in this way, we return to the beginning of the section. Open the area marked in the previous screenshot with the number "2" in order to examine the contents of the repository.

iTunes, iCloud, alternative software and third-party cloud services.

Test versions of iOS, experiments with jailbreak, constant switching from device to device, crash tests, as well as tons of software from the App Store and bypassing it - these are not all reasons. why have i ever lost important personal data from iPhone.

But such difficulties are faced not only by hardened geeks who always have no rest. Despite the incredible reliability of Apple technology, for important information that you don't want to lose, you still need to prepare copies in a safe place.

To protect you from possible annoying misunderstandings, I have put together all personally verified backup options.

1.Itunes and Mac or PC Hard Drive Backup

Advantages: with a backup via iTunes, you can access information without the Internet - even in an open field. Moreover, it is one of the fastest options to save almost all data from iPhone.

disadvantages: It's a pity, but making a backup or restoring data without a computer will not work if you want to. Backing up information from a large iPad Pro to a MacBook 12 '' looks especially ridiculous. Plus - the copy takes up a lot of disk space, which is very noticeable on Macs with small SSDs.

What can be saved: almost everything, except for content from the App Store and iTunes Store (it will be downloaded over the Internet), content synced via iTunes (imported audio recordings, etc.), saved in photo clouds (for example, iCloud Photo Stream), Touch ID and Apple Pay settings. Please note that some data requires password protection for the backup.

How to do it: everything is simple - just go to iTunes, go to the device tab and press one single button to create a copy or restore it.

My opinion: I myself use a backup to the hard drive of my MacBook Pro only before some stressful moment - installing a test version of iOS, jailbreak, and so on. In other situations, I prefer other types of personal information storage.

2. Alternatives to iTunes for backups using the example of iMazing

Advantages: with their help, you can not only access data without the Internet, but also feel like a real geek who uses not only standard software. In addition, alternatives may be more convenient in some specific cases - for example, to quickly save photos to your hard drive.

disadvantages: all backup processes still need a computer that is not always available.

How to do it: in most cases, a backup in iTunes alternatives is created or restored by pressing one or two buttons (for example, in the same iMazing). But each specific option may have its own nuances - in some solutions, you can separately save messages, contacts or other data.

My opinion: in some cases, using alternatives for iTunes may be even more than appropriate - especially on PCs, for which Apple's software is simply not designed. It works extremely awkwardly even on fairly powerful computers. But on a Mac myself, today I'm still leaning towards the standard solution.

3.iCloud as a cloud storage for iPhone backups

Advantages: In this case, no computer is needed. And that's great.

disadvantages: Potential payment for a large amount of storage for those who are not enough free 5 GB. Plus - without the Internet, all this is useless.

How to do it: you need to go to the backup menu from the iCloud section in the system settings of the device (Settings - iCloud - Backup)- all necessary functions are available here.

My opinion: despite the fact that today I only use Apple devices (MacBook Pro, iPhone and iPad), many interesting services “live” with me since the days of my first Android smartphone (HTC Wildfire, if memory serves). So my main cloud is Google Drive and not iCloud. And in the latter, I rarely have enough free space for backups.

4.iCloud and Apple branded services for saving data from iPhone

Advantages: Data is synchronized in real time. And during the recovery, you can safely use the device. This is especially useful when, for example, you are testing a new iPhone from partners. You enter your Apple ID details, and personal information is slowly pulled over the Internet, without distracting from using the device.

What can be saved: Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, Notes, Wallet Data, Apple Music Selection, and so on. The vast majority of modern mobile applications can work with iCloud Drive, and this is very convenient.

How to do it: the set of data synced to iCloud is available from its section in the system settings of the device (Settings - iCloud)... Since many third-party apps can store information in iCloud Drive, you also need to dig into their settings. Other Apple branded services (for example, Apple Music) give access to information after entering the Apple ID.

My opinion: despite the fact that iCloud Drive is far from the main storage of my personal information, its free volume is constantly occupied by the data of some applications (there are just a bunch of text files from Byword). And this is very convenient. And about the coolness of modern Apple branded services, I generally keep quiet - what is only Apple Music worth. And he successfully stores all my data in himself without any outside help.

5. Third-party cloud services for storing information on the example of Google

Advantages: Greatest versatility and accessibility from any device. For example, Google branded services are perfect for users who complement their work with an iPhone with an Android smartphone.

disadvantages: iOS restrictions (after all, Apple prefers proprietary services), the ability to save far from all data, and the need for Internet access.

What can be saved: mail, contacts, calendars, notes, as well as photos in Google Photos, music in Google Music, files in Google Drive, and so on. And the same story with other similar services - for example, files of any type can be safely stored in Dropbox, and they will not go anywhere even in the most urgent cases.

How to do it: setting the synchronization of mail, contacts, calendars and Google notes is available from the corresponding section of the system settings of the device (Settings - Mail, addresses, calendars) while loading other data is configurable from each individual third party app.

My opinion: If you use multiple devices from different manufacturers (maybe you have a PC instead of a Mac or an Android instead of an iPhone), you will definitely find it convenient to store basic data in Gmail - mail, calendars and contacts. In other cases, it's better to put all your information in the hands of Apple - it's more convenient this way.

All at once to minimize the risk of losing important records

Many of you have probably faced the problem of data loss on a mobile device. This can happen due to a glitch or crash, or due to user negligence. The first two options Apple has virtually eliminated. Having more than two years of experience using iOS, I can say that an ordinary user who is not spoiled by tweaks from Cydia and occasionally

puts programs and games on your device, a software failure does not threaten. You can safely refuse any kind of backups and sleep peacefully. But active users more than once regretted that they did not make a backup after unsuccessful experiments.

Backup to iTunes. Many will notice that the regular iTunes has a backup, moreover, it is turned on by default. Yes it is. For more convenience, I recommend that when the device is connected, open the context menu of your device (right-click) and select "Create a copy". In the same way, it will be possible to restore it later.

Apple's version is good, but it only saves a copy only and. Other applications that were installed via or are not saved. And, of course, they will not be protected. This method is not acceptable to anyone. I offer you the following options for getting a backup:

Saving contacts for devices on iOS 5 using iCloud.
A very simple and most reliable way, which is to sync contacts with a cloud service.
1 ... (if you have this account, then skip this point).
2 ... Go to iCloud on your iOS device Settings -> iCloud

3 ... Activate contact sync using the corresponding Contacts switch.
4 ... If your contacts are saved on the SIM card, you can copy them to the device using. If you don't have a digital copy of your contacts, go to the next step.
5 ... Go to iCloud.com and enter your Apple ID information.

6 ... Go to the Contacts app on iCloud.com. If your contacts were on the phone, they will be automatically copied to your iCloud account (if you have an Internet connection, of course).

7 ... Enter your contacts manually (using the + sign) or import (if you have a copy of your contacts in vCard format).

8 ... Everything! Now, when you add a contact on the device, it will automatically be synchronized and appear in your iCloud account, but if you add contacts on the iCloud.com website, the contacts will be automatically transferred to your device!
Now your contacts will be safely saved, even if you update your device with a new version of iOS or, God forbid, lose it.

Backup copy (backup) of contacts for devices on firmware below iOS 5. When I was still a user of android devices, I made it a rule to save contacts in my Gmail account. It's very simple and convenient, and most importantly, at the moment, almost all devices on different platforms support synchronization with Gmail.

A backup copy of applications from Cydia. Our beloved and dear sir has taken care of backing up our tweaks. Like iTunes, Cydia links your account to your device and keeps a list of installed tweaks. To see the list, go to the "Manage Accounts" section and select the "Installable Purchases" item.

However, Saurik took care of us, and took care of his colleagues - the creators of paid tweaks. By his decision, only tweaks that you purchased are saved in Cydia (you can read about how to buy in Cydia).

Full data backup. Everyone's favorite Cydia has two tweaks, xBackup and PKGBackup. At the moment, these are some of the best solutions for backing up data on iOS. Learn more about PKGBackup. In the tweak settings, there is a choice of backup options. It can be stored locally on your PC or on the program server. You can choose full or partial backup (contacts, settings or applications).

You can customize the frequency of the procedure. A very convenient function is the ability to link it to your account and save the backup there. There will be enough space if you use ours. Everything looks great, but there is one drawback - the program costs $ 9.99. However, this is not a big price to pay for peace of mind and safety.

xBackup is a cheaper and simpler analogue of PKGBackup. For just $ 1.5, it is capable of basic data backup tasks. The program does not have extensive settings and simply offers to make a backup. After that, all settings and tweaks from Cydia are linked to your iTunes account. After updating the device, you need to recover from its copy, then install xBackup and recover from its copy.

Here are the main options for saving your data from iOS devices, whether to use them or not is up to you. If you use other methods or programs, please write in the comments.

Have you ever experienced a situation when, after losing your phone, you suffered for a long time trying to restore the phone numbers of your friends and acquaintances? Yes-ah ... There was a time when this procedure took a lot of time and effort.

Personally, I additionally kept a paper notebook where I added new contacts. It was my personal wooden "backup storage". But that was in the past ... And today I will tell how to back up your iPhone and what it is.

Ever since Apple donated iCloud to users, backing up an iPhone has become unbearably easy. Now data backup from your phone happens automatically and practically without your participation (you need to configure everything once, of course).

All important information from your iPhone can be stored both on your computer and in the cloud, and you can restore it with one click. Today, we're going to take a look at the two most common ways to back up your iPhone.

Back up iPhone to iTunes

The most comprehensive iPhone (iPad, iPod) backup options are available in iTunes. You can make a copy as follows:

1. STEP 1 -Connect your iOS device to your computer using a USB cable.
2. STEP 2 -Select the connected device in the top line of the iTunes window.
3. STEP 3 -In the right part of the window, select the location of the created copy: iCloud or This computer... If necessary, put a tick in front of Encrypt iPhone backup, but remember that forgetting the password, you can never recover data from this copy.
4. STEP 4 -Click the button “ Create a copy now“.

As you may have guessed, a copy can be stored both on a computer and in the iCloud cloud (5GB on Apple servers is provided free of charge). It's up to you which one to choose, but personally, I keep a copy of my iPhone in both places.

IPhone Backup to iCloud

Create a copy if necessary iCloud storage only, you don't have to bother connecting your phone to your computer. It is enough to enable the backup function in the menu Settings> iCloud> Storage & Copies> Copy to iCloud.

After that, a copy will be created automatically every day, but only if your device:

• is in screen lock mode;
• connected to the Internet Wi-Fi connection;
• connected to a power source.

To create a backup copy manually, go to the menu Settings> iCloud> Storage & Copies and select the item Create a copy... Do not forget that for this we will need a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet again.

What information is stored in the backup

Your iOS device stores a ton of information. Depending on the selected backup path (iTunes or iCloud), backups that are slightly different in content will be created.

When you back up your device to your computer using iTunes, you save:

• Images from the "Film" album and wallpaper
• Contacts and call history
• Messages (iMessage, SMS and MMS including pictures and videos)
• Notes (edit)
• Safari bookmarks, cookies, history, offline data, and currently open pages
• Email accounts (messages will not be copied)
• Voice recorder recordings
• App Store program data (except for the program itself and its folders for temporary files and cache)
• Options, settings, and program data, including documents
• In-app purchases
• Game Center account
• Installed profiles
• Calendar events
• Autocomplete for web pages
• Network settings (Wi-Fi hotspot passwords, VPN settings, network settings)
• Home screen layout
• Keychain (passwords for email accounts, Wi-Fi passwords, passwords entered on the Internet and in applications)
• Location service settings
• Maps bookmarks, search history, and current location shown in Maps
• Nike + iPod Saved Workouts and Settings
• Bluetooth devices paired
• Trusted sites that have certificates that cannot be verified

Once again for those who did not read carefully. The iPhone backup (no matter how you create it) will not contain the applications and programs you have installed. Only preferences, options, and in-app purchases for each app you take will be saved. All applications will be re-downloaded from your hard drive or App Store during the device recovery process.

IPhone backup, stored in iCloud, contains less information and will only be limited to the data and settings stored on the device.

Into it NOT INCLUDED Data already stored in iCloud (contacts, calendars, bookmarks, emails, notes, photos, and documents saved to iCloud from Mac and iOS apps).

If you have a desire to dig deeper, and decide for yourself which applications data should be backed up, you can do it here: Settings> iCloud> Storage & Copies> Storage- choose a device.

You will see a list of all installed applications with an indication of the amount of information saved in the copy. Disable programs that are not afraid of data loss (at your discretion).

Where is the iPhone backup stored

When, Apple “ generously endowed“Free 5 GB of iCloud storage and backup space. To be honest, this volume is still enough for me (iPhone 4S + iPad mini 2), despite the fact that I use my devices as an average statistical person.

Most of the backup will consist of the photos and videos you have taken. I do not have the habit of storing pictures taken 2-3 years ago in the iPhone's memory, but periodically. Thus, the phone memory is freed up, and the backups are very democratic in size.

If with iCloud backup everything is somehow virtual, then a copy created on a computer can actually be “felt and touched” on a hard drive. To access the backups stored on your computer, you need to ITunes Preferences select tab Devices.

Depending on the operating system used, the backups are located in the following folders:

• Mac: ~ / Libraries / Application Support / MobileSync / Backup /
  The tilde character (~) corresponds to the user's folder. By default, the folder " Library"Is not visible. To display it, click on the top menu Transition and hold down the button Option- the Library link will appear in the menu that opens
• Windows XP:\ Documents and Settings \ (username) \ Application Data \ Apple Computer \ MobileSync \ Backup \
• Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8: \ Users \ (username) \ AppData \ Roaming \ Apple Computer \ MobileSync \ Backup \

How to Recover Data on iPhone from Backup

Since an iPhone backup can be stored in different locations, there are many different ways to restore an iPhone. Actually below I also propose them.

Restore from a backup using iTunes (the copy is stored on your computer):

1 Connect your iOS device to the computer you backed up
2 Click on the device icon (should appear at the top of the window)
3 In the right part of the window, click the button " Recover from copy"(See the screen at the beginning of the article)

Restoring from an iCloud backup (the copy is stored in the cloud):

Two situations are possible here:
1 Data is restored on a new device ... When you start the device for the first time, you are taken to the screen " Setting up iPhone (iPad, iPod)". Here you need to select the item " Recover from iCloud copy”, Then select one of the last three backups and enter your Apple ID and password.

2 Data is restored on an already "working" device ... To do this, go to the menu Settings> General> Reset> Erase Content and Settings.

After all data is deleted, the device will reboot and you will be taken back to the iPhone Settings menu. Next, we act as in paragraph 1.

Somehow like this! Back up your iOS devices frequently and be sure to back up your iOS devices in both places (computer and iCloud). I don’t want to upset, but even in this seemingly simple scheme, there are also failures.

There are times when an iPhone backup becomes unavailable in both iTunes and iCloud. Then the trouble ... We will consider this and other problems in a separate article. Don't miss - subscribe to updates. And be sure to share with your friends on social networks.

Well, if you have any difficulties or have a question on the topic, feel free to write in the comments!