How to back up iPhone with iCloud, Mac or Windows PC

Key takeaways

• Apple offers three official ways to back up an iPhone: iCloud over Wi-Fi, Finder on a Mac, and the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC.
• iCloud backups are always encrypted, but every Apple Account gets only 5 GB of free iCloud storage; paid iCloud+ plans start at 50 GB for $0.99 a month in the US.
• Computer backups are not encrypted by default. Turn on "Encrypt local backup" if you want saved passwords, Health and Activity data, Wi-Fi settings and call history included.
• Neither method copies everything: Face ID or Touch ID settings, Apple Pay information and Apple Mail data are excluded from both.
• A backup is only finished when the date and time under "Back Up Now" (iCloud) or in Finder or Apple Devices (computer) show the current time.

Here is how to back up iPhone data with the three methods Apple documents: tap Back Up Now under iCloud Backup in Settings, click Back Up Now in Finder on a Mac, or use the Apple Devices app on a Windows PC.

How to back up an iPhone: which method should you use?

According to Apple's comparison of backup methods, the main differences are where the data lives, whether it is encrypted, and how much space you have. An iCloud backup needs only a Wi-Fi connection and can run automatically while the phone charges. A computer backup needs a cable and a Mac or PC with enough free disk space, but it costs nothing beyond the drive you already own and can include more of the phone's data.

Source: Apple Support, "Backup methods for iPhone and iPad" and "iCloud+ plans and pricing", read on 27 October 2026.

For most people, the sensible setup is iCloud Backup running automatically, plus an encrypted computer backup before any big change, such as moving to a new phone or sending a device in for repair. If you are about to switch handsets, our guide on how to set up iPhone Duo and transfer data picks up where this one ends.

How to back up an iPhone with iCloud

Apple's iCloud instructions are short: one manual option and one automatic option.

Run a manual iCloud backup

1. Connect the iPhone to a Wi-Fi network.
2. Open Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud.
3. Tap iCloud Backup.
4. Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to Wi-Fi until the backup finishes.

When it is done, the date and time of the last successful backup appear directly under Back Up Now. That line is the simplest way to check that an iCloud backup completed.

Turn on automatic iCloud backups

1. Go to Settings, then your name, then iCloud, then iCloud Backup.
2. Make sure the switch to back up this iPhone is on.
3. Each night, plug the phone into power, connect it to Wi-Fi, and lock the screen.

Apple says the phone backs up on its own when those three conditions are met. If you see a warning that there is not enough iCloud storage, the backup will not run until you free space or buy more.

iCloud storage: 5 GB free, then iCloud+

Apple gives every account 5 GB of iCloud storage at no charge, shared by backups, photos, mail and files. That is rarely enough for a full phone backup, especially once photos are added. Apple's iCloud+ price list shows these monthly tiers:

Source: Apple Support, "iCloud+ plans and pricing", data as of 27 October 2026. Apple notes that tax treatment varies by country, so the price you pay can differ.

Make an iCloud backup smaller instead of paying

Before upgrading, check what is taking up space. Apple's iCloud storage guide gives this path: Settings, your name, iCloud, then Storage (or Manage Account Storage), then Backups. Tap your iPhone and switch off apps you do not need backed up, then confirm with Turn Off. That removes those apps' data from the backup. Some apps are always backed up and cannot be switched off.

On the same screen you can delete old backups from phones you no longer use. Apple warns that deleting a device's backup also turns off iCloud Backup for that device, and that iCloud keeps backups for 180 days after you disable or stop using iCloud Backup.

How to back up an iPhone to a Mac with Finder

On macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, iPhone backups live in Finder, not in iTunes. Apple's Mac instructions, published on 5 October 2026, run as follows:

1. Connect the iPhone to the Mac with a cable.
2. If asked, allow the connection on the Mac, tap Trust on the iPhone, and enter the phone's passcode.
3. Select the iPhone in the Finder sidebar.
4. Optional but recommended: tick "Encrypt local backup" and set a password (see the encryption section below).
5. Click Back Up Now.
6. Wait until it finishes. Finder then shows the date and time of the last backup.

On macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, click the device button in the upper-right corner of the window, and click Back Up Now. Apple notes that iTunes also backs up automatically whenever the device is connected.

How to back up an iPhone to a Windows PC with the Apple Devices app

On Windows, Apple now points users to its Apple Devices app. iTunes is the fallback only if the app is not available on your PC. Apple's Windows steps are:

1. Open the Apple Devices app on your PC.
2. Connect the iPhone with a cable.
3. If prompted, enter the iPhone's passcode or confirm that you trust this computer.
4. Select the iPhone in the app, then click General.
5. To keep Health and Activity data, tick "Encrypt local backup" and create a password.
6. Click Back Up Now.

In iTunes for Windows, the steps are the same except that you click Summary instead of General. When the backup ends, the date and time of the most recent backup appear in the window.

Encrypted iPhone backups: why they matter

Apple states that computer backups are not encrypted unless you turn the option on. An encrypted local backup adds data that a standard one leaves out: saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, website history, call history, and Health data. Apple's Mac and Windows guides both tell users to turn on encryption if they want to save Health and Activity data from the iPhone or a paired Apple Watch in a computer backup.

When you first tick "Encrypt local backup" and confirm the password, a new backup starts and replaces earlier unencrypted backups. Later backups to that computer are encrypted automatically. Even encrypted, the backup does not store Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode.

The password is the weak point. Apple warns that you cannot recover an encrypted backup without it. If you forget it, you can reset the backup password, but older encrypted backups become unusable. Store it in a password manager. If you are tidying up account security at the same time, see our guide to setting up passkeys on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac.

To check whether a backup is encrypted, open Finder or Apple Devices, go to the General tab and click Manage Backups. A lock icon next to the device name means that backup is encrypted, and the date and time are listed alongside it.

What an iPhone backup includes and leaves out

A backup is not a full mirror of the phone. Apple lists different exclusions for each method, and they matter if you are about to wipe a device.

Not included in an iCloud backup

• Information that already syncs to iCloud, such as notes stored in iCloud
• Photos, when iCloud Photos is turned on
• iMessage, SMS and MMS messages, when Messages in iCloud is on
• Mail from other services such as Gmail and Exchange, and Apple Mail data
• Apple Pay information and settings, and Face ID or Touch ID settings
• iCloud Music Library and App Store content, and offline maps

Not included in a Mac or PC backup

• Content from the iTunes Store, App Store and Apple Books (it is downloaded again)
• Content synced from the computer, such as imported MP3s, CDs, videos, books and photos
• Data already stored in iCloud, such as iCloud Photos, iMessages and SMS/MMS
• Face ID or Touch ID settings, Apple Pay information and settings, and Apple Mail data
• Activity, Health and Keychain data, unless the backup is encrypted
• Offline maps

The practical lesson: if photos and messages live only on the phone, a computer backup captures them. If they already sync to iCloud, they are safe there and the backup skips them to save space. Apple also notes that if you restore a backup onto a different type of device, for example an iPad backup onto an iPhone, voice memos and apps that are incompatible with the new device do not transfer.

How to check that your iPhone backup actually completed

A backup that stops halfway is the most common surprise when people restore a phone. Run these checks before you erase or hand over a device:

• iCloud: in Settings, your name, iCloud, iCloud Backup, the time under Back Up Now should be from the last few minutes. Under Storage, then Backups, the device should appear with a recent backup.
• Mac: in Finder, select the iPhone and look for the "last backup" date and time. In Manage Backups, confirm the entry and the lock icon if you encrypted it. On a Mac, choose System Settings, your name, iCloud, Manage, then Backups to see iCloud backups too.
• Windows: in Apple Devices, open General and check the last backup time, then click Manage Backups.

To find the backup files themselves, Apple gives these locations. On a Mac, in Finder choose Go > Go to Folder and enter ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/. On Windows, press Windows key + R and enter %USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup; if that folder does not open, try %AppData%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup.

One more tip from Apple's backup management page: right-click a backup in Manage Backups and choose Archive. An archived backup is not overwritten by the next one, which is useful before a risky update or a repair. Deleting a backup there is permanent.

What it means

An iPhone backup takes a few minutes to set up and can save years of photos, messages and settings. The free 5 GB of iCloud storage means many users have iCloud Backup switched on but quietly failing, so it is worth checking the "last backup" time today rather than on the day a phone breaks. That applies now more than usual: owners of new foldables, including those affected by the iPhone Duo inner screen cracking along the hinge, need a current backup before a device goes in for service. For more Apple storage and setup guides, see our iCloud and iPhone topic pages.