{"id":55831,"date":"2021-10-13T09:15:10","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T16:15:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/?p=55831"},"modified":"2026-01-30T07:31:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T15:31:05","slug":"how-to-backup-iphone-and-ipad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backblaze.com\/blog\/how-to-backup-iphone-and-ipad\/","title":{"rendered":"A Quick Guide to iCloud and iTunes Backups for Your iPhone and iPad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"illustration<\/p>\n

This blog post was originally published in 2016. Since then, Apple has rolled out a number of updates to its products and how their data is backed up, so we\u2019re sharing an update to this post with the latest information.<\/div>\n

Apple recently released the newest edition of their iPhone, boasting a new storage capacity option of 1TB. That\u2019s a big upgrade for anyone looking to get the latest version, and all that extra space is sure to be filled up quickly with app data, photos, videos, and more. You wouldn\u2019t want to accidentally lose any of that important data, so it\u2019s important to make sure you treat backups for your phone with as much consideration as you do for your computer. Not only that, but software upgrades can also have the potential to wreak data havoc, so keeping consistent data backups ensures all your iPhone data stays safe and secure in the cloud.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re using iCloud Backup or iTunes to back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, read this post to understand how those backups work, and learn what else you can do to protect your data.<\/p>\n

How to Back Up Your iPhone to iCloud<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Apple has tried to make backing up less of a chore with iCloud Backup. This iOS feature lets your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch back up its contents to the cloud. If you\u2019re looking for the most frictionless way to back up your devices, this is it. The nice thing about iCloud Backup is that you set it and forget it.<\/p>\n

iCloud Backup happens automatically when your device is charging, locked, and is connected to Wi-Fi. Once you\u2019ve configured your device for iCloud Backup, you should just be able to rely on the backups to happen periodically when you\u2019re charging.<\/p>\n

How to Use iCloud Backup on Your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Go to Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  2. Tap your name at the top, then choose iCloud<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  3. Tap iCloud Backup<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  4. Tap Back Up Now<\/strong>. Stay connected to Wi-Fi until the process ends.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"screenshot<\/p>\n

    How to Check Your iCloud Backup<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Make sure to stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the backup is done. Here\u2019s how to check your backup\u2019s progress:<\/p>\n

    Using iOS 11 or later and iPadOS:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Go to Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    2. Tap your name at the top, then choose iCloud<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    3. Tap Manage Storage<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    4. Tap Backups<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Using iOS 10.3:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Go to Settings<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      2. Tap your name at the top, then choose iCloud<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      3. Tap the graph that shows your iCloud usage, then tap Manage Storage<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
      4. Select your device. iOS will show you details about when it was last backed up, and the backup file size.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \"screenshot<\/p>\n

        How Does iCloud Backup Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

        iCloud Backup lets you restore your device from almost anywhere. It also makes upgrading a breeze. When you set up a new iOS device, for example, the system will ask you if you want to restore from an iCloud backup.<\/p>\n

        There is a downside to iCloud Backup that you need to be aware of. It\u2019s very dependent on a specific set of actions to work:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Your device needs to be connected to a power supply.<\/li>\n
        2. Your device needs a Wi-Fi connection (and needs to be connected to the internet).<\/li>\n
        3. Your device needs to be locked.<\/li>\n
        4. You need to have enough space in iCloud to store the backup.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          This last item is the killer. Apple only gives you 5GB of free space with the basic iCloud account. If you have a lot of stuff on your iOS device or in the cloud, it\u2019s trivially easy to exceed your free 5GB iCloud allowance, which means your backups won\u2019t happen unless you pay Apple for additional iCloud space.<\/p>\n

          If you have both an iPhone and an iPad? Forget about it. You have to pay Apple or you won\u2019t have enough space to back up both. iCloud storage ranges from 99 cents per month for 50GB to $9.99 a month for 2TB.<\/p>\n

          There\u2019s another caveat, too. iCloud Backup doesn\u2019t back up everything<\/em> on your phone. Things that aren\u2019t backed up include:<\/p>\n