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How to Back Up an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch Using iTunes

Learn how to back up your iOS device using iTunes in less than five minutes.

 & Jill Duffy Contributor
 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News
Our Experts
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If you own an Apple mobile device, you have no excuse for not backing it up, because Apple gives you two very simple and free ways for duplicating and storing a copy of your information: iCloud and iTunes.

Apple review, Apple commentary, Apple news... Everything AppleThe benefit of backing up using iCloud is that it's largely automated and can happen wirelessly. The downside is Apple only gives you 5GB space for free, so if you need more, you have to pay for it.

With iTunes, you don't face quite the same space limitations. It creates backups of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch right on your computer. Therefore, the amount of space allotted to your backups is fully in your control. It's a slice of the free space on your PC or Mac. If you back up using iTunes, you can do it by connecting your iO device to your computer or by turning on wireless syncing with iTunes over Wi-Fi. Let's see how it's done.


How to Back Up iPhone or iPad Using iTunes

Before you make a backup of your iPhone or iPad using iTunes, it's a good idea to check whether you have the latest latest version of iTunes (go to Help > Check for Updates), but it's often not necessary.

Wireless Sync

Make sure iCloud is turned off. On your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and toggle iCloud Backup to off. Then go to Settings > General > iTunes Wi-Fi Sync, which will prompt you to connect your iPhone to your PC. Sign in to iTunes using your Apple ID, and look for the small iPhone icon.

iTunes Backup

In the menu that appears on the left, select Summary and scroll down to Options. Select "Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi" and click Apply on the bottom right.

iTunes Backup

Disconnect your iPhone from the PC; if your PC and iPhone are on the same Wi-Fi network, your phone should appear in iTunes and allow for wireless backups.

With a Cable

Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer and launch iTunes. Your phone will appear as a small icon up top.

iTunes Backup

Click that phone icon, and in the left-hand menu under Summary, click the items you want to back up. If it's music, for example, click Music and check the box next to Sync Music. Choose whether you want to back up your entire library or select tracks and albums. Click Apply and do the same for movies, TV shows, and whatever else you want to sync.

iTunes Backup

About Our Experts

Jill Duffy

Jill Duffy

Contributor

My Experience

I'm an expert in software and work-related issues, and I have been contributing to PCMag since 2011. I launched the column Get Organized in 2012 and ran it through 2024, offering advice on how to manage all the devices, apps, digital photos, email, and other technology that can make you feel overwhelmed. That column turned into the book Get Organized: How to Clean Up Your Messy Digital Life. I was also the first product reviewer at PCMag to test fitness gadgets, including everything from early Fitbits to smart bras.

Currently, I'm passionate about the meaning of work and work culture, and I enjoy writing about how managers and employees can communicate better, with or without software. My most recent book is The Everything Guide to Remote Work. I also love a good workplace drama. 

In addition to writing about work, I cover online education, focusing on learning for personal enrichment and skills development. I have a soft spot for really good language-learning software. Although I grew up speaking only English, some twists and turns in life led me to learn Spanish, Romanian, and a bit of American Sign Language. I've studied at the university level, as well as at the Foreign Service Institute, where US diplomats and ambassadors learn languages.

My writing has also appeared in WIRED, the BBC, Gloria, Refinery29, and Popular Science, among other publications.

Follow me on Mastodon.

The Technology I Use

Squeezing every last bit of usage out of the devices I already own is the only way I can tolerate my personal consumption. In other words, I do not own the latest cutting-edge technology. I buy things that will last and try to take care of them.

My life is organized by Todoist, and my notes live in Joplin. Where would I be without Dashlane as my password manager? Probably locked out of all my many online accounts—I have more than 1,000 of them.

When I share my contact information, it's an excruciatingly long list of phone numbers, messaging apps, and email addresses, because it's essential to stay flexible while also remaining somewhat mysterious.

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Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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