How to Back Up an iPhone to a Computer: Mac and Windows Steps

If you want to back up an iPhone to a computer, you do not need to pay for extra iCloud storage. Every Mac can do it with Finder, and every Windows 10 or 11 PC can do it with Apple’s free Apple Devices app. A computer backup is a full copy of your phone’s data and settings, and it is the safest thing to have before you update iOS, replace the battery, reset the phone or move to a new iPhone.

This is an independent guide; for account or warranty problems, use Apple’s own support site.

Before you start

• Cable: use a working USB cable that fits your iPhone (Lightning or USB-C). A charge-only cable will not work.
• Free space: the backup can be large. In Finder or Apple Devices you can see how much is on the phone; make sure the computer’s drive has at least that much free. On Windows, see how to free up disk space if needed.
• Update first: update macOS or Windows and the Apple Devices app so the computer recognises your iOS version.
• Your passcode: you will need the iPhone passcode to approve the connection.

Back up an iPhone to a Mac (Finder)

On macOS Catalina and later, iPhone backups are handled by Finder.

1. Connect the iPhone to the Mac with the cable and unlock the phone.
2. If you see Trust This Computer? on the iPhone, tap Trust and enter your passcode.
3. Open Finder and click your iPhone under Locations in the sidebar.
4. On the General tab, under Backups, choose Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
5. Tick Encrypt local backup, create a password and store it somewhere safe.
6. Click Back Up Now.

A progress wheel appears next to the iPhone in the sidebar. When it disappears, check that Last backup to this Mac shows today’s date and time. On very old Macs running macOS Mojave or earlier, the same options are in iTunes.

Back up an iPhone to a Windows PC (Apple Devices app)

1. Install Apple Devices from the Microsoft Store on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. If you previously used iTunes, Apple Devices takes over iPhone backups once installed.
2. Connect the iPhone, unlock it, tap Trust and enter your passcode.
3. Open Apple Devices and select your iPhone in the sidebar.
4. Click General, then under Backups choose Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this computer.
5. Tick Encrypt local backup and set a password.
6. Click Back Up Now and wait for it to finish.

If Windows does not see the phone at all, try a different USB port or cable and read USB device not recognized. Our guide to transferring photos from a phone to a computer is useful if you only want your pictures as normal files you can open.

Why you should encrypt the backup

An unencrypted backup leaves out some of your most important data. Apple’s encrypted backup also includes:

• Saved passwords stored on the iPhone.
• Wi-Fi settings.
• Website history.
• Health and Activity data, and call history.

The encryption password is not your Apple Account password or your phone passcode. If you forget it, the encrypted backup cannot be restored. Save it in a password manager as soon as you create it.

Computer backup or iCloud backup?

	Computer backup	iCloud backup
Cost	Free, uses your computer’s disk	5 GB free; more needs a paid iCloud+ plan
When it runs	When you connect and click Back Up Now (or sync over Wi-Fi if you turn that on)	Automatically when the phone is locked, charging and on Wi-Fi
Needs internet	No	Yes
Best for	A full copy before a reset, repair or upgrade	Everyday automatic protection

Many people use both: iCloud for daily automatic backups and a computer backup before anything risky. Following a 3-2-1 backup routine for the computer itself protects the iPhone backups stored on it too.

How to check and manage your backups

In Finder or Apple Devices, click Manage Backups to see each saved backup with its date. A padlock icon means it is encrypted. You can delete old backups there to free space. Do not copy, rename or edit backup folders by hand, as that can damage them.

To restore, connect the phone, select it and click Restore Backup, then choose the backup you want. You may need to turn off Find My on the iPhone first.

Common problems

• “The iPhone could not be backed up because there is not enough free space”: free up space on the computer, or delete older backups in Manage Backups.
• The Trust prompt never appears: unlock the phone, unplug and reconnect it, and try another cable.
• The backup stops part way: keep the phone unlocked and connected, turn off the computer’s sleep while it runs, and try again.
• iPhone storage is full: that does not stop a computer backup, but if you are tidying up anyway, see iPhone storage full.

If you are backing up because you plan to sell or give the phone away, our guide to backing up and wiping a phone before selling covers the next steps, including signing out of your Apple Account.