When it comes to iPhones, the very first name for data backup is definitely iCloud. However, everyone isn’t comfortable because of limited free storage and many other issues. That’s why many people like you are wondering: how to back up iPhone data without iCloud. If yes, keep reading this guide.
Here we’ll share different tested methods to back up iPhone data, along with their limitations. Furthermore, we’ll share some effective data management practices to ensure your data remains secure, organize and accessible.
What is the iCould service?
iCloud is Apple’s official cloud-based service designed to enable automatic data syncing across iOS devices. In case you have undergone accidental deletions, device malfunctions, or theft, this backup would enable you to effortlessly restore your data.
Let’s have a quick look at the steps to back up iPhone data to iCloud!
- Access the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap your Apple ID, usually at the top of the screen > Tap iCloud.
- Next, you’ll slide the buttons next to the listed apps, such as Notes and Calendars.
- Once done, scroll down and tap iCloud Backup and turn it on. To invoke an immediate backup, you can choose Back Up Now at the bottom of the menu.
What iCloud Backup includes:
- App data
- iPhone settings
- iMessages and SMS
- Photos and videos
- Calendars/Notes
- Contacts
- Home screen and app layout
- Apple Watch backups
- Easy and automatic: It’s the simplest way to store your data because it doesn’t require you to connect any wires or a computer.
- Secure: It’s encrypted and linked to your Apple ID, so there’s no risk of data theft.
- Always accessible: Being wireless, you can access all your stored data from anywhere with Internet access.
- Limited free storage: Free storage is only 5 GB. Users must pay to subscribe to the premium version for additional storage, which is not cheap.
- Internet dependency: A stable Wi-Fi connection is a must-have during the backup. Otherwise, the backup wouldn’t work.
- Selective backup limitations: It doesn’t let you fully control what each app backs up. This menas ou canlt add or exclude certain files, it would be an automatic process.
- Device independence limitations: It works best within Apple’s ecosystem; it’s not ideal for cross-platform users on Android, Windows, etc.
How to backup iPhone without iCloud?
Many users are looking for alternatives to iCloud because of its limited free storage. Let’s explore additional methods for backing up an iPhone.
Backup iPhone to computer via iTunes or Finder
Prerequisites:
- USB cable (Lightning or USB-C, depending on iPhone model)
- Computer with sufficient storage space
- The latest version of macOS or iTunes is installed
Using iTunes on Windows or Older macOS Versions
iTunes is Apple’s media/device management software and remains a viable option to back up your iPhone to older macOS versions and Windows, not to iCloud.
- Connect your iPhone to the PC using a reliable USB cable.
- Simply launch iTunes on your PC and select “Connect iPhone”.
- Tap “Summary” under setting menu. Now, you’ll see the “Backup Now” button. Just go for it to start the backup process.
Backup iPhone via Finder
If you are using a Mac, Finder is best for managing and backing up your iPhone. Apple has replaced iTunes with Finder starting from macOS Catalina and newer versions.
- Just like iTunes, you’ll first need the USB cable to connect the PC to the iPhone.
- Once done, open the Finder app on your Mac. Choose your connected iPhone device in the sidebar of the screen.
- Next, simply click the General option from the top menu. Go for the “Back up all the data on your iPhone to this Mac’ option from the disclosed items.
- You can also tap the ‘Encrypt Local backup’ option to add a security layer. Finally, press the “Backup Now” button to start the backup procedure.
The methods mentioned above would back up the app data, device settings, messages, photos, and videos. It’s worth noting that all of such data would only get stored on a connected computer.
Directly transfer iPhone to external storage devices
Instead of using computers, you can even store all your backup data in an external drive. This is indeed a quick way to copy all important files. Let’s see its initial requirements and how you can implement this!
Essential tools required:
- Lightning-to-USB adapter or USB-C OTG adapter (for newer iPhones)
- External USB flash drive, SSD, or hard drive
- Connect your external storage device to your iPhone using the adapter.
- Next, open the Files app on your iPhone and tap Browse at the bottom.
- Scroll down the Browse menu, then under Locations, tap On my iPhone. This would indeed show the files stored on your iPhone.
- Now simply go to the folders where your photos, videos or documents are saved. Tap the three dots menu button and tap Select All. Otherwise, you can manually select the specific one.
- Tap Move or Copy, usually at the bottom.
- After this, go back to the Browse menu and, under Locations, look for your external drive name, such as USB Drive, SanDisk, SSD, or similar. Once found, just tap on it.
- You’ll choose a folder (or tap New Folder) and tap the Move or Copy option again. All your selected items will now be stored on this external drive.
| What can be backed up | What cannot be backed up |
| Photos (exported to the Files app), videosPDFs and documents, downloads are stored in Files. | Apps, Messages (SMS / iMessage) without a computer intermediary, and WhatsApp chats. |
Back up iPhone data to alternative cloud services
In addition to the above, there are alternatives to iCloud services that let you back up specific types of iPhone data. Instead of relying on iCloud for everything, this selective approach indeed lets you separately store photos, files, contacts, etc. This gives you greater flexibility over your security & privacy.
Backup iPhone videos, photos, files
Google offers cloud services such as Google Drive and Google Photos, enabling users to back up photos, videos, files, and contacts from their iPhones. Google officially recommends using its services for backups, particularly for users who prefer not to use iCloud or iPhone users seeking cross-platform solutions.
1. Using Google Photos
Google Photos is indeed a Google-based cloud service that lets you store all your media online. Here is a step-by-step guide to backing up iPhone videos, photos, files, etc., without iCloud.
- Install the “Google Photos” and sign in with your Google account.
- For permission, simply tap “Allow all” to back up everything.
- Tap your profile icon and open Settings.
- See the option labelled as Backup > turn on ‘Backup and sync’. Note that to allow the backup to complete, you need to stay connected to Wi-Fi and keep the app open or running in the background.
- Automatic backup of photos and videos.
- Smart organization and search features.
- Free storage option.
- Limited free storage.
- Privacy depends on Google account settings.
2. Using Google Drive
Similarly, Google Drive appears to be compatible with the iPhone for backing up data, not local iCloud. However, as with Google Photos, you’ll also need to monitor Wi-Fi connection. Follow the steps below to back up your iPhone data!
- Download and install the Google Drive app on your iPhone.
- Launch the app and tap the three horizontal lines in the Menu.
- Click the Settings option > Backup > Hit the Start Backup option.
- Flexible manual uploads of documents, PDFs, and media.
- Works across multiple devices.
- Some files require manual selection.
- Not optimized for automatic media backup.
- Manual selection increases the risk of accidentally uploading personal data.
3. Using OneDrive
It’s also a popular cloud-based service developed by Microsoft in 2007 enablin users to back up and sync their files. Here’s the simple guideline!
- Download OneDrive from Apple Store on your iPhone and sign in.
- tap the “+” button and from the drop-down list, choose “Browser.”
- Now simply choose the files you want to back up to OneDrive, then tap Done.
- Seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem (Office apps, Windows PC).
- Microsoft stores files in cloud servers.
- Privacy depends on account settings.
- Mostly optimized for Microsoft users.
- Limited free storage, just 5GB.
4. Using Dropbox
Dropbox is another cloud-based file-hosting service lettering users quickly backup and share files online. Let’s see how you can activate this!
- Get the Dropbox iOS app on your iPhone via the App Store. Once done Launch it and sign in.
- Click the “Camera Uploads” on the “Account” tab > “Turn on camera uploads”.
- Now with this configuration, as soon as your iPhone connects to Wi-Fi all of its images, etc will be backed up to Dropbox.
- Strong file-sharing capabilities.
- Supports multiple file types (documents, videos, PDFs).
- No end-to-end encryption by default for all files.
Backup iPhone contacts
1. Google Contacts
- Go to iPhone’s Settings > Contacts > Accounts
- Add your Google account and enable Contacts sync. This way, all of your contacts would automatically back up to Google Contacts.
- Automatic contact sync across devices.
- Easy restore on any Google-connected device.
- Data could be used for targeted services or ads if not restricted
2. Outlook/Exchange
Outlook is a productivity app used by professionals and students to manage email, contacts, calendars, and tasks. If you want to sync and view your Outlook contacts across all your iOS devices, do the following!
- Navigate to iPhone’s Settings > Contacts > Accounts
- Add Outlook or Exchange account > Turn on Contacts sync > Choose what you want to back up > Save.
- Reliable for work/school accounts.
- Enterprise-grade contact sync.
- Limited visibility into who can access synced contacts.
Backup iPhone Notes
1. Evernote/OneNote:
- Install Evernote or OneNote, then sign in.
- Now launch the Notes app on your iPhone > Open the notes and click the share icon, and choose Evernote/OneNote.
- Advanced note organization and search.
- Cross-device synchronization.
- Supports rich content like text, images, and PDFs.
- Requires a separate app and account.
- Cannot back up apps, messages, or system settings.
- Anyone with the link can access shared notes.
Strategies for effective iPhone data management and backup
After backing up your iPhone data, don’t be careless. You should still follow data management practices to ensure your data remains secure and accessible.
- Regularly check backup integrity and perform a test restore: Verify whether your backups are completing successfully or not. When it‘s possible for you perform a test restore on another device, to ensure your personal photos, files, notes, etc. are restored without error.
- Review your chosen backup method’s scope: As discussed earlier, not all backup methods cover the same type of data. For instance, some are designed to retrieve photos/videos, while others are for contacts. That’s why, before implementing, clearly understand what’s included or excluded; this way, there would be no surprise recovery.
- Multiple backup copies in different locations: In addition, don’t rely on a single backup method; keep at least two copies of your data. For instance, whether it’s a hardware failure or a cloud-based account issue, you would get your data back.
- Encryption and physical security: Ensure the encrypted backup is activated if available. This would ensure no third party would access your data. Similarly, for physical backups, store computers or external drives in a safe place and never leave them accessible to unauthorized persons.
Bottom line
Hopefully, you’re now aware that data backup on iPhone isn’t limited to iCloud; there are many other safe alternatives. However, it’s advisable to choose the one that best suits your needs or security preferences. Whether you prefer automatic backup or local storage, the key requirement is to stay proactive and follow the above-mentioned data management practices.
