How To Backup Your iOS Device Using iTunes.
As every iOS device owner knows, you can quickly and easily back up to iCloud using your device’s settings. But another way to make a backup is to make an encrypted backup to your computer using iTunes.
This is another insurance policy in case the backup fails and then you have another one in your back pocket. It’s also a good alternative if you don’t want to use iCloud or don’t have enough iCloud space to back up everything.
The downside (for some) is that you have to use iTunes for this, which annoys a lot of people. But actually I really like iTunes, so that’s not a problem for me.
Firstly, is your PC supported?
The first step is to make sure that the computer where you want to back up your iOS device is authorized to do so. For backup purposes, this can only be done on one authorized computer at a time.
When you open iTunes, connect your iOS device to your computer. In this case, I’m using a Mac, but it can be done easily on Windows as well. The process is almost the same.
He will ask if you want to allow the computer to access the information on the phone. Click Continue.
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At the same time, your phone will ask you if you want to trust the computer. Say yes and enter your iOS password. Until you do this, the computer is not “trusted†and you cannot continue.
This authorization will last until you either a) clean and reformat the computer, or b) deauthorize the computer. You can do this in Mac OS X by going to Account Authorization Deauthorize this computer.
Show your device to iTunes
When all the necessary authorizations are completed, you will see your device in iTunes.
The first one is on the sidebar. Here you can drag and drop media from your computer to your iOS device.
But the backup option is further from that. You will see a device icon next to the Music drop-down menu. Click on this.
You will now see this screen. There are other parts on the screen as well, but that’s the only thing you need to take care of.
Let’s pause and look at these self-explanatory options. First, choose between iCloud backup or computer backup (we’re here today to make a computer backup).
If you want to back up your account passwords, Health and Homekit data, you need to add a password under Encrypt local backup to encrypt sensitive data. The absence of a password means that this information will not be copied.
Finally, on the right-hand side, there is a button “Back up now”. Once you’ve chosen your backup method (in this case, This PC), click the Back Up Now button to get started.
When this is done, in the “Latest backup” section, you will see the date and time of the just performed backup.
Show device backups
Since I only recently erased and reformatted my Mac, this is the only iOS backup I have on my computer. But when you have several of them, you can see them all in the list and return to any of the above. You can also manually delete a backup from this list for easier maintenance.
On macOS, go to iTunes– Preferences– Devices. There you will see all the backups you’ve made, as well as the delete option.
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