iCloud offers an easy way to back up your data on your iPhone. Apple provides 5 GB of free iCloud storage, which can fill up quickly when you back up your photos, videos, and app data. Depending on the size of your backup, you may need to upgrade your iCloud storage, which will incur a monthly fee based on the storage size you choose.
Let’s say you’re looking for a free or low-cost alternative solution to back up your iPhone without iCloud in this guide. In this case, you’ll learn how to back up your iPhone using free tools on Mac and Windows, third-party tools, and by manually downloading the data on your iPhone.
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How To Backup Your iPhone Without iCloud
You can use the Finder app on a Mac and the Apple Devices app or iTunes on Windows to back up your iPhone without iCloud. In addition, there are many third-party software options with additional features such as selective backups and wireless backups for backup. You can also manually back up certain data, such as contacts, photos, and documents, and store them locally on your iPhone.
Mac: Using Finder (for macOS Catalina and Later)
Backing up your iPhone with a Mac is the easiest method on this list. Use the built-in backup tool in the Mac Finder app to create a complete copy of your iPhone data, including apps, music, photos, videos, contacts, and more. With Finder, you can view and manage your backup files, delete old backups, and transfer the backups to external storage to free up space on your Mac. You can also manage backups previously created with iTunes and automatically create backups when your iPhone is connected to your Mac.
How to backup your iPhone using the Finder app on Mac
- Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your Mac using the USB cable. When you connect for the first time, allow your Mac to access the files on your iPhone and trust the Mac on your iPhone to access the data. Follow the steps on the screen to complete this step.
- Step 2: Once the connection is established, open the Finder app and click on your iPhone listed under ‘Locations‘
- Step 3: In the ‘General‘ tab, go to the ‘Backups‘ section.
- Step 4: Choose to back up all of your iPhone’s data to your Mac by selecting ‘Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac. ‘You can also encrypt your backup. When you enable encryption, all your passwords and sensitive data get backed up, too. Remember the password you set for it. If you forget this password, you won’t be able to recover the backup. If you choose not to encrypt, you won’t back up sensitive info like passwords.
- Step 5: Click on ‘Back Up Now.’ If prompted, enter the password on your iPhone. The backup process might take a while, depending on the size of the backup file.
- Step 6: You will be notified after a successful backup. To see your backups, click ‘Manage Backups.’ Remember, the new backup file replaces the previous one. If you want to keep an old backup file, right-click on it and choose ‘Archive. ‘ This will prevent the current backup from being overwritten by new backups.
- Step 7: If your Mac is running out of space, you can also move the backups to an external drive:
- Connect an external drive to your Mac.
- On a Mac, navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup. Here, you can see all the backup files.
- Copy the backup folders from your computer to the external drive.
- Once you have copied them, you can delete the backups from your computer to free up disk space.
- Step 8: To restore a backup, tap the Restore backup option, select the backup files, and restore the backup. Make sure your iPhone is connected to your Mac when you restore the backup.
Related Read: 7 Easy Ways to Fix iPhone not Backing up to iCloud
Windows: iTunes or Apple Device App
On Windows, you can use the Apple Devices app or iTunes to back up your iPhone. Apple discontinued iTunes in macOS Catalina in 2019 and on Windows and replaced it with three new applications: Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices.
The Apple Devices app is available for Windows 10 and later versions. If you have an older version of Windows, you can use iTunes. Both of these methods require you to connect your iPhone to your PC. You can create multiple backups, view backup data, encrypt the backup data, delete old backups, and transfer the data to external devices to save space on your device.
How to backup your iPhone using the Apple devices app on iPhone
- Step 1: Download and install the Apple devices app on Windows. It is available on the Microsoft store for free.
- Step 2: Open the app, agree to the terms and conditions, and click on the Start
- Step 3: Connect your iPhone to your PC, follow the on-screen instructions, and trust the device. You need to enter the iPhone password to trust the PC.
- Step 4: Now click on the General tab
- Step 5: Under backup, select “Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac. ” and click on the backup now.
- Step 6: Depending on the size of the backup, it might take a couple of minutes to create one on your iPhone. You can see the progress in the status bar at the bottom.
- Step 7: After finishing the backup, you can restore the backup or manage the backup by clicking on the Manage Backups button in the backup section.
- Step 8: To restore the backup, Click on Manage backups and select the backup you want to restore.
How to backup your iPhone using the iTunes app on Windows
- Step 1: Download iTunes from the Microsoft Store on your computer. Or use this link.
- Step 2: Open iTunes and log in with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone.
- Step 3: Connect your iPhone to your computer using the cable. If it’s the first time, your iPhone will ask if you trust this computer. Tap “Trust” and enter your passcode if it asks for one.
- Step 4: Click on the General tab and go to the backup section.
- Step 5: You’ll see two backup options. Select ‘Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac‘ and click ‘Back Up Now‘.
- (Optional) You can encrypt your backup by selecting “Encrypt” and setting a password. Make sure you remember this password.
- Step 6: You can find your backup on your PC. Navigate through This PC > C: Drive > Users > [Your Username] > Apple > MobileSync > Backup.
- Step 8: If you need to delete any backups, open iTunes and click “Edit” > “Preferences” > “Devices.” Here, you’ll see any backups you’ve made. Select the one you want to delete and click “Delete Backup.”
- Step 9: To restore a backup to your iPhone, connect it to your computer with the cable, go to your iPhone’s page in iTunes, click “Restore Backup,” choose the backup you want to restore and click “Restore Backup” again.
Using Third-Party Software (Windows and Mac)
Third-party software is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a comprehensive backup solution for your iPhone. After testing several tools, we found AnyTrans by iMobile and iMazing to be two reliable solutions for backing up your iPhone.
With both tools, you can easily create backups and manage them on your PC. You can back up and restore specific data on your iPhone, support wireless backups, secure and private backups, support data encryption to keep your data safe, and much more. In terms of data protection, both tools store backups locally on your device and support AES-256 encryption of iTunes backups.
I. iMazing 2
iMazing 2 is an iPhone management tool that allows you to create backups of your iPhone data and store them locally on your PC. It allows you to transfer messages, music, photos, and other data from iOS to your computer. The tool supports wireless backups and automatically creates backups when your iPhone and Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network.
iMazing is available for Mac and Windows and comes in a free and a paid version. With the free version, you can create unlimited backups, but you need the paid version to restore these backups. You can also back up specific files, such as photos, messages, and contacts. All backups are stored locally on your Mac and can be transferred to third-party storage devices.
II. AnyTrans from iMobile
AnyTrans is an excellent tool for backing up iPhone data. It allows you to create a complete backup of your iPhone and supports various content types, including photos, videos, music, call history, and Safari history. You can back up your iPhone wirelessly and schedule backups at regular intervals. AnyTrans automatically creates a backup when your iPhone and PC are on the same network, and you can manage your backups by viewing, deleting, or transferring them to external storage.
AnyTrans offers incremental backups, which only back up new or changed data since the last backup, saving time and disk space. You can also selectively restore files from a backup. In addition to backup features, AnyTrans provides additional functions like creating custom ringtones, managing iCloud files, transferring WhatsApp data, and screen mirroring/recording.
Side-by-side comparison of AnyTrans and iMazing backup solutions for iPhone
Feature | AnyTrans | iMazing |
|---|---|---|
Backup | Comprehensive backup, including incremental backups | Unique backup technology, wireless, private, and automatic backups |
Data Transfer | Transfer music, videos, photos, messages, and more between devices and computer | Transfer photos, music, messages, and more between devices and computer |
iTunes Integration | Manage iTunes library and sync without limitations | Allows you to sync iTunes library |
Device Management | Manage iCloud files, personal info, backups, and more | Manage iPhone, iPad, and iPod data |
Automatic Backup | Scheduled automatic backups | Scheduled automatic backups |
Wireless Backup | Supported | Supported |
Restore Options | Selective restore from backups | Yes requires subscription |
Additional Features | Custom ringtone maker, screen mirroring, WhatsApp data transfer | Quick transfer, export, and print messages, access to iPhone file system |
Platform Compatibility | Mac and PC | Mac and PC |
User Interface | Intuitive interface (Better UI) | Decent interface |
Encryption | Supports iTunes backup encryption technology | Apple’s super secure backup encryption format is fully supported and encouraged (AES-256). |
Issues encountered in our testing | Fails to create backup in a few instances | Shows connected iPhone error even when iPhone is physically connected to Mac |
Manual Backup (iPhone)
You cannot back up iCloud data directly to your iPhone. However, Apple offers ways to download data or use third-party apps for backup. You can save certain files from iCloud locally on your iPhone. For example, if you have downloaded photos that take up a lot of storage space, you can save them on your device and delete them from iCloud to free up storage space.
How to download and save your photos locally on iPhone
- Step 1: Open the Settings on your iPhone and tap on your name at the top.
- Step 2: Select iCloud under the APPS USING ICLOUD section. Select the Photos.
- Step 3: Now select Download and Keep Originals.
- Step 5: You can also manually download the iCloud photos to your iPhone. To do this, Open any browser on the iPhone and visit iCloud.com
- Step 6: Go to the Photos and click on the Select. Select the photos you want to save to your device. Click on the Download icon on top.
- Step 7: You can delete the downloaded photos on the iCloud to save space.
Delete Your iPhone Backup From iCloud
After you’ve backed up your iPhone, you can delete the older backups in iCloud to free up space on your cloud storage.
- Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone
- Step 2: Click on your Profile and tap on iCloud Backup
- Step 3: Scroll down and select the device you want to delete backup.
- Step 4: Click on the Turn Off and Delete from iCloud. You can also turn off backup for individual apps.
Backup Your iPhone Using Different Methods
Backup Method | Key Features | Backup Approach | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Finder (Mac) | Complete backup, management of backup files, encryption | Wired: Connect iPhone to Mac, use Finder to back up | Free, Easy to use, built-in tool, supports encryption | Requires a Mac, manual process |
iTunes (Windows) | Backup and restore, encryption | Wired: Connect iPhone to PC, use iTunes to back up | Free, Widely used, supports encryption | Discontinued in macOS, manual process |
Apple Devices (Windows) | Backup and restore, easy to use | Wired: Connect iPhone to PC, use Apple Devices app to back up | Free, Integrated with Windows 10 and later, easy to use | Limited to Windows 10 and later, manual process |
Third-Party Software (AnyTrans, iMazing) | Selective backups, wireless backup, encryption | Wired or Wireless: Use software to back up, supports automatic wireless backups | Advanced features, selective backup, wireless options | May require purchase, potential security risks with third-party software |
Manual Backup (iPhone) | Download specific data (e.g., photos) locally | Manual: Select and download data to iPhone | Free, selective backup | Time-consuming, limited to specific data types |
These are the methods you can use to create a backup of your iPhone without iCloud. If you’re using the latest version of Mac or Windows, you can use the Finder app on Mac and the Apple Devices app on Windows to create a backup. However, these solutions have their limitations.
To overcome these limitations, you can use third-party backup tools. They offer comprehensive solutions, but a premium version may be required for the full range of functions. You can also upload photos and other types of data locally to your iPhone to create a backup without iCloud. I hope you find this guide helpful. If you have any other suggestions for creating a backup without iCloud, please share them in the comments.
FAQs on How To Backup Your iPhone Without iCloud
1. Can you backup an iPhone to an external hard drive?
You can back up your iPhone’s data to an external hard drive using Finder on Mac or iTunes on Windows. Create a backup file and transfer it to the external storage. If you don’t have access to a PC, you can download the data from iCloud directly to your iPhone.
2. How do third-party backup solutions compare to iCloud?
Third-party backup solutions for Mac and Windows offer additional features for backing up your iPhone. These tools enable selective backups and wireless data backup without a physical connection. However, some features may require a premium subscription.
3. What data is backed up when not using iCloud?
When using Apple tools, you can create a complete backup of your iPhone data. With third-party solutions, you can back up specific data such as photos, iCloud, call history, and app data.
4. How to encrypt iPhone backups for security?
When creating a backup using Finder or Apple device apps, you can turn on data encryption. For third-party applications, you may need to enable encryption from the settings.
5. What are the limitations of using iTunes or Finder compared to iCloud for iPhone backups?
The biggest limitation is that you have to manually back up your data, whereas iCloud automatically backs up the data depending on your settings.
