iOS: How to back up

Summary

This article describes how to back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch using iCloud or iTunes.

Products Affected

iPad, iPhone, iPod touch

iCloud and iTunes can back up most data on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
Backed-up information includes purchased music, TV shows, apps, and books*; photos and video in the Camera Roll; device settings (for example, Phone Favorites, Wallpaper, and Mail, Contacts, Calendar accounts); app data; Home screen and app organization; Messages (iMessage, SMS, and MMS), ringtones, and more. Media files synced from your computer aren’t backed up, but can be restored by syncing with iTunes.
* Backup of purchased music is not available in all countries. Backup of purchased TV shows occurs only in the United States. Previous purchases may not be restored if they are no longer in the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBookstore.
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iCloud

How to back up

iCloud automatically backs up the most important data on your iOS 5 device. After you have enabled Backup on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in Settings > iCloud > Backup & Storage, it will run on a daily basis as long as your device is:

  • Connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi
  • Connected to a power source
  • Screen locked

You can also back up manually whenever your device is connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi by choosing Back Up Now from Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup.
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To learn more about what is backed up, see the iCloud: Backup and Restore Overview article.

How to restore from a backup

When you go through Setup Assistant on a new iOS 5 device, choose "Restore from iCloud Backup" and enter your iCloud account and password. You will see the three most recent backups for each of the devices on which you enabled Backup. Choose from which backup to restore.
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After your device restarts, your settings and accounts are restored and Backup starts downloading your purchased music, TV shows, apps, books, Camera Roll, and other content*. You may be prompted to enter the passwords for all accounts enabled on your device.
A progress bar will appear underneath the apps that are being downloaded. To prioritize the restore of a specific app, tap its icon. Restore will attempt to download the same version of the app that you had installed previously. If that version is no longer available, the latest version of the app will be restored.

To check if the restore is complete, go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup. Complete the setup assistant after erasing your device (by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings) or after starting your new device. When prompted to set up as new or to restore from previous backup, choose to restore from iCloud backup. Then enter your AppleID and password.


iTunes

How to back up

iTunes can create backups of your iOS device when you:

  • Sync with iTunes (disabled if you have iCloud backup turned on)
  • Right-click (or Control-click) the iOS device in iTunes under Devices and choose Back Up

Use these steps to manually back up your iOS device using iTunes:

  1. Connect your iOS device to a computer with the latest version of iTunes installed
  2. Select your iOS device in iTunes under Devices
  3. Right-click (or Control-click) the device and select Back Up

iOS device backups preserve your settings, the Camera Roll (or Saved Pictures), and other important data. Learn more about what is stored in a backup.

How to restore from a backup

To restore information from a backup, use one of the following methods after connecting your iOS device to the computer with which you normally sync:

  • Right-click (or Control-click) the device and choose Restore from Backup
  • If you have a new phone, you can connect to iTunes and it will prompt to restore from your backup

Additional Information