A free iPhone backup to a computer takes three steps: plug the iPhone in with a cable, open the Apple Devices app (Windows) or Finder (Mac), and click Back Up Now. There are no monthly fees, and after the first run it doesn’t use internet data, which helps if your connection is slow or capped.
Windows: Apple Devices app or iTunes
On Windows 10 or 11, get the free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store. On older Windows, use iTunes from Apple’s website.
- Connect the iPhone with a USB cable. Unlock it and tap Trust, then enter your passcode.
- Apple Devices: click your iPhone in the sidebar, then General. iTunes: click the small phone icon near the top left, then Summary.
- Under Backups, choose Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this computer (in iTunes: This Computer).
- Tick Encrypt local backup if you want (see below).
- Click Back Up Now and leave the cable connected until it finishes.
Check the laptop has enough free space; backups can run to tens of gigabytes.
Mac: Finder
On macOS Catalina and later, iTunes is gone and Finder does the job.
- Connect the iPhone, unlock it and tap Trust.
- Open Finder and click your iPhone under Locations in the sidebar.
- On the General tab, choose Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
- Tick Encrypt local backup if wanted, then click Back Up Now.
Macs on Mojave or older use iTunes instead.
Encrypt the backup
An ordinary computer backup leaves out sensitive data. An encrypted backup also saves your saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, website history, call history and Health data.
- You set a password when you tick the box. Write it down; without it, the backup can’t be restored.
- Face ID, Touch ID and your phone passcode are never included.
Where backups are stored
| Computer | Backup folder |
|---|---|
| Windows (Apple Devices or Store iTunes) | C:\Users\<you>\Apple\MobileSync\Backup |
| Windows (iTunes from Apple’s site) | C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup |
| Mac | ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup |
Don’t rename or edit files inside it.
Can you back up to an external hard drive? Not directly; Apple’s apps always save to the folder above. The simple safe option is to copy the whole Backup folder to an external drive after each backup, as a second copy. (Moving the folder itself with a “symbolic link” is possible but easy to get wrong.) For the laptop’s own files, see backing up to an external hard drive.
How to restore
- On the iPhone, turn off Find My: Settings > [your name] > Find My.
- Connect it and open Apple Devices, iTunes or Finder.
- Click Restore Backup, choose the backup by date and enter the password if it’s encrypted.
- Keep it connected until it restarts.
For an automatic nightly copy as well, see how to back up an iPhone to iCloud, and for Android phones in the house, how to back up your phone.
Quick answers
Connect it by cable, open the Apple Devices app on Windows or Finder on a Mac, select the iPhone and click Back Up Now.
Connect the iPhone, click the phone icon in iTunes, go to Summary, choose This Computer and click Back Up Now.
Not directly. Back up to the computer, then copy the MobileSync Backup folder to the external drive.
