How to back up your phone and computer

If your main worry is family photos, our guide to the best way to back up family photos goes into photos in detail, including the three-copies rule. This page covers everything else on your phone and computer.

What should I back up?

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) says you should back up anything you value: anything that would inconvenience you if you lost it. For most people that means photos and videos, documents, messages, contacts and the settings that make a new phone feel like yours.

The NCSC's reasons are practical. Devices get lost, stolen or broken, and a virus or other malware such as ransomware may erase your data or stop you getting to it. A backup means you can get it back.

Isn't syncing to the cloud the same as a backup?

No. Syncing keeps the same files on all your devices, so a deletion or a damaged file spreads everywhere. Apple describes this split for iCloud: services such as iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive sync, and iCloud Backup keeps periodic snapshots of the data that isn't synced. Apple also notes that a computer backup of an iPhone is not the same as a sync.

A backup is a separate copy you can go back to. Ideally it keeps older versions too, so you can recover a file as it was last week, before a mistake or an infection.

How do I back up an iPhone?

With iCloud

1. Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud.
2. Tap iCloud Backup and make sure Back Up This iPhone is on.

Apple says the automatic backup runs when your iPhone is connected to power and Wi-Fi with the screen locked. To back up straight away, tap Back Up Now and stay on Wi-Fi until it finishes. The date and time of the last backup appear under Back Up Now.

Apple says iCloud Backup doesn't include data already synced to iCloud (such as Contacts, Calendars and Notes), photos if you use iCloud Photos, or data held in other cloud services such as Gmail. It also says that if you turn iCloud Backup off, your backups in iCloud are kept for 180 days before being deleted.

With a computer

On a Mac, connect your iPhone with a cable, open Finder, select your iPhone in the sidebar and click Back Up Now. Apple says that if you want to save Health and Activity data, tick Encrypt local backup and create a password, and that you can't recover the backup without that password. On a Windows PC, Apple's backup tool is the Apple Devices app.

Apple suggests you can back up with iCloud and with your computer, so you have an alternative if you need one.

How do I back up an Android phone?

Google's steps (names vary slightly by make):

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Google, then All services.
3. Under Backup and restore, tap Backup and turn it on.

Google says your first backup can take up to 24 hours, that every Google Account includes 15 GB of storage at no charge, and that you should use a PIN, pattern or password screen lock to help protect the backed-up data. Google also says not all apps can back up or restore all their settings and data, so check the apps that matter most to you, such as messaging apps, which may have their own backup setting. For WhatsApp, see how to back up WhatsApp chats.

How do I back up a Windows PC?

Windows has two built-in tools, and they do different jobs.

Windows Backup saves your files, themes, many app settings and Wi-Fi details to OneDrive. Microsoft says it covers the Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music folders, and that a free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage. To open it, select Start, type backup and choose Windows Backup.

File History saves copies of your files to an external drive or network location and keeps earlier versions. To set it up:

1. Connect an external drive.
2. Open Control Panel > System and Security > File History.
3. Turn it on and choose the drive.

To get a file back, right-click the folder it was in, choose Restore previous versions, pick a version and select Restore.

How do I back up a Mac?

Use Time Machine with an external drive:

1. Connect the drive.
2. Choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > Time Machine.
3. Click Add Backup Disk, select the drive and click Set Up Disk.

Apple recommends a drive with at least twice your Mac's storage, and using it only for Time Machine. Time Machine keeps hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month and weekly backups for all previous months, deleting the oldest when the drive is full. You can turn on Encrypt Backup during set-up; keep the password safe, because you'll need it to restore.

How do I protect my backups from ransomware?

The NCSC's advice is to disconnect removable backup drives when you're not using them, because viruses and other malware such as ransomware can spread to attached drives automatically. So plug the drive in, let the backup run, then unplug it.

A cloud backup that keeps earlier versions of your files gives you a second way back, because you can restore files as they were before the problem started. And protect the account that holds your backups with a strong password and two-factor authentication.

A simple monthly routine

The NCSC suggests setting a calendar reminder if you back up to removable media, so it happens regularly. Once a month:

1. Check the dates. Look at the last backup date on your phone and computer.
2. Plug in your drive and run a backup, then unplug it.
3. Restore one file. Open something from your backup, or restore an old version of a document, to prove it works.
4. Check your storage. If iCloud, Google or OneDrive is nearly full, backups may stop.

Our Digital Life Score includes backups, and shows where you'd get the most benefit.

What if I want more than the built-in tools?

The built-in tools above are free up to their storage limits, and they're enough for many people. A separate backup or cloud storage service can help if you've outgrown them, want one account for several computers and phones, or want encryption that only you can unlock. An external drive gives you a copy that isn't online at all.

These are the backup and storage services we link to, with facts each company publishes about itself, in alphabetical order. We haven't tested them, and the table isn't a ranking.

Checked 25 September 2026, from each provider's own website. Plans and terms change, so check before you buy.

For the offline copy, any reliable external drive works. The one we link to is the Samsung T7 Shield, a portable SSD that Samsung says is IP65 rated for dust and water resistance and works with Macs, PCs and Android devices.

The steps above are free. If you'd like a service to take care of the second copy, these are the ones we link to. We may earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you.

Common questions

How often should I back up my phone?

Let it happen automatically. iCloud Backup and Google's Android backup both run in the background once they're turned on, so your backup stays close to up to date without you remembering. Check the date of the last backup once a month, and back up by hand before you update, repair or replace your phone.

Is iCloud or Google backup enough on its own?

It covers you if your phone is lost or broken, but it's one copy with one company, in one account. If that account is taken over, or you delete something and it syncs everywhere, you could lose it. A second copy, on a drive you keep unplugged or with a separate backup service, protects you from that.

What's the difference between Windows Backup and File History?

Windows Backup saves your main folders, settings and app preferences to OneDrive, which helps you set up a new PC. File History saves copies of your files, including earlier versions, to an external drive or network location, so you can restore a document as it was at an earlier point. Many people use both.

Do I need to encrypt my backup?

It's a good idea for any backup that holds personal documents, especially an external drive that could be lost. Time Machine and iPhone computer backups both offer encryption, and Apple notes that an encrypted iPhone backup is needed to keep Health and Activity data. Keep the password in a safe place, because Apple says you can't recover the backup without it.

How do I know my backup actually works?

Restore something from it. Open a file from your external drive, restore an earlier version of a document on your computer, or check the last backup date in your phone's settings. A backup you've never tried to restore from is a backup you're hoping works.

Sources

• Backing up your data — National Cyber Security Centre (opens in a new tab)
• Backup methods for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• What does iCloud back up? — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• How to back up your iPhone or iPad with your Mac — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• Use the Finder, Apple Devices or iTunes to transfer data to your new iPhone or iPad — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• Back up your Mac with Time Machine — Apple Support (opens in a new tab)
• Back up or restore data on your Android device — Android Help (opens in a new tab)
• Back up and restore with Windows Backup — Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab)
• Backup and restore with File History — Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab)
• Pricing — IDrive (opens in a new tab)
• Features — IDrive (opens in a new tab)
• Pricing — pCloud (opens in a new tab)
• Plan details — pCloud Help Centre (opens in a new tab)
• pCloud Encryption — pCloud (opens in a new tab)
• Proton Drive pricing and plans — Proton (opens in a new tab)
• Portable SSD T7 Shield — Samsung UK (opens in a new tab)

Last checked: 25 September 2026