How to Back Up iPhone XR/XS/XS Max in 4 Ways
Applies to: iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and earlier iPhone models
It's needless to stress the importance of iPhone backup since no one wants to lose files like photos, videos, contacts, and messages. To avoid data loss, backing up an iPhone regularly is necessary. Whether you want to back up your iPhone to iCloud or computer, wirelessly or using a USB cable, selectively or all at once, you will know how to do it in this guide.
- How to Back Up iPhone XR/XS/XS Max to iCloud
- How to Back Up iPhone XS/XS Max/XR to Computer with iTunes
- How to Back Up iPhone XR/XS/XS Max to Mac via Finder
- How to Back Up iPhone Selectively or All at Once
Method 1. How to Back Up iPhone XR/XS/XS Max to iCloud
If you prefer to back up your iPhone wirelessly over Wi-Fi, iCloud is the optimal choice for you. By turning on iCloud backup, your iPhone content will be synced to the iCloud storage automatically under a network connection. iCloud will back up almost all data and settings on your iPhone XR, XS or XS Max, except:
- Content that has stored in iCloud
- Files saved in other cloud services
- Apple Pay information and settings
- Touch ID settings
However, you cannot access or view the backup file. You can only access the details by restoring your device from the backup. Besides, to back up your iPhone to iCloud successfully, you need to make sure there is sufficient iCloud storage for you to store the iPhone data and settings and your device is under a stable and reliable Wi-Fi connection, or you may encounter iPhone backup failure.
To back up iPhone XR/XS/XS Max to iCloud:
Step 1. Connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network.
Step 2. Go to "Settings" > [your name] and tap "iCloud". (If you don't see your name, sign in to the device with your Apple ID.)
Step 3. Scroll down to click "iCloud Backup".
Step 4. Turn on "iCloud Backup" and tap on "Back Up Now" to start backing up your iPhone to iCloud.
Step 5. Wait patiently for the process to complete.
This is how to manually back up your iPhone using iCloud. If you want to make an iCloud back automatically, switch on "iCloud Backup" only.
Method 2. How to Back Up iPhone XR/XS/XS Max to Computer Using iTunes
Another official way to back up an iPhone is to use iTunes. Unlike iCloud, iTunes backs up your iPhone to a computer. Thus, you don't need to worry about network or storage issues. An iTunes backup almost covers all the data and settings on your device, except:
- Content bought from iTunes and App Store
- Content synced from iTunes
- PDFs downloaded to Apple Books
Although you can access the iPhone backup location on the computer, you won't be able to view the details of the backup and can only access the content by performing an iPhone restore, which is quite similar to use iCloud.
To back up your iPhone XS/XS Max/XR to computer:
Step 1. Connect your iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR to your computer and open iTunes if it doesn't open automatically.
Step 2. Click "Trust" on your iPhone screen to trust the computer and enter your device password if asked.
Step 3. Select your iPhone by clicking the device icon in iTunes. If your iPhone is not showing up in iTunes, fix it and then continue.
Step 4. If you also want to make a copy of your Health and Activity data on your iOS device, tick "Encrypt iPhone backup", and create a password. (Don't forget the password!)
Step 5. Click "Back Up Now" to backup your iPhone to computer using iTunes.
Method 3. How to Back Up iPhone to Mac via Finder
iTunes is no longer available since macOS Catalina. Therefore, if you are looking to back up your iPhone XR, XS, or XS Max to a Mac, you need to use Finder, which replaces iTunes when it comes to device backup and data syncing.
To back up iPhone with your Mac computer:
Step 1. Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer and open Finder.
Step 2. On your iPhone/iPad, trust the computer and enter the password as required.
Step 3. Choose your device from the left sidebar and tap "Back Up Now" to start backing up your iPhone/iPad to computer.
Method 4. How to Back Up iPhone Without iCloud or iTunes
All of the three ways above will back up all your iPhone content at once. What if you want to back up an iPhone selectively? If you do, you can use the iPhone transfer software - Qiling MobiMover.
This tool allows you to back up your iPhone photos, videos, music, contacts, messages, and more from your iPhone or iPad to a computer using a USB cable. You can choose to sync all the files to a computer or just copy specific items. With the backup you made, you can restore it to a new device when you switch to a new iPhone or to the original device to retrieve lost data.
To back up iPhone to computer without iCloud or iTunes:
Step 1. Connect your iPhone/iPad to your PC with a USB cable and click "Trust" on your device. Then launch Qiling MobiMover and click "Backup Manager" > "Back up".
Step 2. Check the types of files you need to backup. Afterward, click the backup button to start backing up your iPhone or iPad.
Step 3. Depending on the size of the content, the time the backup will spend varies. Wait patiently for the backup to complete.
Other than iPhone backup, Qiling MobiMover also supports data transfer between two iOS devices or between an iOS device and a computer, be it a Mac, PC, or laptop. Other functions like video download will also do great help if you want to download YouTube videos to iPhone or computer.
The Bottom Line
These are the four common ways for you to make a backup of your iOS device. As you can see from the details, each method is suitable for different situations. For you to manage your iDevice data better, you are highly recommended to try Qiling MobiMover, with which you can not only backup your iPhone to computer but also do many other things related to data transfer, file management, and video download. Don't hesitate to give it a try.