Can You Backup Iphone To External Hard Drive

Table of Table of contents

How to Backup an iPhone to an Outward Hard Drive
How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Drive on Windows
- How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Drive on Windows
How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Drive along Mac
- How to Backup an iPhone to an External Disc drive connected Mac
Final Thoughts

Financial support up your iPhone is a smart move because information technology rump protect you if you lose your iPhone operating room if it becomes ruptured at about point. Although Apple's own iCloud backup service is great — and we undergo a guide on how to musical accompaniment iPhone to iCloud — it means putting all of your data low the control of Orchard apple tree (see our iCloud review).

If that doesn't righteous beseeching to you, operating theater you're running away of iCloud storage space, and so you'll want to learn how to backup an iPhone to an external hard driving. This involves moving your previously obscure iPhone backup files from your Windows PC or Mac to an extraneous disk drive.

You'll need an external hard drive with enough storage to be able to get along the job, so look at investing in unrivaled of the best external hard drive options before you consider backing up your iPhone files.

How to Backup an iPhone to an External Winchester drive

It's been a while since it was necessity to fill-in your iPhone using your PC or Mac. Thanks to the thaumaturgy of iCloud, you're able to produce backups of your iPhone data without needing any other equipment.

This has its advantages, not the to the lowest degree of which is being able to brand lawful backups without plugging in your iPhone. The biggest trouble with this approach, all the same, is storage. Backing ahead to iCloud uses your limited iCloud storage. The large the backup files, the little space you have for essentials, including your camera photos, although you may wish to move your photo collection to the best online storage for photos instead (read our pass around along how to backup photos along Mackintosh).

That's why backing up to an external steely drive tin comprise a better method. It's more involved and does require you to revert to worn-school iPhone backups exploitation iTunes or, if you're using macOS Catalina, you can use Finder instead.

If you have made a backup of your iPhone using your Microcomputer or Mac, you can then move the files to an outside drive.

How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Drive on Windows

To begin funding finished an iPhone to an external hard drive on Windows, you'll need to have iTunes installed. Colligate your iPhone to your PC and open iTunes once information technology's installed.

One time your iPhone is abutting to your PC, unlock your iPhone and pressed "trust" on it to allow your PC to connect. Then your iPhone should appear under the "devices" tab in the left-handwriting menu of iTunes.

Click the iPhone icon in the top left of the iTunes screen. This is located next to the media dropdown computer menu (i.e. "medicine"). This brings up the gimmick data menu for your iPhone.

To perform a manual backup of your iPhone to your PC, click "back upward now" under the "manually back up and regenerate" section.

Your iPhone will take whatever time to conclusion backing up to your Microcomputer. Once information technology's completed, you'll have to manually copy the backup files to your external drive.

The position of iPhone patronage files is C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup, replacing "username" with your own Windows username. You can also type "%appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Relief" in Windows File Explorer to take you directly to the folder.

Using the "date modified" newspaper column, locate the newest backup for your device. Right-click on the folder and press "re-create." You can then attach your external hard drive, open IT in File Explorer, right-click and "paste" the backup folder to an reserve fix. You'll demand to do this every time you perform a manual stand-in of your iPhone to your PC.

How to Substitute an iPhone to an External Hard Drive connected Windows

Open iTunes and link up your iPhone.
Click the device icon in the height left, so click "back functioning forthwith."
Once the process is complete, go to the iTunes backup leaflet ("%appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Stand-in").
Locate the latest backup folder, right-click, press "copy" and then paste it to your external sticky drive.

How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Thrust on Macintosh

The process for backing up an iPhone to an outer hard drive on Mackintosh is jolly similar for users with macOS Mojave or older operating systems that, like Windows, use iTunes for iPhone backups. If you function a Mac with macOS Catalina, the process differs, using Viewfinder instead.

If you have macOS Mojave operating room older, connect your iPhone and open iTunes. Click the iPhone gimmick icon in the superlative left. If your Mac device is running macOS Catalina, open Discoverer from the app dock at the bottom of your screen instead.

Click "back up now" in the "manually back up and restore" section of your device information fare. For Catalina users, the "foul now" button is enrolled under the "backups" section.

This process will take some time to complete, especially if it is the first-year time your device has been backed. Once it has, you can begin copying your files to an international drive.

Whether you're using iTunes or View finder, the exemplary location for your iPhone backup files is "~/Library/Application program Support/MobileSync" — which won't appear in Viewfinder. Click the hunt image in the top accurate of your Mack silver screen and type in your reliever folder location. Locate the most recent backup booklet, compensate-click and then snap "copy."

Head to your external movement enrolled under "locations" in your Finder left field-hand menu and paste your backup folder on that point.

Arsenic with Windows, you'll need to do this whenever you perform a non-automatic accompaniment of your iPhone to Mac.

How to Backup an iPhone to an Outside Hard Drive on Mac

Connect your iPhone to your Mac. Macs running macOS Mojave or older should out-of-doors iTunes. Macs with macOS Catalina should open Finder.
Click the iPhone in the top left (iTunes) or your device name under "locations" (Finder), then clink "back upwardly now" to lead off a non-automatic backup.
Suction stop the search icon in the top right of your Mac screen, locate "~/Subroutine library/Application Support/MobileSync" and double-click along the folder to capable it in Finder.
Right-click the most recent update folder, click "copy," then paste it to your external hard drive.

Final Thoughts

Although information technology isn't a straightforward process, championship up an iPhone to an external ticklish drive hindquarters give you restraint over your iPhone backups. Information technology can also help you reclaim iCloud storage Beaver State move your iPhone backups to a cloud backing service like Carbonite in the end (imag our Carbonite review).

Depending on the size of your iPhone storage, making unconstipated backups will require a whopping enough foreign hard drive. A 1TB storage device is the minimum size we'd recommend, so be sure to take a look up to at our best 1TB external hard drive shortlist for options.

If you're worried astir Mac support, take a look at our review of the best extrinsic hard drive for Mac. We also have guides on how to patronage a Mack to an external disk drive and how to backup an iTunes library.

If you'd prefer to use online backup, run down our list of the best iPhone backup providers.

Practice you prefer to manually backup your iPhone? Share your iPhone backup tips and tricks in the comments below, and in case you need it, we as wel have a guide on how to reliever your Macintosh. Thanks for reading.