How To Move Iphone Backup To External Hard Drive

Hold over of Contents

How to Support an iPhone to an External Heavy Drive
How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Aim on Windows
- How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Push back on Windows
How to Backup an iPhone to an External Winchester drive connected Mac
- How to Backup an iPhone to an External Hard Drive connected Mac
Final Thoughts

Backing up your iPhone is a ache incite because information technology can protect you if you lose your iPhone or if information technology becomes damaged at some luff. Although Apple's own iCloud backup service is great — and we make a guide how to relief iPhone to iCloud — it means putt completely of your data under the keep in line of Orchard apple tree (see our iCloud reassessmen).

If that doesn't sound likable to you, or you're running out of iCloud storage space, then you'll require to learn how to backup an iPhone to an external hard push back. This involves moving your previously hidden iPhone backup files from your Windows PC or Mac to an external rocky drive.

You'll need an external hard drive with decent storage to be able to execute the job, so take care at investment in one of the best external hard drive options before you consider backing rising your iPhone files.

How to Substitute an iPhone to an External Hard Drive

It's been a patc since it was necessary to backup your iPhone using your PC or Mac. Thanks to the magic of iCloud, you'Re able to make backups of your iPhone data without needing any different equipment.

This has its advantages, not the least of which is being healthy to pass wate regular backups without plugging in your iPhone. The biggest problem with this approach, however, is storage. Backing up to iCloud uses your limited iCloud computer storage. The larger the backup files, the less space you have for essentials, including your camera photos, although you may wish to move your photo collection to the optimum online storage for photos instead (read our pass on how to accompaniment photos along Macintosh).

That's wherefore backing risen to an external hard drive can be a better method. It's more up to my neck and does require you to retrovert to grizzly-school iPhone backups exploitation iTunes or, if you'rhenium victimisation macOS Catalina, you can use Finder instead.

If you have made a backup of your iPhone using your PC or Mac, you can so move the files to an external drive.

How to Musical accompaniment an iPhone to an External Hard Repulse happening Windows

To start out backing up an iPhone to an external hard drive happening Windows, you'll pauperism to have iTunes installed. Colligate your iPhone to your Microcomputer and open iTunes erstwhile it's installed.

In one case your iPhone is connected to your PC, unlock your iPhone and pressed "corporate trust" on it to allow your Personal computer to connect. Then your iPhone should come out low the "devices" tab in the left-hand menu of iTunes.

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

To execute a manual backup of your iPhone to your PC, click "back up directly" under the "manually back ahead and reinstate" part.

Your iPhone will take up some time to finish backing up to your PC. Once it's completed, you'll accept to manually copy the computer backup files to your outward drive.

The location of iPhone backup files is C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Malus pumila Computer\MobileSync\Backup, replacement "username" with your own Windows username. You arse also type "%appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Substitute" in Windows File Explorer to take you directly to the folder.

Exploitation the "day of the month varied" column, locate the newest backup for your device. Right-click on the folder and press "copy." You can past attach your external hard ride, open it in Data file Adventurer, right-pawl and "paste" the backup brochure to an appropriate location. You'll need to do this every time you do a manual musical accompaniment of your iPhone to your PC.

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

Open iTunes and plug in your iPhone.
Click the gimmick icon in the top left, so click "rear up now."
Once the process is complete, attend the iTunes backup pamphlet ("%appdata%\Malus pumila Computer\MobileSync\Substitute").
Locate the latest backup folder, right-click, press "copy" and and then paste IT to your external hard drive.

How to Championship an iPhone to an External Serious Cause on Mackintosh

The cognitive process for backing up an iPhone to an external Winchester drive on Mac is pretty similar for users with macOS Mojave or older operative systems that, like Windows, use iTunes for iPhone backups. If you use a Mackintosh with macOS Catalina, the process differs, using Finder or else.

If you have macOS Mojave or older, connect your iPhone and open iTunes. Click the iPhone twist icon in the top left. If your Mac device is running macOS Catalina, bald Discoverer from the app dock at the bottom of your shield instead.

Detent "back off now" in the "manually back up and restore" department of your device info menu. For Catalina users, the "back up now" button is listed under the "backups" section.

This process will subscribe to some time to complete, specially if it is the first time your device has been backed. Once it has, you can set about copying your files to an external drive.

Whether you're victimization iTunes or Finder, the typical locating for your iPhone backup files is "~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync" — which won't appear in Finder. Click the look for icon in the top right of your Mack screen and type in your support folder location. Settle the most Holocene backup folder, suited-click and then click "copy."

Maneuver to your external drive listed low-level "locations" in your Finder left-handed menu and paste your backup folder there.

As with Windows, you'll require to make out this whenever you perform a extremity championship of your iPhone to Mac.

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

Connect your iPhone to your Mackintosh. Macs run macOS Mojave or elderly should open iTunes. Macs with macOS Catalina should open Finder.
Click the iPhone in the top left (iTunes) surgery your device name under "locations" (Viewfinder), and so clack "spinal column upward now" to begin a hand-operated backup.
Click the hunting ikon in the top right of your Mac sieve, locate "~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync" and double-click on the folder to open information technology in Finder.
Right-click the most recent update folder, click "copy," and so library paste it to your external granitelike ram.

Final Thoughts

Although it isn't a aboveboard process, backing awake an iPhone to an external hard drive can give you ascendancy finished your iPhone backups. It can also assist you reclaim iCloud storage or travel your iPhone backups to a cloud backup service look-alike Carbonite in the long run (see our Carbonite retrospect).

Depending connected the size of your iPhone storage, making regular backups will ask a large enough external hard drive. A 1TB storage device is the minimum size we'd advocate, so be sure to take a look at our best 1TB external set drive shortlist for options.

If you're worried about Mac support, assume a looking at our review of the best external hard drive for Mac. We likewise have guides on how to backup a Mac to an extrinsic hard drive and how to reliever an iTunes subroutine library.

If you'd prefer to use online backup, check kayoed our inclination of the best iPhone relief providers.

Do you prefer to manually backup your iPhone? Share your iPhone relief tips and tricks in the comments on a lower floor, and in pillowcase you take it, we also have a guide how to backup man your Mac. Thanks for recital.