Backup data from iphone

Backup methods for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

A backup allows you to copy and save the information from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. If you replace your device, you can use a backup to transfer your information to a new device.

Decide which method is best for you

In case you ever need an alternative backup, you can back up your device using iCloud and also using your computer. Learn how to back up your device or restore your device from a backup.

iCloud

• Stores backups in iCloud
• Offers up to 2TB of storage (with an Apple One Premier plan, you can get up to 4TB)
• Always encrypts your backups
• Lets you create and use backups from anywhere with Wi-Fi

Computer

• Stores backups on your Mac or PC
• Storage depends on your Mac or PC’s available space
• Offers encrypted backups (off by default)
• Lets you create and use backups from your Mac or PC

iCloud backups

With a Wi-Fi network connection, you can back up your device using iCloud. You don’t need to plug your device into a computer to back up with iCloud.

iCloud backups include nearly all data and settings stored on your device. iCloud backups don’t include:

• Data that’s already stored in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, Notes, iCloud Photos, iMessages, Voice Memos, text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages, and Health data
• Data stored in other cloud services, like Gmail and Exchange mail
• Apple Mail data
• Apple Pay information and settings
• Face ID or Touch ID settings
• iCloud Music Library and App Store content (If it’s still available in the iTunes, App, or Apple Books store, you can tap to re-download your already purchased content.)

When you use Messages in iCloud, Health data on iOS 12, or Voice Memos, your content is automatically stored in iCloud. If you turn on iCloud Photos, your content is also automatically stored in iCloud.

Backups from your computer

A computer backup of your device, which is not the same as a sync, includes almost all of your device’s data and settings. A backup from a computer doesn’t include:

• Content from the iTunes and App Stores, or PDFs downloaded directly to Apple Books
• Content synced from Finder or iTunes, like imported MP3s or CDs, videos, books, and photos
• Data already stored in iCloud, like iCloud Photos, iMessages, and text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages
• Face ID or Touch ID settings
• Apple Pay information and settings
• Apple Mail data
• Activity, Health, and Keychain data (to back up this content, you’ll need to use Encrypted Backup in iTunes.)

Can I use my device’s backup for another kind of device, like an iPhone backup for an iPad?

You can restore a device from a backup of another kind of device, like using an iPad backup for an iPhone, but certain types of content won’t transfer. This content includes photos, Messages and attachments in Messages, Voice Memos, and apps that aren’t compatible with the device that you’re setting up. For example, apps compatible only with iPad won’t transfer to your iPhone.

If your devices use iCloud and Messages in iCloud, your iMessages and text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages are automatically stored in iCloud.

Источник

Locate backups of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

Find a list of your iOS or iPadOS backups on your Mac, PC, and iOS or iPadOS device. Learn how to delete backups, copy them, and more.

Find backups stored on Mac or PC

Delete or copy backups stored on Mac or PC

Find and manage backups stored in iCloud

Find backups stored on your Mac or PC

To avoid ruining any of your backup files, here’s what you should know:

• The Finder and iTunes save backups to a Backup folder. The location of the Backup folder varies by operating system. Though you can copy the Backup folder, you should never move it to a different folder, external drive, or network drive.
• Don’t edit, relocate, rename, or extract content from your backup files, because these actions might ruin the files. For example, to restore from a relocated backup file, you need to move it back or the file won’t work. Backups serve as a safe copy of your entire device. So while you might be able to view or access a backup file’s contents, the contents usually aren’t stored in a format that you can read.

Search for the backup folder on your Mac

To find a list of your backups:

1. Click the magnifier icon in the menu bar.
2. Type or copy and paste this:

/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

Press Return.

To find a specific backup:

1. On a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, open the Finder. On a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier, or on a PC, open iTunes. Click your device.
2. In the Finder, under the General tab, click Manage Backups to see a list of your backups. From here, you can right-click on the backup that you want, then choose Show in Finder, or you can select Delete or Archive. In iTunes, choose Preferences, then click Devices. From here, you can right-click on the backup that you want, then choose Show in Finder, or you can select Delete or Archive.
   
3. Click OK when you’re finished.

Search for the backup folder on Windows 7, 8, or 10

1. Find the Search bar:
   • In Windows 7, click Start.
   • In Windows 8, click the magnifying glass in the upper-right corner.
   • In Windows 10, click the Search bar next to the Start button.
2. In the Search bar, enter %appdata%. If you don’t see your backups, enter %USERPROFILE%.
3. Press Return.
4. Double-click these folders: «Apple» or «Apple Computer» > MobileSync > Backup.

Delete or copy backups on your Mac or PC

Don’t edit, relocate, rename, or extract content from your backup files, because these actions might ruin the files. Use the following sections to make copies of your backups or delete backups that you no longer need.

Copy backups to another location

If you need copies of your backups, you can find the Backup folder and copy the entire folder (not just part of it) to another place, like an external drive or network-storage location.

When you use Time Machine, it automatically copies your Backup folder when you back up the Home folder on your Mac.

Delete backups

1. On a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, open the Finder. On a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier, or on a PC, open iTunes. Click your device.
2. In the Finder, under the General tab, click Manage Backups to see a list of your backups. From here, you can right-click on the backup that you want, then select Delete or Archive. In iTunes, choose Preferences, then click Devices. From here, you can right-click on the backup that you want, then choose Delete or Archive. Click OK when you’re finished.
3. Click Delete Backup, then confirm.
   

Locate and manage backups stored in iCloud

If you use iCloud Backup, you won’t find a list of your backups on iCloud.com. Here’s how to find your iCloud backups on your iOS or iPadOS device, Mac, or PC.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

• Using iOS 11 or later and iPadOS, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
• Using iOS 10.3, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Tap the graph that shows your iCloud usage, then tap Manage Storage.

Tap a backup to see more details about it, choose which information to back up, or delete the backup.

You can choose which content to back up only from the Settings menu of the device that stores that content. For example, while you can view your iPad backup from your iPhone, you can choose which iPad content to back up only from the Settings menu of your iPad.

On a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later:

1. Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences.
2. Click Apple ID.
3. Click iCloud.
4. Click Manage.
5. Select Backups.

On a Mac with macOS Mojave 10.14 or earlier:

1. Choose Apple () menu > System Preferences.
2. Click iCloud.
3. Click Manage.
4. Select Backups.

1. Open iCloud for Windows
2. Click Storage.
3. Select Backup.

Источник

How to recover data from an iPhone or iPad backup

Difficulty: easy

Steps: up to 3

Time needed: 5 minutes

An introduction to iPhone backup recovery

Apple’s iTunes lets iOS users create backups of their iPhones, iPads and iPods. Over the years, these backups have come in a variety of formats, and been protected with a number of different encryption schemes. Apple’s backup system does a great job of safely copying user data so users can later reset and fully restore it to their devices.

Despite this, there are many situations where a user doesn’t want to completely overwrite what’s on their phone and restoring their contents. Users who have lost phones need to extract data from these backups without having another phone to restore to. Users who are on a different version of iOS may not be able to fully restore, and may need to manually get the files. Users who have accidentally deleted files or apps on their iPhone may need to browse iTunes backups and recover an earlier version of that data: without having to completely restore their phone to an older point in time.

Being able to inspect, archive and modify iPhone backups is important, and Reincubate iPhone Backup Extractor allows for all of this and more. It can reset your Screen Time passcode, recover content that was deleted prior to a backup being taken, and even convert an iCloud backup into an iTunes backup.

It’s possible to get all of the following data — and more — from an iTunes backup:

Getting started with iPhone backup data

We’ve split this guide into sections to help you quickly find the information you need.

We recommend checking out the frequently asked questions, as we cover a huge amount of information there. We’ve probably heard your question before. At the top and bottom of this page you’ll see there’s information on contacting us. Our support team — and in fact, the whole team — see and respond to user questions. We love to help, so don’t be a stranger.

If you don’t have an iTunes backup — or don’t know whether you have one — this guide will help you find or create one.

Finally, a word on our software, iPhone Backup Extractor. The free edition includes a huge amount. It’ll list your backups, preview everything that’s in them, extract four files at a time, and much more. You needn’t buy a license to be able to do most of the things in this guide, but if you dig what we’re doing or would like to unlock more of the app, then we really appreciate your support.

Let’s start! If you’d like to follow along to a video, we’ve included one below:

How to see what’s in your iPhone backup

Let’s say you have an iTunes backup and rather than restoring it to an iPhone or iPad, you want to view what is in it, and extract its files to your computer. The best way to do this is with iPhone Backup Extractor, which extracts these files (even deleted ones!) in a regular, accessible format.

Browsing an iTunes backup is easy with a few clicks using the free edition of iPhone Backup Extractor:

Download and install iPhone Backup Extractor, then open it. It runs on PCs and Macs.

On the left-hand side you’ll see an iTunes backup browser, showing all of the backups in iTunes’ default backup folder. Select the iTunes backup you’d like to work with by clicking it. If the backup file is encrypted, you’ll be prompted for the password needed to access it.

If you have an iTunes backup located somewhere else, you can tap the + button and tell iPhone Backup Extractor about additional locations to search for backups.

If no backups appear, it means you don’t have one created for your PC or Mac’s user account. It’s easy and free to create one, and we’ve got instructions on how to create an iTunes backup in this guide. If you use iCloud backups, you can download your iCloud backup and convert it to an iTunes backup with our guide.

iTunes backups shown in iPhone Backup Extractor

Once the backup has loaded, you’ll see information about your iTunes backup, and a handful of tabs for viewing and editing different parts of it.

As you can see in the screenshot here, iPhone Backup Extractor will show you all sorts of information about your iPhone, including the firmware, IMEI, and whether it’s an old classic iPhone, the latest-and-greatest iPhone, or something in between.

You’ll also get to see how many contacts are stored in your iPhone backup, whether the backup contains all those photos you’ve been snapping away, and whether those sentimental SMS messages are stashed away for safe-keeping.

iPhone Backup Extractor’s overview screen

Select the «Preview» tab and you’ll be able to see most of the main types of data available in your backup.

Creating, restoring and recovering data from iTunes sounds complicated, but it needn’t be. Our iTunes backup extractor has four modes for recovering data:

Overview mode: easy to use summary of iPhone data, with single-click export to PDF, HTML and CSV

iPhone Backup Extractor’s overview summarises the main data types that are in the iTunes backup by showing a set of app icons. Clicking any of the icons will immediately start an export of that app’s data, and you have a choice of formats for this.

iPhone Backup Extractor in Overview mode

Preview mode: for previewing core iPhone data like messages, contacts and calls

«Preview mode» gives you a look straight into the data stored in your iTunes backup: it’s shown similarly to how it would be shown on an iPhone or iPad. Our preview includes data that was deleted prior to the backup, so you’ll see even more than you would if you simply restored the backup. For more on how that works, see our section on recovering deleted data below. You can select entries in the preview and then click «Extract» to export them to your computer.

iPhone Backup Extractor showing photos in «Preview mode»

App view mode: for extracting third-party app data from iTunes backups

Our «App view» mode shows you each of the apps you had installed at the point your iTunes backup was created. It shows a list of those apps, and if you select an app, it’ll let you jump straight into getting that apps’ files. This mode is particularly helpful when you want to learn more about how an app stores data, or if you want to get your files from an app that we don’t highlight on the overview. Easy! You can export files from «App view» with a single click.

iPhone Backup Extractor in App view mode

Any app’s data can be recovered so long as you have an iTunes backup and use iPhone Backup Extractor. If you want to be sure your iPhone or iPad data is safe, develop a habit of updating your iTunes backup on a regular basis.

Expert mode: browse the entire backup’s files, and export, edit or replace them

«Expert mode» is particularly popular with our forensic users and developers, as it lets you see every file stored in an iTunes backup. You can drag them out to your computer, or right-click and edit or replace them.

iPhone Backup Extractor in Expert mode

How to recover missing or deleted data from an iTunes backup

You might be surprised, but it’s possible to recover deleted files and data from iTunes backups. There are two techniques for this. The first is obvious: if the backup was taken prior to the data being deleted, you can simply extract the data you need using the steps we laid out above in viewing an iTunes backup.

The second technique is really cool, and lets iPhone Backup Extractor recover data that was deleted before the backup was taken.

How can I recover text messages, notes or contacts which were deleted before a backup?

iPhone Backup Extractor extracts data from iPhone backups, from iCloud backups, and from other iCloud data. As such, so long as the last backup was taken before the data was deleted, it will recover your information automatically. However, if the data was deleted before your backup was taken, all is not lost.

iOS devices don’t regularly purge deleted data from their database files, so it is often possible to recover deleted data, even from before a backup was taken. This works particularly well for iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, note and contact data. (By extracting the SQLite databases from your backup in Expert mode, and opening them in Notepad, you should see fragments of any data that has been deleted.)

How does recovery of deleted iOS data work?

Reincubate iPhone Backup Extractor has a sophisticated version of this technology integrated with it, saving the need for any forensic recovery process. Our implementation outperforms all of the dedicated SQLite recovery tools we’ve benchmarked it against.

In addition to this, there are other techniques that we use in the application, and that our support team are able to assist with. One of those involves examining iCloud backup snapshots, which can prove fruitful for recovery of iOS data, and iPhone Backup Extractor can fetch those snapshots for you.

If you’d like to see some data on just how effective iPhone Backup Extractor’s undeletion capabilities are, check out our benchmark against the leading forensics tools. Hint: we thrash them.

You can recover deleted data with iPhone Backup Extractor in two simple steps:

Ensure that the Utilities → Show deleted data option is enabled.

Proceed as normal. Deleted data will be included in all exports and previews.

Important note when recovering deleted data ⚠️

If you need to recover deleted data that was once backed up in an iTunes backup, we recommend you don’t connect your iPhone to iTunes, or update your backup until you have exhaustively examined the last backup you took.

If you need to update your backup, we’d recommend you back up your backup (yes!) first. You can do this by right-clicking on the iTunes backup browser shown on the left-hand side of our app. Choose «Show in Enclosing Folder», and Finder or Explorer will pop up, showing you the backup files on your computer. Copy them out somewhere safe, or rename the folder: that’ll let iTunes create a new backup next time.

Successful recovery of deleted data with iPhone Backup Extractor

We’ve got a guide on the various ways you can create an iPhone backup in our knowledge-base. Do check it out.

How to restore an iTunes backup

Restoring an iTunes backup to your iPhone or iPad is easy. (If you want to restore an iCloud backup using iTunes, our guide describes how to download and convert iCloud backups to iTunes.)

Start iTunes and connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer using a USB cable.

Go to File → Devices → Restore from backup in iTunes’ menu. If you have multiple backups, choose the backup you want to retrieve from the drop-down menu, and click «Restore». You can also click on the device icon, which will open a summary window where you can click «Restore Backup».

Restoring an iTunes backup

Wait until the data is transferred to your device. Be careful not to unplug the USB cable too early, as it will interrupt the process and could corrupt data on your device.

Restoring an iTunes backup is a drastic step. Don’t do this if you only want to get a few files back, as restoring the backup will overwrite any more recently created data that’s on your iPhone. Instead, pick out the files you need using the tips in the earlier sections of this guide.

Frequently asked questions

Where are iTunes backups stored?

The default iTunes backup location depends on whether you’re using a PC or Mac. iTunes backups can be found in the following directories:

On Windows 10 and recent versions of Windows, backups are stored in: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

On Macs, backups are stored in: \Users\(username)\Library\Application Support\MobileSync\Backup\

There are a few special cases. For instance, the Windows Store version of iTunes uses a different location, and so does iTunes on Windows XP. We maintain the latest default iTunes backup locations here, and have instructions on how to change the default iTunes backup folder.

When I look in my iTunes backup folder I just see random files, which is which? What are those files in my iTunes backup folder?

iTunes backup folders contain files named according to hex-encoded SHA-1 hashes. Their filenames can differ based on the type of data and the version of iOS that created the backup.

We maintain an up-to-the-minute summary of these iTunes backup files here but have included a short summary below for recent versions of iOS:

Contents	Real filename	Backup filename
SMS	sms.db	3d0d7e5fb2ce288813306e4d4636395e047a3d28
Contacts	AddressBook.sqlitedb	31bb7ba8914766d4ba40d6dfb6113c8b614be442
Calendar	Calendar.sqlitedb	2041457d5fe04d39d0ab481178355df6781e6858
Notes	NoteStore.sqlite	4f98687d8ab0d6d1a371110e6b7300f6e465bef2
Call history	call_history.db	2b2b0084a1bc3a5ac8c27afdf14afb42c61a19ca

iTunes won’t restore my iPhone backup

If iTunes won’t restore your iPhone backup, it probably means its corrupt.

We publish a list of steps for diagnosing problems restoring iTunes backups. If that doesn’t resolve the problem, see the next question.

Can I recover a corrupt iTunes backup?

Yes. We’ve got a comprehensive guide on how to repair corrupt backups and recover your data. If you’re still stuck, reach out to our support team as we can probably help further. 🚑 There’s a lot of fiddly stuff we can help you with.

My iPhone won’t turn on and all my data is lost, how can I recover iOS data?

If you have an iTunes backup or use iCloud, you’ll be able to get data back using either this guide or our guide for iCloud. Worst case, email us and we’ll help you.

How can I recover lost files after a failed iOS update

One of the most common causes for iPhone data loss is a failed iOS update. The steps in the first part of this guide will take you through pulling files from your iTunes backup.

Depending on where the process went wrong, you may need to restore your phone from a backup before starting the update process again. Good luck — and don’t forget to reach out to our support team if you get stuck.

Do you ever wonder what iTunes backs up from your iPhone when you connect your phone to your computer? It would be nice to know whether it is safely backing up your important contacts, notes, photos, calendar, texts, and so on, wouldn’t it?

We’ve got a concise summary of just what is and isn’t in an iTunes backup that we maintain in our knowledge-base. Check it out!

How can I speed up a slow iTunes backup process?

We once had a user write in after his backup had taken more than 36 hours. That’s crazy — and it led us to publish an article on how to speed up a slow iTunes backup.

Can I get data from iPad backups and iPod Touch backups?

Absolutely, yes! You’ll see we tend to write about iPhone backups, but the format and functionality is exactly the same for iPad and iPod Touch backups. Anything we describe for iPhone backups will also work for iTunes backups created for the iPad or iPod Touch.

Can I find my phone number, IMEI or serial in an iTunes backup?

You certainly can. These are all shown under the «Info» tab of iPhone Backup Extractor. You can see IMEI, serial, and a range of other fields. You can read about all of that data in our explainer of the «Info» view.

iPhone Backup Extractor’s «Info» tab showing IMEI, serial and more

Is it possible to extract data from a very old iOS backup, like iOS 3?

Yes. We painstakingly support backups from every version of iOS. We started back in 2008, after our founder lost his data with an upgrade to iOS 2. Phew! If you get stuck on an older version, get in touch with us.

How can I edit an iTunes backup?

iPhone Backup Extractor lets you edit any iTunes backup: by using «Expert mode» as detailed above, you can edit or replace any file in your backup, or add new ones.

Can I copy a Windows iTunes backup to a Mac, or vice versa? Are iTunes backups portable?

Yes, iTunes backups are created in the same format by Macs and Windows, and can be moved from one to another. You can even put them in Dropbox or on a shared drive.

How effective is iPhone data recovery with iPhone Backup Extractor?

Very. We benchmarked our recovery of deleted data against the leading forensics tools, and the results are impressive.

Can I back up with iTunes wirelessly?

Yes, you can get iTunes to back up over Wi-Fi. We’ve got instructions on how to do this here.

How can I browse iTunes backups?

iPhone Backup Extractor has a free iTunes backup browser built-in. Once you load it (see step #1 above) it’ll automatically show all of your iTunes backups and let you browse them.

Can I restore a backup from one iOS version to another? Can you convert iTunes backup versions?

It depends. You can’t restore a backup from a newer version of iOS than a device is running. You can usually restore an older version, but it depends what has changed between versions. In some cases Apple make substantial changes between revisions to iOS, meaning that there’s a big difference between iOS 11.3 and 11.4, for instance. If you try that, it’ll appear to work, and you’ll get most of your data.

Источник