If you want to make sure your important information stays safe, you can save a copy of it on an external hard drive. But it’s not very easy to do this directly from your iPhone to the external hard drive. in this article, we will share with you how to back up your iPhone to an external hard drive from your computer
The best way to do it is by using a computer – either a Mac or a Windows computer. In this article, we’ll explain how to transfer your iPhone data to an external hard drive from your computer. This way, you can keep your data secure and protected.
Why Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive?
If you want to keep a copy of your iPhone data, an external hard drive is an excellent solution. You can continue to view your files without an internet connection this way. In addition, external hard drives may store more data than iCloud.
You can also have more control over your backup options since you can pick which data to keep and when to save it.
Before you start backing up, make sure you have the following:
Your iPhone
A sufficient amount of storage capacity on an external hard disk
A laptop or desktop computer with the most recent version of iTunes
A lightning-to-USB cable for connecting your iPhone to your computer.
How Do You Back Up Your iPhone to an External Hard Drive?
To facilitate the process of backing up an iPhone onto an external hard drive, we will now proceed with a step-by-step explanation.
Step 1: involves connecting your external hard drive to your computer. Insert one end of the USB cable into the hard drive and the other end into an available USB port on your computer. Verify that your computer successfully detects the connected external hard drive.
Moving on to
Step 2: launch iTunes and ensure that you have the latest version installed. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a lightning-to-USB cable. Once the connection is established, your iPhone will be displayed within the iTunes interface.
In Step 3: you will initiate the backup process to the external hard drive. Within iTunes, locate and select your iPhone from the list of connected devices, then navigate to the “Summary” tab. Under the “Automatically Backup” section, choose the option “This computer.” If you do not wish to encrypt your backup, deselect the “Encrypt iPhone backup” option.
To commence the backup procedure, click on the “Backup Now” option under the “Manually Backup and Restore” section. Verify that your external hard drive is selected as the backup destination within the “Backups” section. Once the backup is complete, you will have a physical backup of your iPhone stored on the external hard drive.
In Step 4: it is essential to verify the backup’s accuracy. Access the backup location on your external hard disk and locate a folder named after your iPhone, containing the backup date. Confirm that the backup files are present within this folder.
Finally, Step 5 involves safely ejecting your external hard drive. Right-click on the external hard drive and select “Eject” from the context menu to protect the integrity of your backup data. Wait until you receive the “Safe to Remove Hardware” notice before disconnecting the USB cable.
Congratulations! Your iPhone is now securely backed up onto an external hard drive.
Why should you save your iPhone data to an external hard drive?
To ensure data preservation and facilitate data retrieval in case of device malfunctions, it is imperative to back up iPhone data. While iCloud and iTunes offer backup options, employing an external hard drive may present several advantages as a preferred solution.
Firstly, external hard drives typically provide significantly greater storage capacity compared to iCloud or iTunes. This feature enables users to back up larger volumes of data, including substantial files such as images and videos, without the concern of storage space depletion.
Secondly, unlike iCloud, which entails recurring monthly fees, utilizing an external hard drive incurs a one-time expense, solely covering the cost of the drive itself. This eliminates the need for continuous financial commitments associated with cloud-based alternatives.
Furthermore, leveraging an external hard drive bestows users with heightened control over backup operations. While iCloud and iTunes perform automatic backups at regular intervals, this limits users’ autonomy in determining the specific data to be included and the timing of backups. Conversely, with an external hard drive, users have the flexibility to manually initiate backups at their preferred times and selectively choose the data to be included in each backup instance.
In terms of efficiency, employing an external hard drive generally yields faster backup and restoration times compared to iCloud or iTunes. Particularly when dealing with substantial amounts of data, the process of backing up over a sluggish internet connection can be time-consuming. By bypassing the need to transfer data via the internet, backup operations through an external hard drive prove more expedient. Similarly, the restoration of data from an external hard drive typically outpaces the retrieval process from iCloud or iTunes due to the absence of data transfer delays.
Moreover, utilizing an external hard drive for backups offers an additional layer of data security. Physically detaching the disk from the computer makes it considerably more challenging for hackers to access the stored data. Additionally, securing the external hard drive in a protected location, such as a fireproof safe, shields it from potential damage or theft, thus enhancing data safety measures.
Backing up iPhone data using an external hard drive mitigates the risk of data loss and affords users numerous advantages over iCloud and iTunes alternatives. The expanded storage capacity, absence of recurring fees, greater control over backups, expedited backup and restoration times, and augmented data security collectively render the use of an external hard drive a favorable solution for safeguarding valuable iPhone data.
How to Back Up Your iPhone to an External Hard Drive Using Windows 10 or 11
Backing up your iPhone data to an external hard drive is an excellent approach to guarantee that your key information is safe and easy to retrieve. Here’s how to backup your iPhone to an external hard drive if you’re using a Windows 10 or 11 computer:
1. Use a USB cable to connect your external hard drive to your computer.
2. Launch File Explorer on your Windows computer by clicking the folder icon in the taskbar or by pressing the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
3. Create a new folder on your external hard drive by right-clicking on the drive in File Explorer and selecting “New Folder.” Name the folder something like “iPhone Backup.”
4. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
5. Open iTunes on your computer. If you don’t already have iTunes, you can get it from the Apple website.
6. Click on the iPhone icon in iTunes to open the device summary screen.
7. Under the “Backups” section, select “This computer” and then click “Back Up Now” to start the backup process.
8. Once the backup is complete, open File Explorer on your computer and navigate to the location where iTunes saves iPhone backups. This is usually located in a folder called “MobileSync” in your user directory.
9. Copy the backup files to the folder you created on your external hard drive.
10. To ensure that iTunes uses your external hard drive for future backups, you need to change the default backup location. To do this, close iTunes and then open Command Prompt by searching for “cmd” in the Start Menu.
11. Type the following command in Command Prompt and press Enter:
`mklink /J “%APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup” “X:\iPhone Backup”`
Replace “X:\iPhone Backup” with the path to the folder you created on your external hard drive.
12. Open iTunes again and connect your iPhone to your computer. When you click “Back Up Now,” iTunes will use your external hard drive as the default backup location.
By following these steps, you can easily back up your iPhone to an external hard drive using your Windows computer. It’s a simple process that can provide added peace of mind knowing that your data is backed up and secure.
Back up your iPhone data to an external hard drive using an alternative technique such as iCloud.
In addition to backing up your iPhone data to an external hard drive via your Windows computer, there is an alternative method using iCloud. Here’s how you can backup your iPhone data to an external hard drive using iCloud:
1. Connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network.
2. On your iPhone, open the Settings app and touch on your name at the top.
3. Tap on “iCloud” and then “iCloud Backup.”
4. Toggle on “iCloud Backup” if it isn’t already enabled.
5. Tap on “Back Up Now” to start the backup process.
6. Once the backup is complete, go to your Windows computer and open a web browser.
7. Navigate to iCloud.com and log in with your Apple ID and password.
8. Click on “iCloud Drive” and then select the backup file you just created.
9. Click on the download icon to download the backup file to your computer.
10. Connect your external hard drive to your computer and create a new folder to store the backup file.
11. Move the downloaded backup file to the new folder on your external hard drive.
You may use iCloud to back up your iPhone data to an external hard drive by following these instructions. It’s a good alternative for individuals who don’t want to utilize iTunes or a direct connection to their computer. However, keep in mind that iCloud only gives 5GB of free storage, so if your backup surpasses this limit, you may need to purchase more storage. Furthermore, the pace of the backup and download process may be affected by your internet connection, therefore it’s critical to have a reliable and fast connection for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How often should I back up my iPhone to an external hard drive?
A1. It’s recommended
Of course, I apologize for the mistake. Here is the continuation of the article:
Step 4: Move the Backup to the External Hard Drive
Now that the backup is complete, we need to move it to the external hard drive. This is a crucial step because it ensures that your backup is secure and protected from accidental deletion or loss.
1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer using the USB cable that came with the drive.
2. Open the external hard drive folder on your computer. This can be done by double-clicking on the drive icon on your desktop or by navigating to the drive in File Explorer.
3. Create a new folder on the external hard drive and name it something like “iPhone Backup.”
4. Locate the backup folder that you just created in step 2. It should be located in the default backup folder location on your computer, which is typically in your user library folder.
5. Drag and drop the backup folder to the new folder you created on the external hard drive. This will copy the entire backup folder to the external hard drive.
6. Once the transfer is complete, safely eject the external hard drive from your computer by right-clicking on the drive icon and selecting “Eject.”
Congratulations! You have successfully backed up your iPhone to an external hard drive.
FAQs:
Q. Can I restore my iPhone from the backup stored on an external hard drive?
A. Yes, you can restore your iPhone from a backup stored on an external hard drive. Connect the external hard drive to your computer and follow the same steps to access the backup folder. Then, select the backup you want to restore and follow the on-screen instructions.
Q. Can I use the same external hard drive to back up multiple iPhones?
A. Yes, you can use the same external hard drive to back up multiple iPhones. Just make sure to create a separate folder for each iPhone backup to keep them organized and easily accessible.
Q. What happens if I lose my external hard drive or it gets damaged?
A. If you lose your external hard drive or it gets damaged, you will not be able to access your iPhone backup. It is important to keep a copy of your backup in a secure location, such as a cloud storage service or another external hard drive.
In conclusion:
Choosing to back up your iPhone data onto an external hard drive represents a highly effective strategy for safeguarding vital information from potential loss or harm. By adhering to a concise set of instructions, the creation of a secure and easily accessible backup becomes a seamless process, allowing for swift restoration whenever the need arises.
The significance of regular data backups cannot be overstated, as they guarantee the continual currency and security of your valuable information. By diligently following the guidelines outlined within this article, you can confidently ensure the protection and integrity of your iPhone data, shielding it from unforeseen perils and ensuring its uninterrupted availability.
