Backing up your iPhone XS is one of the most important things you can do to safeguard your data. With the right backup strategy, you can rest assured knowing your photos, messages, contacts, and other data are protected in case anything happens to your device.
In this guide, we will cover the essential steps to properly back up your iPhone XS to ensure your data remains secure.
Table of Contents
Why Backing Up Your iPhone XS is Important
Here are some key reasons why consistently backing up your iPhone XS is essential:
- Protects against data loss: If your iPhone is lost, stolen, or damaged, a backup ensures you don’t lose your valuable data like photos, messages, etc.
- Facilitates restoring data to a new device: If you upgrade to a new iPhone, you can use a backup to transfer your data.
- Safeguards important documents: Things like e-tickets, receipts, and other documents can be preserved in a backup.
- Saves time: Restoring data from a backup is much faster than setting up a device from scratch.
Backup Options for iPhone XS
You have two main options for backing up your iPhone XS:
- iCloud backup: Backs up data wirelessly to Apple’s cloud servers when connected to WiFi. Easy to enable and happens automatically. Limited to 5GB of free storage.
- Computer backup: Connect iPhone to a Mac or PC to back up locally. Gives you full control and allows backing up to external drives. Requires more manual effort.
Step 1: Enable Automatic iCloud Backups
Enabling iCloud backup is the easiest way to ensure your iPhone XS gets backed up automatically:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud
- Tap iCloud Backup
- Turn on iCloud Backup
Your iPhone will now back up daily whenever it is:
- Connected to a WiFi network
- Connected to a power source
- Screen locked
You can also manually trigger a backup anytime by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now.
Step 2: Encrypt Your iCloud Backup (Recommended)
Encrypting your iCloud backup adds an extra layer of security to your data:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup
- Tap Encrypt [device] Backup
- Enter a strong password
This password will be required if you ever need to restore your backup.
Step 3: Backup Your iPhone to Your Computer
While iCloud backups are great, it’s also a smart idea to occasionally back up your iPhone XS directly to your computer. This gives you a separate backup not reliant on your iCloud storage limits.
On a Mac
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac via a Lightning cable
- Open Finder and select your connected iPhone
- Click General > Back Up All of the Data on Your iPhone to This Mac
- Choose encryption and password options
- Click Back Up Now
On Windows
- Connect your iPhone to your PC via a Lightning cable
- Open iTunes
- Select your connected iPhone
- Click Summary > Back Up Now
- Choose encryption and password options
- Click Back Up
Step 4: Use Strong Passwords
If you encrypt your backups, always ensure you use strong, unique passwords that would be difficult for someone else to guess.
Avoid things like:
✘ Your birthday
✘ A family member’s name
✘ Dictionary words
✘ Repeating characters or numbers
Tips for strong passwords:
- At least 12 characters long
- Mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
- Avoid personal information
- Don’t reuse passwords
Step 5: Store Backups Externally
For another layer of protection, you can copy your computer backups to an external hard drive or cloud storage platform. This safeguards your data even if your primary devices are damaged.
On your external drive, create encrypted disk images to store sensitive backups for maximum security.
Conclusion
Following these essential backup steps will ensure your iPhone XS data stays protected in case of device issues, loss or theft.
The two keys are:
- Enable automatic iCloud backups
- Occasionally create local encrypted backups to your computer and external drives
Sticking to this iPhone backup strategy gives you peace of mind knowing you have multiple protected copies of all your precious data.
