Hi, I am taking my iPhone 6S+ to an Apple store for possible battery replacement. According to Apple, we should backup the phone, log out from Apple ID account and reset it to factory settings to protect our personal information before giving it out. Without a Mac, what is the best way to backup the phone so that I could recover it to the current state after getting it back from Apple? I only have a Windows PC and no plan to pay for iCloud. Currently I have used about 95GB of storage.
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What is the best way to backup an iPhone without a Mac?
- Thread starter hajime
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Apple actually says in the appointment email that all you need to do is back up your phone and sign out of Find My iPhone.
You do not need to log out of your Apple ID or reset it. You can if you want to, but not necessary.
And most will probably say the easiest way to back up is iCloud. Or make an encrypted backup using iTunes.
Download iTunes to your PC and back up to that.
No idea what the "best way" is, but I believe iTunes for Windows can backup your phone
There's also iMazing, which has a Windows version. I had an older Mac version of their app and it has a lot of features that could be handy. I have no need for it anymore, but it might be worth a look. IIRC, they have a free trial period but not sure if a full phone backup is available in the trial
imazing.com
Back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in iTunes on PC
In iTunes on PC, back up your device to your computer. You can then restore your device if you have any problems.
support.apple.com
There's also iMazing, which has a Windows version. I had an older Mac version of their app and it has a lot of features that could be handy. I have no need for it anymore, but it might be worth a look. IIRC, they have a free trial period but not sure if a full phone backup is available in the trial
iMazing - The ultimate iPhone manager.
Take control of your iOS and iPadOS devices with the world's most trusted device manager.
As stated before, just download iTunes and make a backup. Be sure to choose the encrypted backup so absolutely *everything* is backed up.
Few years ago I used iTunes on my Windows PC to back up my phone or ipad. Don't remember which. As I recall, I could not view the pictures. The files were saved in some sort of unfamiliar format.
Anybody successfully recovered their phone from iTunes Windows version?
By backup, I also mean backing up the settings in apps such as those SMS apps so that when I do a recovery, I can just use the phone as if I did not send it to Apple. In this context, is iTunes backup the same as cloning?
Anybody successfully recovered their phone from iTunes Windows version?
By backup, I also mean backing up the settings in apps such as those SMS apps so that when I do a recovery, I can just use the phone as if I did not send it to Apple. In this context, is iTunes backup the same as cloning?
The backup file is not for browsing on the computer. It’s only purpose is to restore to a device.
No idea what the "best way" is, but I believe iTunes for Windows can backup your phone
Back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch in iTunes on PC
In iTunes on PC, back up your device to your computer. You can then restore your device if you have any problems.support.apple.com
There's also iMazing, which has a Windows version. I had an older Mac version of their app and it has a lot of features that could be handy. I have no need for it anymore, but it might be worth a look. IIRC, they have a free trial period but not sure if a full phone backup is available in the trial
iMazing - The ultimate iPhone manager.
Take control of your iOS and iPadOS devices with the world's most trusted device manager.
Thanks. It does look very feature-rich with a very nice UI. Looks like we need to purchase directly from them rather than through a perhaps more secure MS Store or App Store.
If you want to be able to access images and files from the phone, that's one of the things that iMazing does...
________
Extract all the contents of a device backup, in a human readable format
Export all your Messages and WhatsApp chats to PDF, Excel and CSV.
Export all your photos and music.
Export your notes, voice memos, contacts and calendars.
Export your call log, voicemail, Safari history and more.
If you buy the 200 GB plan for exactly one month ($2.99) then back up to the iCloud then it will save you a bunch of trouble.
You can also use the new 'Apple Devices' app to do all this instead of using iTunes (assuming you have Windows 10 or 11).
Apple Devices User Guide for Windows
On your Windows computer, you can sync—set up, manage, and add content—to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
support.apple.com
Apple Devices - Official app in the Microsoft Store
Manage Apple devices from your Windows PC using the Apple Devices app.
apps.microsoft.com
Oh wow, having not used iTunes in probably a decade, I had no idea there was an alternative now on Windows. Thanks for the info!You can also use the new 'Apple Devices' app to do all this instead of using iTunes (assuming you have Windows 10 or 11).
Apple Devices User Guide for Windows
On your Windows computer, you can sync—set up, manage, and add content—to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.support.apple.comApple Devices - Official app in the Microsoft Store
Manage Apple devices from your Windows PC using the Apple Devices app.apps.microsoft.com
Buy 200Gb for 1 month. Do your backup, restore your phone and cancel iCloud. Done, cheap and easy.
I download software from the web all the time. If you know what you're doing, it's perfectly secure. There are indeed scams on the App Store/MS Store, too.
For this approach, can the restore function returns the phone to the state when it is being backed up? I mean all the settings of apps like those of SMS get restored automatically?
Does this approach also work if I end up moving from the current phone to a new later on?
Doesn't Apple offer a temporarily larger quota specifically for phone upgrades? I could swear I read that somewhere...
edit: found it
Get temporary iCloud storage when you buy a new iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
When you buy a new iPhone or iPad, you can get temporary iCloud storage to transfer data from your current device to your new one. Learn if you’re eligible, how to create a temporary backup, and how long your temporary backup is available.
That sounds sketchy A.F. Why would you want to help some bad apple employee steal your phone?
Nothing sketchy or new. Apple gives you work order when they take your phone. If some one steals it, Apple has to replace and will likely fire the employee.
OP: I do iTunes as my second level backup, but iCloud is my preferred method of back up and restore. It wouldn’t hurt to have couple of backups.
My comment was about the signing out of find my iPhone. Apple doesn’t want any lock, and backed up before accepting for service. They me replace your phone with refurb if needed. It’s been always the case.