Back up your iPhone to your PC using iTunes in four steps

To back up your iPhone on a Windows PC using iTunes, connect your phone with a USB cable, open iTunes, select your device, and click Back Up Now. The backup stores your photos, messages, settings, app data, and other content on your computer's hard drive. This backup file is separate from iCloud backups — you can use both at the same time, or use only the iTunes backup if you prefer not to use Apple's cloud service.

The process takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on how much data is on your phone and how fast your USB connection is. Your phone stays usable while the backup runs. Once finished, iTunes shows you the date and time of the last successful backup.

Key Takeaways

  • iTunes must be installed on your Windows PC before you can back up an iPhone — read it from Apple's website if you don't have it.
  • Use a working USB cable to connect your iPhone directly to your PC; wireless backup through iTunes is not available on Windows.
  • When you first connect, your iPhone may ask you to trust the computer — tap Trust on your phone to proceed.
  • iTunes stores the backup file on your PC's hard drive, separate from any iCloud backup, so you have a local copy of your data.
  • Encrypted backups protect your passwords and health data, but you must remember the password you set or you cannot restore from that backup.

Install iTunes on your Windows PC

If you don't already have iTunes on your computer, read it from Apple's website. Go to apple.com, scroll to the bottom, and click iTunes. Select the Windows version and follow the installer. The read is free.

After installation, restart your computer. When you plug in your iPhone for the first time, Windows may ask you to install drivers — let it finish. iTunes will not recognize your phone until the drivers are in place.

Connect your iPhone with a USB cable

Use the USB cable that came with your iPhone or any compatible Apple USB cable. Plug the lightning connector (the small flat end) into the bottom of your iPhone and the USB end into an available port on your PC. Avoid USB hubs if possible — plug directly into the computer for the most stable connection.

Your iPhone screen will show a prompt asking "Trust This Computer?" Tap Trust, then enter your iPhone passcode if asked. This step tells your phone it's safe to share data with this PC. If you skip this step, iTunes will not see your phone's data.

Open iTunes and select your device

Launch iTunes on your PC. When your iPhone is connected and trusted, a small phone icon appears near the top left of the iTunes window. Click it to open your device settings.

You are now in the device summary page. This page shows your phone's name, capacity, software version, and backup options. This is where you control what gets backed up and where it goes.

Choose backup location and settings

On the summary page, under Backups, you see two options: iCloud and This Computer. Select This Computer if you want iTunes to save the backup to your PC's hard drive. If you select iCloud instead, iTunes will not create a local backup — your data goes only to Apple's servers.

Below the backup location, you see a checkbox for Encrypt iPhone backup. If you check this box, iTunes protects your passwords, health data, and home kit information with a password you create. If you leave it unchecked, those items are not encrypted in the backup, but the backup process is slightly faster. Either way, your backup is stored on your PC.

Start the backup and wait for completion

Once you have selected This Computer as your backup location, click the Back Up Now button. iTunes begins copying your data to your PC. A progress bar shows how much has been copied. Do not unplug your iPhone until the progress bar disappears and you see a completion message.

The time this takes depends on how much data is on your phone and the speed of your USB connection. A phone with 64 GB of data might take 20 to 45 minutes. Your iPhone remains usable during the backup — you can use it normally while iTunes works.

When finished, iTunes displays the date and time of the backup under Latest Backup. This confirms the backup was successful. Your data is now stored on your PC's hard drive in a folder that iTunes manages automatically.

Where iTunes stores your backup file

iTunes saves backups in a hidden folder on your PC. On Windows 10 and 11, the backup folder is located at C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. You do not need to open this folder to use your backup — iTunes finds it automatically when you restore.

If you want to back up this folder to an external drive for extra safety, you can copy the entire Backup folder. However, do not move or rename files inside it, or iTunes will not recognize the backup. The simplest approach is to let iTunes manage the folder and trust that your PC's own backup system (Windows Backup or a third-party backup tool) protects it.

Restore from an iTunes backup

If you get a new iPhone or need to restore your current one, connect it to your PC with iTunes open. On the device summary page, click Restore Backup. iTunes shows a list of available backups with their dates. Select the backup you want and click Restore. Your phone will restart and restore all the data from that backup.

If you encrypted the backup, iTunes asks for the password you set. If you forget the password, you cannot restore from that backup — you must set up the phone as new or restore from an iCloud backup instead. Write down any encryption password you create and store it somewhere safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need iTunes to back up my iPhone?

No. You can back up to iCloud instead, which stores data on Apple's servers and does not require a computer. However, iTunes backups are stored on your PC's hard drive, which gives you a local copy you control. Many people use both methods for extra protection.

Can I back up wirelessly over Wi-Fi with iTunes on Windows?

No. iTunes on Windows requires a USB cable connection. Wireless backup is only available through iCloud or through iTunes on a Mac. If you want wireless backup on Windows, use iCloud instead.

What happens if I unplug my iPhone during the backup?

The backup stops and iTunes marks it as incomplete. The next time you connect and click Back Up Now, iTunes starts over from the beginning. It does not resume from where it left off.

Can I back up multiple iPhones to the same PC?

Yes. Each iPhone creates its own backup folder on your PC. When you connect a different iPhone, iTunes recognizes it and creates a separate backup. You can restore each phone from its own backup independently.

Is my iTunes backup the same as my iCloud backup?

No. They are separate backups stored in different places. An iTunes backup is on your PC's hard drive. An iCloud backup is on Apple's servers. You can have both, or use only one. If you restore from iTunes, iCloud data is not restored — only the iTunes backup data is used.