Back up your iPhone to iCloud from Windows by signing into iCloud.com in your web browser

You cannot back up an iPhone directly to iCloud through a Windows PC the way you can with a Mac. Instead, your iPhone backs itself up to iCloud automatically when it is connected to power and Wi-Fi, and you manage that backup through iCloud.com in your web browser on your PC. If you want to start a backup right now rather than wait for the automatic schedule, you can trigger it from your iPhone itself, then view and manage the backup from your PC.

The backup includes your photos, messages, contacts, calendar, app data, and device settings. It does not include music or movies you bought from iTunes, or apps themselves—those stay in your iTunes library. Each iPhone gets 5 GB of free iCloud storage; photos and videos taken after October 2021 do not count toward that limit if you use iCloud Photos, but older photos do.

Key Takeaways

  • iPhone backs up to iCloud automatically when plugged in and on Wi-Fi; you cannot initiate the backup from your PC, only from the iPhone itself.
  • Sign into iCloud.com on your Windows PC with your Apple ID to view what is backed up, manage storage, and delete old backups.
  • If automatic backup is turned off on your iPhone, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and toggle it on.
  • You can start a manual backup when ready by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now on your iPhone.
  • Free iCloud storage is 5 GB; if you run out, backups pause until you delete old backups or pay for more storage.

Turn on iCloud Backup on your iPhone first

Before you can see or manage a backup on your PC, iCloud Backup must be turned on in your iPhone settings. Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup. If the toggle next to "iCloud Backup" is gray, tap it to turn it on. Your iPhone will now back up automatically whenever it is plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi.

If you want to back up right now instead of waiting, stay on this screen and tap "Back Up Now." The backup will start when ready if your iPhone is on Wi-Fi. You will see a progress message; do not unplug your iPhone until it finishes. Depending on how much data you have, this can take a few minutes to an hour.

Sign into iCloud.com on your PC to view your backup

Open a web browser on your Windows PC—Edge, Chrome, or Firefox all work—and go to iCloud.com. Sign in with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone. If you have two-factor authentication turned on (which Apple recommends), you will receive a code on your iPhone; enter that code to finish signing in.

Once you are signed in, you will see a grid of iCloud services. You do not need to click anything to view your backup status. Your backup is happening in the background. To see details about what is backed up and how much storage you are using, click the settings icon (a gear) in the bottom left corner, then click "Account Settings." Under "iCloud," you will see "Manage Storage" or "Manage Account Storage"—click that to see a list of your devices and how much space each backup is using.

Check your iCloud storage and delete old backups if needed

If you see a message that your iCloud storage is full, backups will pause until you free up space. The easiest way to do this is to delete old backups you no longer need. From the storage management screen, click on your iPhone's name. You will see a list of backups with dates. Click "Delete Backup" next to any old backup you want to remove. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

If you delete a backup, you cannot restore from it later, so only delete backups that are more than a few months old. If you regularly run out of space, you can pay for more iCloud storage through the same settings screen—Apple offers 50 GB, 200 GB, and 2 TB plans. The 50 GB plan costs a few dollars per month and is enough for most people.

What happens if automatic backup is turned off

If your iPhone has not backed up in a while, automatic backup may have been turned off. This can happen if you turned off iCloud Backup in settings, if you signed out of your Apple ID, or if you disabled it in Family Sharing settings. Check your iPhone: go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and make sure the toggle is on. If it is off, tap it to turn it back on.

Once you turn it back on, your iPhone will back up the next time it meets the conditions: plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi. If you want to back up when ready, tap "Back Up Now" on the same screen. Then check iCloud.com on your PC to confirm the backup has started—you may see a progress message or a recent backup date.

Understand what is and is not included in your backup

Your iCloud backup includes your device settings, app data, messages, contacts, calendar, reminders, voice memos, notes, health data, home automation settings, and photos and videos taken on your iPhone. It does not include music, movies, or TV shows you bought from iTunes—those are tied to your Apple ID and restore separately. It also does not include apps themselves; apps restore from the App Store when you set up a new iPhone.

If you use iCloud Photos, your photo library is stored separately from your backup and does not count toward your 5 GB limit (for photos taken after October 2021). If you do not use iCloud Photos, photos and videos are included in your backup and do count toward your storage limit. You can turn iCloud Photos on or off in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos on your iPhone.

Troubleshoot backup problems from your PC

If your backup has not updated in several days, first check that iCloud Backup is still on in your iPhone settings. Then make sure your iPhone is plugged in and on Wi-Fi—backups only happen under those conditions. If both are true and the backup still is not starting, sign out of iCloud on your iPhone and sign back in: go to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out, enter your password, then sign back in with your Apple ID.

If you see an error message on iCloud.com saying your backup failed, the most common cause is that your iPhone ran out of storage or lost its Wi-Fi connection during the backup. Try the backup again by tapping "Back Up Now" on your iPhone while it is plugged in and on Wi-Fi. If the error continues, restart your iPhone and try again. If you still see an error after restarting, contact Apple Support for help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I back up my iPhone to iCloud from my PC directly?

No. Your iPhone backs up to iCloud automatically on its own schedule. You can only start a manual backup from your iPhone by tapping "Back Up Now" in Settings. Your PC is used to view and manage the backup through iCloud.com, not to create it.

How often does iCloud back up my iPhone?

iCloud backs up automatically once per day when your iPhone is plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi. You can also start a backup manually at any time by tapping "Back Up Now" in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup on your iPhone.

What if I do not have enough iCloud storage for a backup?

Backups pause when you run out of storage. You can delete old backups through iCloud.com to free up space, or pay for more storage. Go to iCloud.com, click the settings gear, click "Manage Storage," and either delete old backups or choose a larger storage plan.

Will backing up to iCloud delete anything from my iPhone?

No. Backing up to iCloud creates a copy of your data on Apple's servers. Nothing is removed from your iPhone. The backup is only used if you need to restore your iPhone to a previous state or set up a new device.

Can I see what files are in my iCloud backup on my PC?

You can see which device the backup is from, when it was created, and how much storage it uses through iCloud.com. You cannot see individual files or folders. To see what will restore, you would need to restore the backup to an iPhone or set up a new iPhone using that backup.