How to backup your iPhone without iCloud

Did you know that users can backup iPhone without using iCloud? While iCloud can be great for storing a variety of things, some users may not be thrilled with the 5 GB of storage that Apple offers for free. For some users, it can be incredibly easy to fill up this storage space quite quickly. If your iCloud storage is full, or if you don’t want to use iCloud when backing up your iPhone, read on for some tips and tricks.

Apple offers its own cloud-based storage solutions thanks to iCloud. Apple offers the ability to manage and navigate your data from any device, and offers users with an Apple ID free 5 GB of iCloud storage. You can also purchase additional storage for a monthly fee. However, the free storage space can fill up quite quickly, especially if you take a lot of photos and videos. Using this guide, here are some tips on how to back up your iPhone without using iCloud.

Determine the size of your iCloud backup

If you’re not sure about the size of your backup, but think it might end up in your iCloud storage, there are ways to check. If you can’t back up your iPhone due to storage issues on your iCloud, determining the size of your backup can be extremely helpful.

To see how much space your iCloud backup is taking up, go to Settings > [Your Name]. Then go to iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups.

This is also a good time to check any older backups on your iCloud account. This may give you enough room to continue backing up your iPhone to your iCloud. While you should definitely keep your most recent backup, some older backups can take up space.

Clicking on one of your backups will display the relevant information. From the top of the screen, you can see when you made your last backup, the backup size of your current backup, and what the size of your next backup will be. You can also delete your backups from this screen.

This information will help you determine if you can remove enough information from your iCloud to create a new backup.

Clean your iCloud account

If you can’t back up because your iCloud storage is full, there is a method to easily clean up your iCloud account. While 5 GB of space with a free account may seem like enough, it probably isn’t. Be sure to follow this guide I created to ensure you can properly clean your iCloud data.

For those who want to use iCloud but are incredibly tight on space, it’s usually photos and videos that get in the way. With the help of my guide, I can show you how to remove the junk from your iCloud account to keep using it for backup purposes.

Back up your iPhone with a Mac

Without using iCloud, one of the safest ways to back up your iPhone is to do it from a Mac or Windows machine. Looking at Mac first, I’ll show you how to backup your iPhone using Finder. Keep in mind that if you go this route, your backups will only be on your computer, making them less secure than iCloud.

Follow these steps to back up a device on your Mac. Note that this guide uses macOS Ventura and the steps may be a bit different for earlier iterations of macOS.

This may take several minutes depending on how much data is on your iPhone.

Back up your iPhone using Windows

If you are using a Windows machine, there is also an option to backup your iPhone without using iCloud. For Windows users, old Apple friend iTunes is your go-to for backing up. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes before proceeding.

Follow these steps to use a Windows device to backup your iPhone.

1. Connect your iPhone to your Windows machine and make sure you have the correct permissions set.
2. Go to iTunes and select the iPhone icon in the top left corner.
3. Scroll down to the Backup section under General and under Automatic backup, select This computer.
   Windows should then start backing up your device.
4. You can check the location of this backup by going to the iTunes menu, selecting Preferences and then going to the Devices tab.
   You can see the list of backups you have made through iTunes.
5. You can also go to your iPhone, go to General, scroll down and manually back up your device.
   Just make sure “Back up all data on your iPhone to this Mac” is selected, then select Back up now.

When using a computer to back up your data, remember that the backup is only as current as the last one you made. If you don’t use iCloud, you should back up your iPhone regularly. It’s also important to remember that your backups are only as safe as your computer.

Finder, iTunes and iCloud alternatives

If you’re looking for an alternative to backing up your iPhone, there are some pretty powerful third-party solutions as well. For example, one program I recommend is iMazing. While it has a one-time purchase price or an annual contract for unlimited devices, iMazing offers plenty of features to keep users interested. Of course, the free option also offers plenty of backup options.

One of the better things about iMazing is that it doesn’t overwrite your iPhone and iPad backups. Moreover, it also does not need access to cloud storage. The program is even capable of offering automatic and wireless backup solutions. In fact, they also explain how to operate the program.

Another good option can also be EaseUS MobiMover Pro. Like iMazing, this program offers tools that can help users manage, transfer, and backup their iPhone, iPad, or iPod. One benefit of MobiMover Pro is that it can help you save space on your device while maintaining access to your photos and videos, which is often the fastest way to fill up your iCloud storage. Note that MobiMover Pro costs money, so users will have to make a decision about what works best for them.

Moreover, users can also look at other cloud-based storage alternatives to store their data. Programs such as Google Drive or DropBox can be a good alternative to iCloud. However, this is really only an alternative for photos and videos, and you would have to migrate them manually. This can be quite a complicated process, so decide for yourself what you want to use.

Conclusion: Backup your iPhone without iCloud

When it comes to backing up your iPhone without using iCloud, there are a few options available to users. While the 5 GB of free storage that Apple offers with iCloud may not be enough for some users, backing up your data to a Mac or Windows machine is also a good alternative.

If you run out of iCloud storage or simply refuse to use iCloud, there are still options to back up your device. It is important to remember to back up your device as often as possible. If you are not going to use iCloud, remember to back up your device every night. At the very least, users should be sure to back up their devices at least weekly. According to this guide, users have options outside of iCloud.