Whether due to accidental deletion, hardware failure, or ransomware, all the valuable photos stored on your iPhone can be wiped out irrevocably. Unless, of course, you backup your iPhone.
Backup is your last resort when your data goes poof. We know: your iPhone is the most reliable phone around and you never click suspicious links. Nevertheless, given that Apple’s very own support community is abuzz with the stories of data loss, a little precaution won’t hurt.
How to Back Up Your iPhone Photos to iCloud
To keep your valuable photos out of harm’s way, back them up to iCloud. Not only is it a safe destination for your data, but it’s also incredibly easy to use. By setting up iCloud backup once, you won’t have to worry about the safety of your photos anymore. Even if your phone breaks or gets stolen, you can seamlessly recover your pictures in just a few clicks.
Here’s how to back up your iPhone pictures to iCloud:
- In the Settings, tap your Apple ID
- Tap iCloud
- Tap Photos and toggle the iCloud Photos switch
Note that only 5GB of iCloud storage space is free. If you want to preserve more photos, Apple offers premium iCloud subscription options that come with 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB of storage space.
How to Back Up Your iPhone Photos to a Mac
Although undeniably convenient, iCloud backup comes at a cost. If you are not willing to incur monthly expenses just to preserve your cat’s pictures for posterity, Mac backup is your go-to choice. With it, you can not only protect pictures from deletion but also free up space on your device. Another benefit of this approach to backup is that it allows you to enjoy your photos on a larger screen.
All you need to back up your iPhone photos to a Mac is a charging cable. It goes like this:
- Connect your iPhone to a Mac with a USB cable.
- In the Photos app’s sidebar, click your iPhone’s name
- If prompted, tap Trust on your phone
- Choose the location for importing photos
- Click Import All New Items or select photos you want to back up and click Import Selected
- Wait for the photo backup to complete
Make sure to regularly back up your photos to keep them safe. For additional convenience and protection, learn other ways to import photos from iPhone to a Mac.
How to Back Up Your iPhone Photos to a PC
If you don’t have a Mac, you can back up your photos to a PC. By storing the photos in two locations, you considerably reduce the chances of losing them if something happens to your phone.
Here’s how to back up your iPhone pictures to a PC:
- Connect your iPhone to a PC using a USB cable
- If prompted, tap Trust on your iPhone
- In the Windows Start menu, open the Photos program
- In the upper-right corner, click Import and select From a USB device
- In a window that opens, select photos you want to back up
- Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner to select the photos storage location
- Click Import X of X items
- Wait for the photo backup to complete
Note that if your iPhone photos reside in iCloud, you will not be able to back them up to a PC using the Photos app. To this end, you need to use the iCloud app. Learn more here.
Another issue you might encounter when transferring iPhone photos to a PC is USB cable incompatibility. Specifically, not all USB cables are suitable for data transfer. Therefore, make sure to try a different cable if your photos fail to transfer.
Wrapping Up
Follow our advice to regularly back up your photos and gain full control over your data. Should you lose your iPhone, your photos will reside in the safety of iCloud, Mac, or PC. For additional protection, make sure to send your photos to at least two storage destinations.
