How to backup your iPhone or iPad

We’ve all been there: the awful moment when you realise your iPhone has been lost, stolen, or damaged and you have no backup plan.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Gone are the days when backing up your phone meant a dreaded 10-hour waits of your phone plugged into a laptop.

These days, backing up your phone can be completely automated and you can even do it while you sleep. So, no more excuses.

Firstly, let’s get something straight – backing up to ‘the cloud’ is the only way to go. That 250MB hard drive you bought in 2009 with half your student loan? It’s dead to you now. Disclaimer: don’t actually abandon it. Be sure to wipe any data before getting rid of it.

Backing up to the cloud is easier and safer than backing it up to another device. Especially if that device is kept in the same place as your iPhone 7 or iPad.

 iCloud is your friend

While there are lots of cloud backup options, Apple has made this exceptionally easy for iPhone users.  iCloud is linked to your Apple ID, and stores almost everything in your phone.

It backs up automatically whenever it’s plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi.

You’re given 5GB of storage for free, and can buy more as you need it. 50GB costs £0.79 per month, 200GB is £2.49 per month, and 2TB is £6.99.

Forgotten your phone? Need to urgently call your mate? iCloud has your back. You can access your contacts at www.icloud.com.

Let’s say you lose your phone on the way to work. You can use icloud.com to locate your phone using ‘Find my iPhone’.

Setting your iPhone to back up using iCloud is super easy.

 - Go to the ‘Settings’ app > [Your name] and tap iCloud.

Or, if you’re using an older version of iOS, scroll down to ‘iCloud’ in the settings menu.

 - Click on iCloud backup.

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 - Toggle the switch to ‘On’.

 - You’ll see when your last backup was at the bottom of the screen. If it was a while ago or um, never, click ‘Back Up Now’.

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You’re all set. Your iPhone will back up automatically each day as long as you have enough storage left and your phone is on Wi-Fi and connected to a power source.