Guide · Technology
Back up your phone and computer
Affiliate disclosure: US Brief may earn a commission from qualifying purchases through links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, US Brief earns from qualifying purchases. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Phones and laptops get lost, stolen, dropped and hit by malware. A backup is a separate copy of your photos, documents and settings that you can restore when that happens.
The 3-2-1 rule
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) describes a simple rule for backups:
- 3 copies of any important file: the original and two backups.
- 2 different types of storage, such as your computer’s drive and an external drive, to protect against different hazards.
- 1 copy offsite, outside your home or office, such as in a cloud service.
iPhone and iPad
- iCloud Backup. In Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, then iCloud Backup, and turn on Back Up This iPhone. It backs up automatically when the phone is connected to power, locked and on Wi-Fi. You may need to buy more iCloud storage if your backup doesn’t fit.
- Computer backup. You can also back up to a Mac (in the Finder) or a Windows PC (in the Apple Devices app). Choose “Encrypt local backup” to include saved passwords and Health and Activity data, and keep that password safe: you can’t restore an encrypted backup without it.
Android
Android phones can back up apps, settings and other data to your Google Account. On many phones it’s under Settings, then Google, then All services, then Backup; menus vary by phone maker. Google’s help page says you can back up to 15 GB of storage at no charge, with more available through a paid Google One plan. Use a PIN, pattern or password screen lock to help protect the backup.
Mac
Time Machine, built into macOS, automatically backs up your files, apps, photos and email to an external drive. Connect a drive and macOS can offer to use it, or set it up in System Settings.
Windows
Windows 11 and Windows 10 include Windows Backup, which saves files, settings and many apps to your Microsoft account and OneDrive so they are easy to restore on a new PC. File History can also copy your files to an external drive. Using both gives you a local copy and an offsite copy.
Putting it together
- Phone: turn on the built-in cloud backup, and make an occasional backup to your computer.
- Computer: back up to an external drive (Time Machine or File History) and keep a cloud copy of your most important files offsite.
- Unplug the backup drive when it’s not in use, so malware on the computer can’t reach it.
- Test a restore. Every few months, restore one file to make sure your backup actually works.
If you want to buy something
You don’t need to buy anything to follow this guide. If you do want a product, these links open an Amazon search, not a pick: US Brief has not tested the products that come up. Check the connector (USB-C or USB-A) and that the drive works with your computer’s operating system.
- Search Amazon for external hard drives (affiliate link) — choose one larger than the data you back up
- Search Amazon for portable SSDs (affiliate link) — smaller and faster, usually at a higher cost per gigabyte
Sources
Guides are separate from US Brief’s news coverage. News stories never carry these product links, and no retailer or affiliate partner chooses or reviews what we write.
More guides
- Budgeting basics: a simple way to start
- Building an emergency fund
- Protect your accounts: password managers, passkeys and security keys
Spot an error? Email contact@us-brief.com with the page link and a source.