How to keep your devices and data backed up in iOS 8 or earlier

If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5 through iOS 8, learn how to keep your devices and data backed up.

If you’re using iOS 9 or later, no action is required.

About backups in iOS 8 or earlier

Starting December 18, 2024, device backups will require iOS 9 or later. This is to align more closely with our published minimum software requirements. Until this date, you’ll be able to use the service as normal. Afterward, your backup data will be deleted unless you update to iOS 9 or later.

If your device is already running updated software, no action is required. After December 18, 2024, if you have devices with iOS 5 through iOS 8:

  • You won’t be able to create new backups for these devices.

  • Your existing backups of these devices will be inaccessible.

All apps, data, and content on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch remain on your device. To keep using iCloud Backup, update your iPhone or iPad to iOS 9 or later. Or, you can manually back up your device to a Mac or PC with iTunes or Finder.

Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and keep using iCloud Backup

If you have an iPhone 4S or later; an iPad 2 or later; or an iPod touch (5th generation) or later, you can update your device to iOS 9 or later and keep using iCloud Backup. To update go to Settings > General > Software Update and follow the onscreen steps. Or, you can update via Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes:

  1. Connect your iPhone to your computer.

  2. On your computer, open Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes, then click the Device button.

  3. Click Summary.

  4. Click Check for Update.

  5. To install an available update, click Update or Download and Update.

Back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes

If you can’t update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can manually back up via Finder, Apple Devices, or iTunes. You can also archive or make copies of your data. To stop receiving back up notifications on your device, go to your iCloud settings and turn off iCloud backup.

Back up your device with Finder in macOS Catalina or later

  1. With a USB cable, connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac with macOS Catalina or later.

  2. On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a window in the Finder.

  3. Select your device from the list in the sidebar of the window. Don't see your device?

  4. At the top of the Finder window, click General.

  5. Select “Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.” To encrypt your backup data and protect it with a password, select “Encrypt local backup.”

  6. Click Back Up Now.

Back up your device with Apple Devices or iTunes in Windows or older macOS versions

  1. With a USB cable, connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer.

  2. On your computer, open Apple Devices or iTunes, then click the Device button.

  3. Click Summary.

  4. Click Back Up Now (below Backups). To encrypt your backups, select “Encrypt [device] backup," type a password, then click Set Password.

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