How to back up important files on your phone or tablet – the easy way

Most of us use our smartphones daily, so our devices are crammed with files we'd rather not lose. Thankfully, you don't have to be particularly tech-savvy to ensure your files are backed up elsewhere.

If you're using an iPhone or iPad, you can use Apple iCloud to access your files from another Apple device, or back them up to your computer. Meanwhile, Android owners can use Google account cloud storage or Google Photos to preserve pictures of loved ones.

Below, we explain how to back up files on your phone or tablet in simple terms. Plus, we've included tips from our security experts on how to keep your data hidden from prying eyes.

Secure all your devices with our guide on how to back up important files on your computer

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How to back up an iPhone or iPad

The default way to back up most Apple and Android tablets and phones is to use their built-in options to back up to the cloud. As with computers, you might need to pay to increase your storage allowance first.

Depending on your device, it might also be possible to back it up to a computer via a cable connection.

Our tech experts explain how to choose the best cloud storage service

Back up your files to iCloud

To back up your device to iCloud, follow these steps:

1. Tap Settings > Your name > iCloud > iCloud Backup and enable Backup This iPhone/iPad.
2. You might want to disable the Back Up Over Mobile Data option if it's available to prevent the process from eating up your mobile data allowance.
3. Tap back, then tap See all to select what you want to include in your backup – Photos, Notes, Password and so on, as well as data from individual apps.

Note that iCloud automatically backs up your device daily, when it's locked and connected to power and wi-fi.

A free account will give you 5GB of storage, while upgrading to iCloud+ for 99p a month gets you 50GB of storage space – handy if you're backing up lots of high-quality videos.

Back up an iPhone or iPad to a Windows computer

To do this, you'll need to install Apple's free iTunes app for PC – available from the Microsoft Store. Before you run the backup, consider going through your device and deleting non-essential apps, messages and videos. Doing so means the backup will take less time to complete.

When you're ready, follow these steps:

1. Connect your device using a USB charging cable. If it's the first time you've plugged your device into your computer, you might be prompted to restart your PC to install a driver.
2. Launch iTunes and click the iPhone or iPad button in the top left.
3. Choose Summary, then select This Computer > Back Up Now.

Back up an iPhone or iPad to a Mac

1. Connect your iPhone or iPad using its cable.
2. Open a Finder window, then click your device in the Finder sidebar (if this isn't visible, click View > Show Sidebar).
3. Click the General tab at the top of the window, then select Back up all of the data on your iPhone/iPad to this Mac > Back Up Now.

In both cases, you can choose to encrypt your iPhone/iPad backup with a password.

If your device is running slowly and you're thinking of replacing it, see our expert advice on the best smartphones and best tablets

How to back up an Android smartphone or tablet

To back up your device to your Google account cloud storage, try this:

1. Tap Settings > Google > Backup.
2. Under Backup is off, tap Manage backup > Turn on.
3. Under Backup details, you can see what’s being backed up – tapping some of these categories (Apps, Photos and videos, Google Account data) will provide you with further options.
4. Scroll down to Advanced settings – you may wish to disable Back up using mobile or metered Wi-Fi to prevent backup from using up any data allowance.

Your device will back itself up automatically over wi-fi, when it’s charging and has been idle for two hours.

Unfortunately, Android doesn’t provide a built-in way to back up your device to a computer.

You can connect your phone or tablet to a Windows PC using a USB cable, then tap the Charging this device via USB notification that appears and select File transfer. This will allow you to open your device’s storage in a File Explorer window on your computer to manually transfer files and folders.

Where should I store my photos?

Google Photos is much more convenient than transferring photos to a laptop.

From your phone, open the Google Photos app and sign in with your Google account. Tap your profile icon in the top right, then Photos settings > Backup and turn Backup on. Next, choose Backup quality – we recommend selecting Original quality, particularly if you want to print your photos, as this will preserve their quality.

Once you’ve set this up, your photos will be stored online. You can then easily access them from other devices by logging into the Google Photos app, or by signing in with your account at photos.google.com via your web browser.

Keeping your devices protected against malware is crucial, so explore our advice covering the best antivirus

Even more ways to secure your phone

• Set up Face Unlock / Fingerprint Unlock – if your phone or tablet doesn't have any additional unlock protection at the moment, get it added right away. 
• Enable the 'Find my' service – both iOS and Android let you virtually locate and control your phone to stop data from falling into the wrong hands. This is called Find My on iOS (shown below) and Find My Device on Android.
• Install security updates – this protects you against vulnerabilities in the operating system that hackers could take advantage of.
• Check your screen-lock settings – your phone or tablet display will eventually turn off when you stop using it. If you want to reduce the time it takes for this to happen, you can make adjustments.
• Use strong passwords – remember that a passphrase is better than a single password, and don't use any personal information as a password.

For step-by-step instructions on all of the above, see our guide on 10 things every smartphone owner should do to keep their data safe.

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Additional reporting by Tom Morgan.