iOS 27: Everything We Know is out, and you might feel more comfortable now about updating to Apple’s latest iPhone operating system. Spend a little time first on a backup you can fall back on if the install goes sideways.
A routine backup is not what I mean here. Your Apple Account settings are probably already configured to back the phone up to iCloud automatically, which is invaluable for everyday peace of mind. What the iOS 27 update calls for is an archive, the copy that pulls you out of trouble in the unlikely event something goes wrong.
Why iCloud Backup is not enough
iCloud Backup is probably what you already rely on for a regular fallback for your data. It runs in the background while you sleep and the device charges, and it asks less of you than any other method, provided your iCloud storage has room. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and turn on Back Up This iPhone if it is not already active.
Moving up to a full release version of iOS, iOS 26 to iOS 27 for instance, is where that arrangement runs into a problem. You cannot restore from that cloud backup if you revert back to iOS 26, and the attempt returns an error. iCloud keeps just the most recent backup in any case, so there are no previous iterations to pick from.
So the fallback has to live on your computer, as an archived backup. The same goes for installing an iOS beta.
Encrypting the local backup
One decision comes before the backup itself. Turning on Encrypt local backup scrambles the data for security, so that someone with access to your computer cannot read it. Sensitive information is preserved in the backup too, including saved passwords and personal data in the Health and Fitness apps.
The cost is a separate password for the backup, and a backup that turns useless the moment you forget or lose the password you chose for it. Keep it written down where you can find it. For an iOS 26 backup meant as a fallback for installing iOS 27, that trade is yours to weigh.
How to archive an iPhone backup before installing iOS 27
Disk space and patience are the only requirements.
On a Mac
- Plug the iPhone into your Mac.
- Open a new Finder window (choose File > New Finder Window, or press Command-N).
- In the sidebar at left, select your iPhone under Locations.
- To encrypt the data, click the Encrypt local backup checkbox and set a password.
- In the General tab, click Back Up Now.
- When the backup completes, click Manage Backups.
- Right-click (or Control-click) the backup you made and choose Archive.
Marking the backup as an archive is what protects it: the next local backup cannot overwrite it, and the Mac will not delete it automatically when space runs low.
On Windows
On Windows, iTunes is still the main app for handling a connected iPhone. Open it and work through these steps.
- Plug the iPhone into your Windows computer.
- Open the Apple Devices app and click the iPhone button at the top left.
- Click General.
- To encrypt the data, click the Encrypt local backup option and set a password.
- Click Back Up Now.
- Click Manage Backups.
- Right-click the backup you made and choose Archive.
That final step matters here too, since an archived backup is not overwritten by the next local backup and not deleted automatically when the computer runs low on space.
After the archive
With an archive in place you can get on with the iOS 27 beta, knowing that if anything warrants a retreat to iOS 26, your iPhone can be back in service quickly.
