Backing up is easy to do, and it’s also incredibly important: so many irreplaceable files and photos live on our devices that if we had to give iPad owners three pieces of advice, they would be back up, back up and back up some more. So listen up, as we explain how to make a safe and secure backup of the data stored on an iPad.
(Of course, you’ll then need to know How to restore an iPad from backup, but that’s another story.)
Why you should back up your iPad
Our iPad are among the most mission-critical possessions we have. Putting aside the financial worth of each device, these little slabs of silicon and glass have become the central repositories for once-in-a-lifetime photographic memories and important documents alike.
Making sure that all of this precious data is backed up somewhere is a crucial safeguard against theft, loss or accidental damage.
There are also a number of times in a year that Apple issues an update to the iPadOS software running on your iPad, and our advice is to make sure you have a backup of your data before you update iPadOS, just in case something goes wrong. People have been known to lose iMessages and other data in the past.
Then of course there are the more joyous occasions of upgrading to a newer model and being able to transfer all of your data quickly and simply by using a backup.
Which backup method is best? iCloud vs Mac (or PC) vs other options
Thankfully there are many ways to back up your iPad, whether to the cloud or to your PC or Mac.
We look at all the best options below, including what they cost, what is backed up, and how to use them.
As a safety precaution, we recommend using at least two of the available solutions. That way, if the worst happens and your backup is somehow corrupted, you’ll have another version to fall back on.
Back up to iCloud
iCloud is Apple’s cloud-based backup service that doubles up as a syncing service that keeps all your data in sync across all your devices.
If you have an iCloud backup and you want to recover your data to a new device, or wipe your device and restore it from the backup, it is probably the simplest option.
How much does iCloud cost?
One of the prohibiting factors of using iCloud to back up your iPad is that there is a cost associated with doing so.
You get 5GB iCloud storage for free. The 5GB space might be enough to store your settings and things like the Home Screen layout and the way you have your apps organized, and you can change what is backed up in Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Apps Using iCloud, in order to reduce the amount of iCloud Storage required, but it is likely you will need more.
If you have an extensive photo library, lots of music on your device that you didn’t buy from Apple, treasured iMessages, Game saves, and more that you don’t want to lose, you will need to pay for more storage. If you set up Family Sharing you can at least share this iCloud space with others. You can upgrade your iCloud storage here.
What does iCloud backup?
iCloud keeps a record of all the settings on your device, such as your wallpaper and Home screen layout. All the music, video, and apps you have purchased from Apple can be downloaded again for free, but it’s iCloud that stores the app data and how you have your apps organized on your device. iCloud also stores contacts, data from your calendar and Mail, as well as a backup of your Messages and Photos, but all this will be limited by the storage space available in iCloud.
This way if you get a new iPad, or need to wipe and restore your device, you can restore it from the backup exactly as it was the last time you backed up.
Apple’s iCloud service also syncs data from your iPad, iPhone and Mac so you can access it on all your devices. The syncing aspect isn’t automatic though, you need to sign up for the following services, and you need sufficient iCloud storage space.
iCloud Photos: This will keep your photos and videos in sync across all your devices. To save space low-res files are kept on the device while full-res versions are saved to iCloud. Delete them from a device and they are deleted from iCloud though. You need to turn iCloud Photo Library on in Settings > Apps > Photos > iCloud Photos. Also select Optimise iPad Storage to save space on your device. It’s free, but you will need adequate iCloud space.
iTunes Match: If you have a lot of music that you didn’t purchase from Apple you might be interested in using iTunes Match. It costs $24.99/£21.99 a year,, and keeps a record of all the music you own in the cloud so that you can play all your music on, or download it to, all your devices. If the track is available in Apple Music you’ll get access to that version, but if it isn’t Apple will store your copy in iCloud. If you subscribe to Apple Music it includes the same functionality, but Apple Music costs more.
Messages in iCloud: If you turn on Messages in iCloud all the messages you receive in the Messages app will be synced to all your devices. Even if you don’t turn on Messages in iCloud though your Messages will still be included in the daily iCloud backup. To turn on Messages in iCloud go to Settings and tap on your account information at the top > iCloud > tap on See All in the Saved to iCloud section > tap on Messages in iCloud > turn on Use on this iPad.
What doesn’t back up to iCloud?
iCloud has two sides to it. It is a backup that you can use to retrieve your data to a new iPad (or one that has been wiped) and it is a way to sync all your data across all your devices.
This does lead to some confusion, with some users assuming that iCloud Photos backs up their photos to iCloud so that they can delete them to save space on their device.
That’s not how iCloud Photos works. iCloud Photos can be used as a way to free up space on your iPad, iPhone, or Mac, but it works by storing low-res versions on your device while the full-res versions reside in cloud. If you delete an image from your iPad you will also delete the version in iCloud. Luckily if you do delete any photos and videos you have 30 days to recall them (unless you delete them from the deleted items folder too!)
iCloud also doesn’t back up data from other services, such as Gmail and Whatsapp, so you need to make sure they are backed up separately. Nor will it back up Mail data, Apple Pay, Face ID or Touch ID settings, or anything you can download again from Apple Music or the App Store.
Because iCloud only stores one backup for each device you also can’t just revert to an older version of your backup to recover something you’ve lost. The only way to do that would be to revert to a backup on from older device if you can find one in Settings > Apple account> iCloud > iCloud Backup. This back up can even be from another kind of Apple device — say an iPhone back up for an iPhone. But beware that you will lose everything since that backup!
There is one way to manually back up information from your iPad to iCloud. Create a backup folder in the Files app on your iPad (aka iCloud Drive on a Mac) and save a copy of that data there.
How to back up iPad with iCloud
To back up an iPad all you need to do is plug your iPad in at night and ensure it is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. Before you do that though you need to make sure iCloud Backups are turned on and you will need an Apple account.
- On your iPad, open the Settings app. You’ll see your name and picture (if you’ve saved one) at the top — tap this.
- Now select iCloud.
- On the next screen scroll down and tap iCloud Backup.
- If it’s not already selected make sure that the slider beside Back Up This iPad is on.
- If you have a Wi-Fi plus Cellular iPad model, you can also choose whether you want backups to happen over cellular as well as Wi-Fi here, don’t select this option if you don’t have a lot of data on your plan.
- Tap Back Up Now if you want to back the iPad up. If you have been backing up your iPad you will see the last time it was successfully backed up below this section.
- You can also see any other device backups.
Once you have toggled on iCloud Backup your iPad will automatically backup every night without any need for you to get involved — you just need to make sure it is connected to Wi-Fi/Cellular, locked, and plugged in.
Check available iCloud storage
- Open the Settings app on your iPad.
- Tap [your name], then tap iCloud.
- The amount of iCloud storage used and the amount of iCloud storage available appear at the top of the screen.
Manage iCloud storage
You can view details about iCloud backups, such as the last backup, the next backup size, and the apps included in the backup.
- Open the Settings app on your iPad.
- Tap [your name], then tap iCloud.
- Tap iCloud Backup, then tap your iPad (This iPad).
- To reduce the size of a backup, tap the apps you don’t want to back up anymore; the apps’ existing backup data will also be deleted from iCloud.
Back up to a Mac
Another option is to back your iPad up to your Mac using the Finder (older macOS versions used iTunes for this). One benefit of an on Mac backup is that you won’t have to pay Apple for additional iCloud space that you are likely to require, although you will need a lot of storage space on your Mac.
The disadvantages of this method are that it won’t keep the data on all your devices in sync, and you will need access to your Mac (or PC) to retrieve the backup.
However, having a local backup is a good idea, as it means you’ve got a copy you control, rather than trusting to the all-powerful cloud.
What does the Finder/iTunes backup?
If you backup your iPad to your Mac (or PC) it will store most of your device’s data and settings, such as your wallpaper, Home screen layout and the way you’ve organised your apps. It will also store some app data. You can use this backup to set up a new iPad or restore an iPad you have wiped.
What is stored is determined by the space available on your Mac.
What doesn’t the Finder/iTunes backup?
There are some things a Finder/iTunes backup won’t store including content from the App Store, and music bought from Apple (because, once purchased, these things can just be downloaded for free), imported music, video, books and photos,
Anything you are already storing in iCloud will also be omitted, including iCloud Photos and iMessages.
Nor will it store your Face ID or Touch ID settings.
Mail, Activity, Health and password data are also not included, unless you use an encrypted backup.
How to back up iPad on a Mac
- Connect iPad and your Mac with a cable
- Open the Finder.
- In the left-hand sidebar find your iPad.
- At the top of the Finder window, click General.
- In the Backups section choose: Back up all the data on your iPad to this Mac.
- To encrypt your backup data and protect it with a password, select “Encrypt local backup.”
- Click on Back Up Now.
Your iPad will now be backed up to your Mac.
How to back up iPad on a Windows device
- Connect iPad and your Windows PC with a cable.
- In the iTunes app on your Windows device, click the iPad button near the top left of the iTunes window.
- Click Summary.
- Click Back Up Now (below Backups).
- To encrypt your backups, select “Encrypt local backup,” type a password, then click Set Password.
To see the backups stored on your computer, choose Edit > Preferences, then click Devices. Encrypted backups have a lock icon in the list of backups.
