What actually goes into an iPhone backup
An iPhone backup stores most of the data on your phone, but not everything. The backup includes your photos, videos, messages, contacts, calendar events, notes, mail accounts, app data, and device settings. It does not include apps themselves, music you bought from iTunes, movies, or TV shows — those read fresh from Apple's servers when you restore.
Think of a backup as a snapshot of your phone's personal information and how you have it configured. When you restore from a backup, you get back the things you created or customized, not the things Apple provides. This distinction matters because it means your backup file is much smaller than your actual phone, and restoration is faster.
Apple offers two types of backup: iCloud backup, which stores data on Apple's servers, and computer backup, which stores data on a Mac or Windows PC connected via cable. Both capture the same categories of information, but they work differently and have different limits on how much you can store.
Key Takeaways
- iPhone backups include photos, videos, messages, contacts, calendar events, notes, mail settings, app data, and device configuration — but not the apps or media files themselves.
- iCloud backup stores data on Apple's servers and works over Wi-Fi, while computer backup requires a cable and stores data on your Mac or Windows PC.
- iCloud gives you 5 GB free, and anything beyond that requires a paid plan; computer backup uses your computer's storage space instead.
- Some apps store their data in iCloud separately from the phone backup, so you may have multiple backups happening at once without realizing it.
- Backup does not include apps, purchased music, movies, or TV shows — those reinstall automatically from the App Store and iTunes when you restore.
Photos and videos in your backup
Your backup includes the photos and videos stored directly on your phone's storage. If you use iCloud Photos, those images are already synced to iCloud separately, so they may appear twice in your backup — once as part of the backup file and once in iCloud Photos. This can make your backup larger than you expect.
Screenshots, photos taken with the camera app, and videos you recorded all go into the backup. Photos you have edited or marked as favorites are included with those edits preserved. However, if you have deleted photos from your phone but they still exist in your Recently Deleted album, those deleted photos are not backed up — only photos currently in your library are saved.
Messages, contacts, and calendar data
Text messages, iMessage conversations, and group chats all back up, including any attachments within those messages like photos or videos sent through Messages. Your entire contact list backs up with phone numbers, email addresses, and any notes you have added to individual contacts. Calendar events from all your calendars back up as well, including event details, reminders, and invitations.
Email accounts themselves do not back up — instead, the backup stores your email account settings so the Mail app knows how to connect to your email provider. When you restore, Mail reconnects to your email server and downloads your recent messages again. This is why you do not lose email after a restore, even though the actual messages are not in the backup file.
App data and settings
The backup includes data created within apps — for example, notes in the Notes app, to-do lists, voice memos, and documents you have created in third-party apps. It also includes app-specific settings like which email accounts you have configured in Mail, which Wi-Fi networks you have connected to, and your home screen layout.
The apps themselves do not back up. When you restore your phone, the apps reinstall from the App Store automatically, but they read fresh. This keeps your backup file smaller and ensures you always get the latest version of each app. However, the app data — your progress in a game, your notes in a note-taking app, your settings within that app — all restore from the backup.
Some apps store their data in iCloud separately from the phone backup. If you use an app that syncs to iCloud, that data may be protected even if your phone backup fails. You can see which apps use iCloud by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and scrolling through the list of apps with toggles.
Device settings and configuration
Your backup preserves how you have configured your phone: display brightness, sound settings, notification preferences, accessibility settings, and keyboard preferences. Wallpaper, lock screen configuration, and home screen organization all restore. Your Face ID or Touch ID data does not back up for security reasons — you will need to set those up again after a restore.
Passwords stored in iCloud Keychain back up, so your saved Wi-Fi passwords, website passwords, and credit card information restore to your new phone. However, the backup does not include two-factor authentication codes or recovery keys you have saved elsewhere — those remain only where you originally stored them.
What does not back up
Apps do not back up as files, though their data does. Music, movies, and TV shows you purchased from iTunes do not back up — they read again from your iTunes library when you restore. Health data from the Health app backs up, but some sensitive health information like medical ID details may require you to re-enter them for privacy reasons.
Downloaded podcasts, audiobooks, and offline content do not back up. If you have downloaded episodes to listen offline, you will need to read them again after a restore. Temporary files, cache data, and app caches do not back up — the system clears these automatically and apps rebuild them as needed.
Your Apple ID password does not back up. You will need to sign in with your Apple ID after a restore, and you will be prompted to enter your password. set up Lock information backs up in a way that lets your phone recognize it is yours, but you still need your Apple ID credentials to complete setup.
How backup size relates to what is stored
Your backup file is usually much smaller than your phone's total storage because it excludes apps, media, and temporary files. A phone with 128 GB of storage might have a backup of only 10 to 20 GB, depending on how many photos and videos you have and how much app data you have created.
iCloud backup size counts against your 5 GB free storage limit. If you have many photos, large app data files, or message attachments, your backup can exceed the free limit quickly. You can see your backup size by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups and tapping your device name. If you are over the limit, iCloud will not back up until you delete data or buy more storage.
Computer backup uses space on your Mac or Windows PC instead of iCloud space. There is no size limit other than how much free space your computer has, so computer backup is useful if you have a large phone backup and do not want to pay for iCloud storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my backup include my apps?
No, the apps themselves do not back up. When you restore, apps reinstall from the App Store automatically. However, the data you created within those apps — your game progress, notes, settings — all restore from the backup. This is why your phone can restore faster than it would if every app had to back up as a file.
Will I lose my text messages if I back up?
No, text messages back up and restore. All your iMessages, SMS messages, and group chats are included in the backup, along with attachments like photos sent through Messages. When you restore, those messages come back to your phone.
Does my backup include music I bought from iTunes?
No, purchased music does not back up. However, your iTunes library is tied to your Apple ID, so when you sign in after a restore, you can read your purchased music again. It will not automatically reinstall, but it will be available in the Music app for you to read.
What happens to my passwords when I back up?
Passwords stored in iCloud Keychain back up and restore, including Wi-Fi passwords, website passwords, and saved credit cards. Your Apple ID password itself does not back up — you will need to enter it when you sign in after a restore. Two-factor authentication codes do not back up either.
Can I back up to both iCloud and my computer at the same time?
Yes, you can use both. iCloud backs up automatically over Wi-Fi, and you can also plug into a computer and create a separate backup there. Having both gives you two copies of your data in case one fails, though they are separate backups and do not sync with each other.