Today, iPhones are mini data centers. They are used not only for answering calls and replying to messages but also for clicking photos, shooting videos, playing games, streaming movies, and so much more. Hence, it is understandable if you feel squeamish thinking about what might happen if you accidentally lose your stored data.
Let’s hope that day never comes by having a robust backup plan. And no, we’re not talking about iCloud. Although iCloud has been the default backup option for iPhone users since time immemorial, storing more than 5GB of data is expensive. Hence, we provide a guide outlining unconventional backup options you may have overlooked. Take a look.
Have A Pc Or Mac? Consider Backing Up Data Locally
iPhone users are so used to iCloud that many don’t even know about the local backup option. You can backup locally via iTunes if you have a Mac or PC. This will create a local copy of your iPhone data on your computer.
The advantages of this option are:
- You have complete control over the backup location and can even access individual files if required.
- The backup resides on your computer, offering better security than iCloud.
- The backup can be accessed even if you don’t have an Internet connection.
It is also important to be prepared for this method’s drawbacks. For example, many iPhone users complain that backing up locally is a tedious manual process. Also, it heavily relies on the available storage on your computer.
So, if you are afraid to get your hands dirty and manually backup your iPhone data at regular intervals and have enough storage space on your computer, consider this backup option.
Use An External Drive As Your Backup Best Friend
External drives can be your best friend when you need to backup huge amounts of iPhone data. For example, if you use your iPhone as a camera and video recorder, you may need to backup data every single day and clear your phone’s internal storage. The free 5GB of cloud storage offered by iCloud will not be enough for your high-quality pictures.
In that case, you can save iPhone backup to external drive. Purchase an external drive with sufficient storage capacity, connect the hard drive to your computer using a USB cable, and use backup software to schedule automatic backups of your iPhone through your computer.
Since this method is getting pretty popular among iPhone users, some hard drives even offer mobile applications for direct iPhone backups.
The advantages of this backup method are:
- The data resides on a physical drive and can be accessed even if you don’t have an active Internet connection.
- It is possible to scale your backups as you can choose an external drive with ample storage to accommodate future backups.
- The external hard drive is a separate entity that can be used for potential data recovery.
While all’s well with this backup method, you must protect the external drive as it is susceptible to theft and physical damage.
Use A Nas Device
Using a NAS (network attached storage) device is another viable backup option. You can set up a NAS on your home network and then configure your iPhone to back up to this device using a dedicated software or application.
The advantages of this backup method are:
- The backups can be consolidated in a centralized location so they are easier to access and retrieve.
- You can access the backups even without an Internet connection.
- There’s potential for scalability depending on the NAS model.
The Drawbacks Of This Method Are:
- Technical knowledge and expertise are required to set up and maintain a NAS.
- If NAS malfunctions, all the backups will become inaccessible.
Utilize Messaging And Social Media Applications
This indirect backup method works if you don’t have a lot of data that needs to be backed up. Also, this method only works for specific data types like videos and photos.
You can upload your precious videos or photos to your chosen social media platforms or messaging applications that offer cloud storage. Then, even if you accidentally remove or delete those photos or videos from your phone’s internal storage, you can still access them from those specific platforms or apps.
The Advantages Of This Method:
- It is a convenient backup option that leverages existing messaging or social media apps you use already.
- You can easily share your photos or videos with friends.
Despite its benefits, this method offers limited functionality, and the security measures of social media or messaging apps need to be evaluated.
Consider Cloud Storage Services Beyond Icloud
iCloud is not the only cloud storage option for iPhone users. You can choose from other reputation cloud storage providers like Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Simply install the application on your iPhone and configure the app to automatically upload specific types of data to the cloud storage.
So, these are the five unconventional iPhone backup methods you need to know. These methods allow you to explore beyond iCloud. Choose wisely!
Read Also: Fix the ‘No SIM Card Installed’ Error on the iPhone
