Backing up your iPad is essential to maintaining your device and ensuring that all your personal data and information are safe. With a few simple steps, you can make sure that you always have a copy of everything on your iPad if something goes wrong. This article will show you how to backup iPad using all the available methods.
How to Backup iPad?
How do you back up your iPad so you’ll have a copy of all your data in the event it gets stolen, damaged, or misplaced? Follow the steps below to back up your iPad quickly and easily:
- To back up your iPad, first connect your iPad to an active Wi-Fi network.
- Now, go to Settings > [your name].
- Tap on iCloud and then tap the Back Up Now option.
- Ensure that your iPad stays connected to the WiFi network while your iPad is completing a backup on iCloud. If you get a prompt that your iCloud storage is full, follow the on-screen instructions to upgrade your account storage and complete the backup.
Benefits of Backing Up Your iPad
Backing up your iPad is essential to protecting its valuable content. We rely heavily on the data we store on our devices, so it’s worth taking the time every so often just to ensure that everything is safely backed-up. We have various options, such as an external hard drive or a cloud service provider like iCloud/iTunes, etc.
It may seem like extra effort at first but having peace of mind knowing that all your precious memories are safe is invaluable! You can back up your iPad using either iCloud or iTunes/Finder.
Backing up your iPad can offer several key benefits. Below we mention all the benefits of taking a backup of your iPad data.
Accidental damage
Firstly, it provides extra security for your data should there be an issue with the hardware itself, such as water damage or physical damage. By having a backup of all your information stored elsewhere, you will be able to restore it onto another device should you need to.
Software malfunction
Backing up your data regularly can help keep your content safe if something goes wrong with the iPad’s software, such as accidental deletion or corruption of files. With regular backups in place, you can simply restore your iPad to one of the previous versions if needed.
Storage space
By backing up regularly – you can free up storage space on your device, which helps keep the device running more efficiently. So with everything backed up elsewhere, deleting unnecessary files and apps becomes easier without worrying about losing any important data from them.
iPad running slow? Read our article for fixes.
iCloud Backup vs. iTunes Backup
Using iCloud as a backup option is a good idea, plus you get 5GB of free storage space. However, if you are looking for larger amounts of storage space for photos, etc., this comes at a cost. But iCloud offers reliable overall performance when setting up and managing backups correctly and is one of the most secure cloud storage platforms.
Using iTunes (on Windows machines or Finder on Macs) requires plugging into a computer with the correct software installed so backups can be taken manually when needed. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on what type of user you are and what system works best for your needs and requirements. But both offer great ways to secure your data!
How to Backup iPad to iCloud
Follow the steps below to back up your iPad to iCloud automatically and manually.
- On your iPad, go to Settings.
- Now, tap on iCloud > iCloud Backup.
- Toggle on iCloud Backup (Once you turn on iCloud Backup, your iPad will automatically back up your data on iCloud whenever the tablet is charging, locked with a stable internet connection.)
- To manually backup your iPad, tap the option Backup Now
Note: If you have an iPad with WiFi + 5G Cellular connectivity, you will also have an option to backup your iPad using cellular data. To enable this go to Settings > Tap on Your Name > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Toggle on Backup Over Cellular option.
Perhaps you’re curious about the contents of an iCloud backup. Your iMessages, photos, videos, Apple App Store purchase history, ringtones, passwords, and voicemails are all safe and sound on iCloud servers.
Keep in mind that iCloud only stores data and preferences currently on your device in its backups. Basically, if you use iCloud for things like Contacts, Calendars, Photos, etc., those items are already backed up in the cloud and won’t be backed up again.
The purchased media files are not backed up to iCloud, but their metadata is. Your devices will require fresh downloads once you restore from an iCloud backup.
How long does it take for an iCloud backup?
Besides the quantity of data being backed up and the quality of your Wi-Fi connection, the state of your iPad also plays a role in how long iCloud backup takes. After setting up iCloud backup for the first time, it might take up to two hours. A daily backup on iCloud may be completed in 7-10 minutes.
How many backups are stored?
You may be curious about how many copies of your data iCloud stores. As a rule, iCloud will only store one copy of your data at a time. Checking in on your iOS device is as simple as opening the Settings app, tapping your profile, and then selecting iCloud. There should be an entry for backups that specifies the time stamp of your iCloud backup.
What happens when you delete an iCloud backup?
You may need to remove an older iCloud backup to make room for new data. If you delete an iCloud backup, the data will be removed from your iCloud account but will remain on any devices that were backed up.
How to Back up iPad using Mac
iCloud is not the only option that you can use to back up your iPad. You can use your Mac too, and store iPad data on your Mac. Follow the steps below to use your Mac to back up your iPad files.
- First, connect your iPad and Mac using the lightning cable.
- Now, open Finder on your Mac and from the left panel, select your iPad.
- Ensure your Mac is running macOS 10.15 or later to use Finder for backing up your iPad. If you have an earlier version of macOS, use iTunes to back up your iPad.
- In the Finder window, click on General from the top panel menu.
- Select the option Back up all of the data on your iPad to this Mac.
- If you wish to secure your backup with a passcode, select the option Encrypt local backup.
- Now, click on the option Back Up Now.
Your Mac will now start backing up your iPad data. Once done, your backup will be saved on your Mac.
How to Back up iPad using Windows
IPad users who don’t own a Mac can easily back up iPad using their Windows PC or laptop. Follow the steps below to easily and quickly back up your iPad data using iTunes on Windows. Before you go ahead with the instructions, make sure your Windows PC/laptop has the iTunes app installed on it.
- First, connect your iPad and Windows laptop/PC with a lightning to USB cable.
- Now, open the iTunes app and click the iPad button in the top menu.
- Click the option Summary and then select the option Back Up Now.
- If you want to encrypt the data with a passcode, click the option Encrypt Local Backup, and then click Set Password. Then type your password to protect it.
Your Windows PC/laptop will now initiate your iPad’s backup. If you want to check the backup after it is complete, Go to Edit > Preferences > Devices. It will show you all the backups stored on the device. Encrypted backups will be marked with a lock icon.
How to Restore All Content to iPad from a Backup
The two most common ways to restore an iPad backup are through iCloud or a PC. We have explained restoring your iPad using both the mediums below.
How to Restore iPad from an iCloud backup
Restoring an iPad backup using iCloud is a quick and easy process that can help to ensure that your data, settings, and apps are safely backed up and easily accessible in the event of any issues with your device or data loss. The process may take some time, depending on the amount of data that needs to be restored, but once completed, your device should be fully restored with all of your backed-up data and settings intact.
If you want to restore an iPad backup from iCloud, follow these steps:
- To restore an iPad backup from iCloud, you must first erase it. You can do this by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad.
- Then, once the factory wipe is complete, you will have to set up the iPad once again. Eventually, you will get to a screen where you see the Restore from iCloud Backup option.
- You will be prompted to enter your Apple ID and password to authenticate. After doing so, you will see a list of available backups you can restore.
- Choose the backup you want to restore from, and then wait for the process to complete.
- Your iPad data should be restored from the selected backup, and the data from the backup will replace any existing data on your iPad.
- Once completed, your iPad should be restored with all of the settings, apps, and other data that was saved in the selected backup.
Note: If you are restoring your iPad from a backup taken before an iOS update, be sure to install any available updates on your device after the restore is complete. This will ensure that any bugs or other issues with the previous version of iOS have been addressed and will not cause problems with your restored data.
Have you read our article on how to reset your iPad?
How to Restore iPad from backup using Finder and iTunes
If you have an iPad backup stored on your Mac or Windows, then you need to follow the steps below.
- Connect your iPad, either brand new or after a factory reset, via lightning cable to the computer housing your backup.
- If you are using macOS version 10.15 and above, select your iPad in Finder’s sidebar, then choose Trust.
- On the right pane, click Restore Backup and follow the on-screen instructions.
- If you’re using Windows 7 or macOS version earlier than 10.14 — Launch iTunes by clicking the iPad icon in the upper left corner of the iTunes window, selecting Summary, and then clicking the option Restore Backup.
You will need to enter the password if your backup is encrypted.
We wrote an article on restoring iPads using iTunes; you should give it a read!
Frequently Asked Questions
Now that we have shown you all the methods to back up iPad using iCloud and iTunes let’s dive into answering some related questions.
How do I backup my iPad before buying a new one?
Before buying a newer model, you can back up your iPad on iCloud by going to your iPad’s Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. You can also back up your iPad on your Mac or Windows PC/laptop by using iTunes.
Can I backup my iPad to a hard drive?
Yes, you can back up your iPad to a hard drive by using iTunes on your Mac/Windows device.
How do I backup my iPad and restore to a new iPad?
You first need to back up your old iPad (steps above). You can then restore it on a new iPad by choosing “Set Up Manually” on the new iPad when you turn it on. You can then choose the option Restore from iCloud Backup and follow all the steps on your screen to successfully restore your backup from the older iPad to the new one.
Conclusion
This blog post outlined how to backup iPad using iCloud, Finder and iTunes. We also recommend setting up both iCloud and iTunes backups as well as creating a manual backup file just in case one of those methods fails.
Backing up your iPad is crucial to keeping your data safe and preserving all the time and effort you’ve put into customizing it exactly how you want. Have you backed up your iPad yet? If not, which method are you going to use?
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