Backup iPhone Remotely

Olga Weis Last updated Oct 18, 2021

Backing up your iPhone and other digital devices is always recommended. By creating multiple copies of your data, this ensures your data can be restored should your data become corrupted or inaccessible through hardware loss or damage. Various software solutions are available to allow you to backup your iPhone and send the backup to another remote computer for safe storage.

How to restore iPhone remotely

FlexiHub

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FlexiHub is an application that allows getting access to iPhone connected to a remote computer via a USB port.

There is no guarantee of a hundred percent trouble-free gadget operation. And the great majority of issues (not all, sadly) can be fixed with a firmware reset or restoration from a backup file. But what if you are far away from your computer and all the iPhone backup stored on it? What if you’re in need of an urgent phone restoration but you have no clue how to do any of that? In cases like that, it’s always better to let professionals handle the task.

There are some dedicated companies around totally capable of fixing your phone for you remotely using FlexiHub. And you can do it yourself if feeling tech-savvy enough. Even if you’re not, just give it a try anyways. Connect your iPhone to a computer or laptop and use FlexiHub to access your remote PC with backup files on it. Sure thing, you’ll have to install FlexiHub first but no worries, that’s a very simple task even for non-professionals.

1

FlexiHub allows you to share USB over Ethernet. In order to use FlexiHub, you have to create an account. When prompted, select a plan that best suits your connection requirements.

2

Connect your iPhone to a computer and install FlexiHub on that server machine.

3

Launch Flexihub and login with your credentials you selected during registration.

4

Repeat the previous two steps on the remote computer that you will use to connect to the iPhone.

5

When you launch FlexiHub, locate the iPhone from the list of available USB ports and click the “Connect” button.

Backing up your iPhone - What are the options?

iTunes and iCloud are two proprietary solutions from Apple that allows you to back up your iPhone. There are several third part solutions available as well, but it is recommended to use the solutions offered by Apple.

iCloud Backup

iCloud Backup provides an automatic cloud backup via WiFi. All media in the form of images and videos, as well as app data and settings, messages and ringtones are saved. Your purchase history from Apple stores like iTunes, App Store and iBook are also automatically backed up.

iCloud gives you the option of automatic or manual backup. Change and select your preference from the device settings menu in iTunes or from the iOS device. Actual purchases are not backed up, only the history. This means when you restore from an iCloud backup, it will redownload your purchases. Files are synced automatically but any deleted files after automated sync cannot be restored from a backup file.

You get free 5GB of storage per Apple ID, which depending on what you’re backing up is not much, however you do have the option of purchasing additional storage space. When your available storage is full, iCloud will inform you that a backup has failed due to lack of storage space and you will be prompted with upgrade options.

Steps to using iCloud to backup

Make sure you are connected to Wifi
Click Settings > [Your Name] and iCloud. In iOS versions 10.2 and earlier you’ll find the iCloud option after scrolling from the Settings menu.
Scroll to locate and select the iCloud Backup option. Again, in versions 10.2 and earlier, select Backup. Ensure that iCloud Backup is enabled.
Select “Back Up Now” and allow the process to complete. Do not disconnect from your Wifi until the backup is complete.
Once complete, locate your backup from “Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Storage > Manage Storage. Select your device from the list and the backup will be listed with the backup time and file size. In earlier versions, you can find the backup in Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage.

How to use automatic iCloud Backups

Turn on iCloud Backups from Settings > [Your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup. In versions iOS 10.2 and earlier use Settings > iCloud > Backup to access this option.
Make sure your device is plugged into a power source and charging.
Make sure your device is on Wifi
Lock your device’s screen.
Ensure your iCloud account has sufficient storage space to complete the backup.

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Using iTunes to backup your iPhone

Backing up to iTunes serves as a local failsafe for automatic iCloud backups. When changing devices or installing new software, it is useful to create a local backup to iTunes for easy and complete restoration if necessary. An iTunes backup is a better option when a full restore is required.

Steps to backup using iTunes

Connect your iPhone to your computer’s USB port with iTunes open.
Grant access to your computer if prompted to do so. You will need to select “Continue” on your computer and “Trust” on your phone to proceed. Your phone may require you to enter your password as well.
From iTunes, select the phone icon from the menu bar. This will open the “iPhone Summary” page.
The iPhone Summary page will show you the last backup date, the size of the backup and allow you to make any changes to your backup settings.
Click “Back Up Now” from the Backups > Manually Back Up and Restore option. A status bar will show you the backup progress. The duration will depend on the amount of data you are backing up.
When complete, you can confirm that the backup is complete in the “Latest Backups” section. Check the timestamp to ensure it’s the latest one.

FAQ

1. What is Backup?

There are a number of options available when backing up. On a desktop machine, you may want to only back up your files and folders. Some software solutions allow you to take a snapshot of your hard disk which includes not just your files and folders but all system settings and programs, allowing you to restore your device to the exact state it was. Backups generally don’t include mobile devices by default, but it is possible to include all devices with some software solutions.

FlexiHub

Requirements: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and Raspberry Pi.
Size: 10.45MB
Version: 6.1.15025 (19 Feb, 2024)

User rating: (4.8 based on 386+ reviews)

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