Phones hold more of our lives than almost anything else we own: family photos, contact numbers, chat history, documents and notes. Phones also get lost, dropped, stolen or simply stop working, often at the worst moment.

The good news is that learning how to back up your phone takes less than an hour, and most of it can run automatically after that. This guide walks you through it in plain language, for both Android and iPhone.

Key takeaways

• A backup is a second copy of your data stored somewhere other than your phone.
• Turn on automatic cloud backup first. It is the easiest protection.
• Add a second copy on a computer or external drive for important files.
• Check your backup once a month to confirm it is actually working.
• Protect your backup account with a strong password and two-step verification.

Why backing up your phone matters

If your phone is your only copy of a photo, then that photo is only one accident away from being gone. This is especially true for irreplaceable items such as family pictures, scanned documents and videos of special events.

A backup also makes switching to a new phone much easier. Instead of rebuilding everything by hand, you can restore your contacts, apps and photos in one go.

What should you back up?

Not everything needs the same level of care. Start with the items that would hurt most to lose.

• Photos and videos: usually the biggest and most precious category.
• Contacts: phone numbers and email addresses for family, friends and work.
• Documents and notes: IDs you have scanned, school or work files, and personal notes.
• App data and settings: your home screen layout, Wi-Fi networks and app preferences.
• Messages: chat history, which some apps back up separately.

Option 1: Cloud backup (the easiest method)

Cloud backup saves a copy of your data on a secure online server. It works over the internet, usually when your phone is charging and connected to Wi-Fi.

On an Android phone

1. Open Settings and look for a section named Google or Accounts and backup.
2. Select the backup option and switch it on.
3. Choose which items to include, such as device data, contacts and photos.
4. Tap Back up now and wait for it to finish.