Automatically create iPhone backups to Mac (without iCloud)

You need to do the backup manually unless you use iCloud. That is what I do.

heIIo_world wrote:

Hello community, I've seen people ask previously about how to set up automatic iPhone backups to their Mac, without using iCloud.

These people have been referred to this article (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977#computer), which however does not answer their question. The "Automatically sync when this iPhone is connected" setting does not create a full backup, it just syncs playlists, etc. You can't restore your phone from a sync. It's a different thing.

In other places on the Internet, people have suggested closed-source third-party software for automatic backups, but that seems a bit too much for such a simple task.

Questions:

1) How can I set up automatic backup of my iPhone to Mac? I don't (want to) use iCloud.

2) If that's not possible, how can I trigger the backup from the command line or using Automator, so I can run it periodically via a Cron job instead?

Thank you.

1. you don't you use icloud for that.
2. this is how you backup to itunes How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Just click the backup now button when you connect your iDevice

if it doesn't backup automatically.

I haven't checked recently, but my iPhone always did a backup and

sync when I plug it into my Mac. Maybe this has just recently been

changed or is a bug with a recent update (iOS or macOS).

Edit:

I just plugged my iPhone 11 Pro (iOS 14.6) into my M1 MacBook Air (macOS 11.4)

and it did both backup and sync.

Did you check to make sure that iCloud backup is turned off on

the iPhone?

It will only backup automatically if you have auto sync on. If not you need to manually backup.

.. this one can be deleted ..