Does "Automatically back up to this computer" in iTunes stop iCloud backups?

I've been searching for a while and I haven't found a definitive answer to this, so I'm gonna ask here. When I connect my iPhone to my PC with iTunes on it, the Backups section has a choice to "Automatically back up" to either iCloud or This Computer. Selecting the former shows the most recent iCloud backup's time, while the most recent local backup's time appears in both.


I'm worried that the implication here is that selecting "This Computer" will stop the automatic daily iCloud backups. I'd like to have both those daily iCloud backups and automatic backups on my PC whenever I connect the phone, so would choosing the latter cause an issue with that?


I've also disabled automatic syncing for all devices on my PC, since syncing seems to be redundant these days now that iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, Apple Music and all the rest of the iCloud features exist. From what I've read, though, it seems like doing this might stop automatic backups, so I also worry that I might be misinterpreting the "Automatically back up" options. Could I get some clarification on how either of the options work in general (i.e. what exactly would happen in each case when I connect my iPhone when iTunes is open), and how they interact with the syncing options?

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 17

Posted on Nov 19, 2023 8:13 AM

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Posted on Nov 19, 2023 5:24 PM

That switch controls what iTunes does. The device has its own preferences. Offhand I don't recall if changing the option in iTunes actually changes the option on the device. I'm all in on Apple Music these days so rarely connect to iTunes. If you're anything like me daily iCloud Backups are more useful than occasional backups to a computer. But I still make both when planning to make major changes.


tt2

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Nov 19, 2023 5:24 PM in response to ignisnl

That switch controls what iTunes does. The device has its own preferences. Offhand I don't recall if changing the option in iTunes actually changes the option on the device. I'm all in on Apple Music these days so rarely connect to iTunes. If you're anything like me daily iCloud Backups are more useful than occasional backups to a computer. But I still make both when planning to make major changes.


tt2

Nov 19, 2023 9:38 AM in response to ignisnl

I'm pretty sure you can enable automatic backups to your computer, and still retain the option for automatically backing up to iCloud. You can also trigger a manual backup at any point. Try enabling automatic backups on your computer, then once complete check on your iPhone under Settings > {Your Name} > iCloud > iCloud Backup. Having multiple backups is ideal in case you find that one won't restore when you need it. See also Backup methods for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support. Data that ordinarily lives in the cloud, or would be synced from a computer (such as media), isn't included in device backups, but settings and other data is. Give yourself options for recovery, and don't forget to make backups of the data that isn't already catered for.


tt2

Does "Automatically back up to this computer" in iTunes stop iCloud backups?

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