Want to backup iphone to mac, but tries to make me sync.

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Want to backup iphone to mac, but tries to make me sync.

I already back up my iphone to icloud, but I want to be extra safe and also create an itunes backup periodically. So I read up on it and it sounds pretty easy. But I have a question:

When I connect my iphone 6S to my iMac, with iTunes open, as it asks me to authorize the computer, I see up top it is on Step 3 (I think it's #3) of "Syncing iPhone...." and under it it says "determining which apps to sync." BUT, I don't want to "sync," I only want to backup. I've unplugged the cord and stopped it in it's tracks.

My question, why is it automatically trying to sync before I have a chance to initiate the backup? IS this normal behavior?

And I don't want anything from my Mac being put onto my iphone.

Thanks!

Posted on Oct 5, 2016 7:53 PM

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Answer 1

ChrisJ4203

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236,363 points

Oct 5, 2016 7:58 PM in response to slobizman

Probably because you have iTunes set to automatically sync. I believe that is the default behavior. I don't use Mac, but in Windows, you would go to Edit>Preferences>Devices, and you put a check by prevent iPhones from automatically syncing. There has to be a similar setting for the Mac. That should help you find a way to discover it.

After you do that, you can connect the device and not be worried about a sync, and then just click on the backup button after selecting the phone.

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Answer 2

slobizman Author

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Oct 5, 2016 9:44 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

Awesome! Thanks, that worked.

Can I ask one more question? I don't need to concern myself with the left side of the backup screen in itunes, where it's already marked to automatically backup to iCloud, right? I still want that to happen automatically every day. All I want is to also manually backup to itunes when I connect my iphone to the Mac and click "Backup". So, I left the automatic stuff on the left alone and simply clicked to Backup now to computer on the right side. Just checking that this is in fact a full backup and not an incremental one of some sort.

Thanks!

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Answer 3

ChrisJ4203

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236,363 points

Oct 6, 2016 6:21 AM in response to slobizman

It will be a full iTunes backup, however if it is not encrypted, then it will not contain passwords or Health data. Backing up in iTunes will not affect you backing up with iCloud. The iTunes backups would be considered incremental because it will write over the last one with the changes. You might want to take a look at this support document which describes what is backed up in each type of backup. About backups for iOS devices - Apple Support

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Answer 4

slobizman Author

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Oct 6, 2016 6:21 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Thanks. I've done it encrypted. I had realized the subsequent backups were incremental; I was just worried that perhaps even the first iTunes backup might be incremental in relation to the last iCloud backup. That wouldn't make sense, I know, but just checking as I'm so paranoid. 🙂

I was also hoping I could make multiple, standalone backups in itunes, but from what I see each backup is incremental to the very first backup -- all one set. So if I backup a phone for a year, it still relies on all backups back to that one a year ago. I don't see a way to at any point create a new full backup, while keeping the previous backup set.

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Answer 5

ChrisJ4203

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236,363 points

Oct 6, 2016 1:30 PM in response to slobizman

The only time there is a full backup that is not written over, or changed is when you do a restore. Those backups are date/time stamped, and remain. However, they are not added to either, so they are just good for that date only. I don't know that I would want to do a restore just to get a date/time stamped backup. Depending on how often you decide to do them, it is still going to mean you could lose significant content. I wouldn't say there is anything to worry about. I've been using iTunes backups from the very beginning.

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Answer 6

slobizman Author

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Oct 6, 2016 1:30 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

Ah, I misunderstood then. So, if I backup today, and then I backup tomorrow, tomorrow's backup is not a second file that goes with the first (in a series together), but it is a single file that either overwrites or modifies the previous one in some manner. It that correct?

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Answer 7

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,363 points

Oct 6, 2016 1:32 PM in response to slobizman

That is my understanding of how it works. I may be wrong, but I believe that is how it works.

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