A squirrelly guide to safely stashing your digital acorns before switching devices or carriers
Before hopping to a new device or moving your service to a new carrier, it’s important to safely store your phone’s data. Your contacts, photos, music, and messages can all be backed up so nothing gets lost during the transition from one branch to another.
The exact steps depend on your device and storage method, so always refer to your manufacturer’s instructions if needed.
Backing Up Your iPhone
You can store your iPhone data using iCloud, Mac Finder, iTunes, or a Windows PC.
iCloud Backup
- Connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi
- Open Settings
- Tap your name at the top
- Tap iCloud → iCloud Backup
- Tap Back Up Now and stay connected until the backup completes
Automatic Backup Setup:
- Enable iCloud Backup in Settings → your name → iCloud → iCloud Backup
- Keep your iPhone charging
- Stay connected to Wi-Fi
- Lock your screen to allow automatic backups
If storage is full, you may need additional iCloud storage.
Backup to Mac (Finder)
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable
- Open Finder
- Select your iPhone (use iTunes on older macOS versions)
- Click General
- Select Back up all data
- (Optional) Enable encrypted backup with a password
- Click Back Up Now
Backup to Mac (iTunes)
- Open iTunes
- Connect your iPhone via USB
- Select your device
- Click Summary
- Click Back Up Now
- (Optional) Encrypt backup for added security
Backup to Windows PC (iTunes)
- Connect your iPhone via USB
- Open iTunes
- Click the iPhone icon
- Go to Summary
- Click Back Up Now
- (Optional) Enable encrypted backup
Backing Up Your Android Phone
Android devices can back up data using Google services, cloud storage, or manual computer transfer depending on the device.
Google One Backup
- Connect to Wi-Fi
- Go to Settings → Google → Backup
- Select Backup to Google Drive or Google One Backup
- Enable backup for:
- Device data
- Media
- Messages (SMS/MMS where supported)
Automatic Backup: Your phone will back up automatically when idle, connected to Wi-Fi, and not recently backed up.
Manual Backup:
- Tap Back Up Now in Google One or Backup settings
Backing Up Android Photos (Google Photos)
- Open Google Photos
- Tap your profile icon
- Go to Photo settings
- Turn on Back up & sync
- Select folders and upload preferences
Backing Up Android Music
- Use YouTube Music for uploading or managing your library
- Visit music.youtube.com
- Upload songs from your device
- Store additional files in Google Drive or cloud storage
Backing Up Android to Windows PC
- Connect your phone via USB
- Select File Transfer mode
- Open This PC on your computer
- Copy files into a secure folder
Backing Up Android to Mac
- Connect your phone via USB
- Open Android File Transfer (download if needed)
- Drag files from your phone to your Mac
Why Backing Up Your Phone Matters
Backing up ensures your contacts, photos, messages, and files stay safe while you switch devices or move to Switch Mobile. Your data remains securely stored while your service moves to a new device or network.
