Most phone repairs don't touch your data. But some do — particularly water damage recovery, logic board work, or anything that requires a factory reset. Even for routine repairs, a backup is cheap insurance. Here's the fastest way to do it right.
iPhone: iCloud backup (easiest)
- Connect to Wi-Fi
- Go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup
- Tap Back Up Now
- Wait for it to complete — don't lock the screen or leave Wi-Fi range
- When done, you'll see "Last Backup: [today's date]" — confirm this before bringing the phone in
iCloud backups include almost everything: photos, messages, app data, settings, health data, and contacts. The one exception is apps themselves (they re-download automatically) and any locally-stored files in apps that don't use iCloud sync.
Free iCloud storage is only 5GB — often not enough for a full backup. If you see a storage warning, either buy a month of iCloud+ (from 99¢) or use the iTunes/Finder method below instead.
iPhone: iTunes / Finder backup (most complete)
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC with a cable
- On Mac (Catalina or later): open Finder, click your iPhone in the sidebar
- On Windows or older Mac: open iTunes, click the phone icon
- Click "Back Up Now" — make sure "This computer" is selected, not iCloud
- Tick "Encrypt local backup" to include passwords and Health data
- Wait for it to complete before unplugging
A computer backup is faster than iCloud if you have a lot of data, doesn't depend on your iCloud storage limit, and if encrypted, contains more data than an iCloud backup (including saved passwords and Health app data).
Android: Google backup
- Go to Settings → Google → Backup (exact path varies by manufacturer)
- Make sure "Back up to Google Drive" is turned on
- Tap "Back up now"
- Wait for the backup to complete — you can check progress under "Backup details"
- Confirm the backup date shows today before bringing the phone in
Google backups cover app data, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS messages. Photos sync separately via Google Photos if you have it enabled — check this separately under the Photos app.
Samsung: Samsung Cloud + Smart Switch
Samsung phones have an additional backup option that captures more Samsung-specific data. Go to Settings → Accounts and backup → Back up data. For the most complete backup, also use Smart Switch on your PC — it's Samsung's equivalent of iTunes and captures everything including call logs and text message threads.
What to back up separately
Standard backups often miss these — check them individually:
- WhatsApp chats — back up inside WhatsApp: Settings → Chats → Chat Backup → Back Up Now
- Authenticator app codes (Google Authenticator, Authy etc.) — these don't transfer automatically and losing them can lock you out of accounts
- Photos in third-party apps (Snapchat saves, etc.) — save anything important to your camera roll first
- Passwords in third-party managers — most sync via the cloud but verify
- Offline music or podcast downloads — these will need to be re-downloaded
Google Authenticator codes used to not back up automatically — if you use it for two-factor authentication, transfer your codes to a new device before a factory reset or you may be locked out of accounts. The newer versions of the app do support Google Account sync, but verify this is enabled.
Verify your backup worked
Don't just run a backup and assume it worked. After it completes, check: on iPhone, Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup shows "Last Backup: Today". On Android, the backup details should show today's date and a file size that matches what you'd expect (a phone with 50GB of content shouldn't show a 2MB backup).
Got your backup sorted? You're ready.