What Does iTunes Backup Include

Almost everyone who owns an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch knows what is iTunes backup. In contrast to iCloud – where you can save your iOS data and setting over the air, iTunes requires you to plug in your device when you perform a backup. Although iCloud make it more convenient for people to backup their iOS device, there are still many users choose to backup iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iTunes from Mac or PC.

The advantages of iTunes backup:

• No storage limit as long as you have enough space on your computer.
• No network connection required.
• Allows you to choose whether encrypt your backups or not.

In addition, you can restore your device from an iTunes backup when you put it into recovery mode to fix complicated iOS issues.

It is easy to backup your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iTunes – you just need to plug in your device, open iTunes and then click on Back Up Now. As we know, iTunes backs up nearly all of our iOS data and settings. But what exactly these data and settings include? Now, follow this article to see what does iTunes backup include.

What Does iTunes Backup Include

• Photos and videos on your iOS devices (iTunes will not back up the photos and videos you’ve already uploaded to iCloud via My Photo Stream and iCloud Photo Library. You can easily access these iCloud photos and videos from any of your device).
• Device settings (except Touch ID settings, Apple Pay information and settings).
• App data like app settings, preferences, data, documents and install profiles.
• Home screen and app organization
• iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages (requires the SIM card that was in use during backup).
• Ringtones
• Visual Voicemail password (requires the SIM card that was in use during backup).
• Activity, Health, and Keychain data (you need to encrypt your backup to back up these items).
• HomeKit configuration

How to Find Your iTunes Backup on Computer

On Mac

Method 1: In Spotlight, enter ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

Method 2: Open iTunes. Click iTunes in the menu bar, then choose Preferences > Devices. You can press Control key and click the backup to delete/archive this backup or open it in Finder.

On Windows 7/8/10

Method 1: Go to \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

Method 2: Find the Search bar and enter %appdata%, press Return and then double click these folders: Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.

How to Extract iTunes Backup Data

In some cases, you may want to export your iTunes backup data without restoring your iOS device. Then you might like to download and install this powerful iOS backup extractor: iOS Data Recovery. It allows to check what does iTunes backup include and extract specific content from iTunes backup to your computer, even if you don’t have your iDevice at hand.

Extract photos from iPhone backup on Windows

With iOS Data Recovery, you can easily recover your important contacts, messages, photos or other contents from iTunes backup. Read following post to get more details:

How to recover data from iTunes backup >