Backup your iPhone correctly before installing iOS 18

Today is iOS 18 day. If you have an iPhone from iPhone XR to iPhone XS, you can download and install iOS 18 today. This means that you have to prepare your iPhone before installing it. And for this you have to take a good backup of your data.

Along with announcing the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models at its September event, Apple marked September 16 – Monday – as the official launch for the release version of iOS 18.

But you don't want just any backup — you want a specific kind of backup that will make your job a lot easier in the unlikely event that you need to revert back to iOS 17. With this solid backup, you'll feel more secure when using new iOS 18 features like text message improvements, improvements to Apple Maps, and mirroring your iPhone to a Mac in macOS Sequoia. And here are 7 iOS 18 settings you'll want to change ASAP.

Why you need to archive before installing a new version of iOS

You're probably accustomed to using iCloud backups to maintain a regular fallback for your data. It works in the background (while you're sleeping and charging your device) and involves a minimal amount of backup friction, as long as you have enough iCloud disk space available. Visit Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and turn on Back up this iPhone If it is not already activated.

However, when it comes to moving to a full release version of iOS, such as from iOS 17 to iOS 18, iCloud backups present a problem: If you revert back to iOS 17 you can't restore from that cloud backup. And unfortunately, iCloud only keeps the most recent backup — you can't pick and choose from previous backup iterations. If you try to use an iOS 18 cloud backup to restore back to iOS 17, you'll get an error. (Creating an archive is also an important step when you install an iOS beta.)

This is why you need to store backups on your computer.

Should You Encrypt Local Backups?

Before creating this archived backup, you should decide if you want to enable one of the options, Encrypt local backupFor security, this feature scrambles data to prevent anyone who has access to your computer from accessing it. This option also protects sensitive information in the backup such as passwords and personal data saved in health and fitness apps.

The disadvantage is that you have to create a separate password for the backup. If you forget or lose the password, the entire backup becomes useless. So you should write down this password somewhere where you can easily retrieve it. In terms of creating an iOS 17 backup as a fallback for installing the iOS 18 beta, you have to decide if this is an acceptable compromise.

Create a local iPhone archive on your Mac

Creating this type of backup only requires disk space and a little patience:

1. Plug the iPhone into your Mac.
2. Open a new Finder window (select File > New Finder Windowor press Command-N,
3. In the sidebar on the left, select your iPhone Locations,
4. If you want to encrypt the data, click Encrypt local backup Click on the checkbox and set the password.
5. In the General tab, click backup now,
6. Click Manage backups,
7. Right-click (or Control-click) on the backup you created and select Archive,

Taking the additional step of marking a backup as archived prevents it from being overwritten by the next local backup, or even from being automatically deleted when your Mac runs low on space.

Create local iPhone archive on Windows

The iTunes app is still the main means for working with a connected iPhone under Windows. Open iTunes and do the following:

1. Plug the iPhone into your Windows computer.
2. In iTunes, click iPhone Click on the button.
3. Click Summary,
4. If you want to encrypt the data, click Encrypt local backup Click on the option and set the password.
5. Click backup now,
6. Click Manage backups,
7. Right-click on the backup you created and select ArchiveTaking this extra step prevents the backup from being overwritten by the next local backup or automatically deleted if the computer is low on space.

With an archive, you can start using the iOS 18 beta safely with the knowledge that if anything should require reverting back to iOS 17, you can get your iPhone back into service immediately.

For more, here's what you can do with the new iPhone 16 camera button and the monthly reminder to clear your iPhone cache.