3 Steps to Fix That iPhone Won’t Backup to iTunes

Scenario

iTunes is a very convenient tool to purchase and manage, transfer music, movies, and so on. And it also provides an option to backup your iPhone to iTunes. So when you update iOS, or your iPhone runs into a problem, you can easily restore data to your device. 

But sometimes, you may have a backup issue. For example, when you backup your iPhone, you might get a message saying "iPhone could not backup the iPhone" or "iPhone won't backup to iTunes" and so on.

Why iPhone won’t back up to iTunes?

Before knowing why iPhone won’t backup to iTunes, you should know what iTunes backup includes. iTunes back up the necessary data on your iPhone to computer like iPhone settings, app settings. When you restore iPhone from that backup, iTunes would erase all the content on your iPhone and then import data. You would download other data with an Internet connection.

Generally, there are 5 reasons that can cause backup failure. 
• Loose connection: You may have a loose connection between your iPhone and computer or the USB port is corrupted. 
• Outdated iTunes version: If your iTunes version is outdated, it might have some bugs leading to the backup failure.
• Anti-virus programs: Some anti-virus software or programs will stop the connection between your computer and other devices.
• Not enough space on iPhone: Your computer is running out of space and can't backup the device.
• The iTunes backup folder is damaged: If iTunes told you that iTunes can't backup your iPhone because your computer doesn't have enough storage but there is, it probably results from the corrupted backup folder. 

How to fix the "iPhone won't back up to iTunes" error

Solution 1. Update iTunes version

You should install the up-to-date iTunes version. Usually, the latest iTunes version will fix some bugs and be compatible with most iPhone/iPad models.

You can run iTunes, and click "Help" > "Check for Update". Then iTunes will have a pop-up window to inform you whether you have the latest iTunes version. If not, you can follow the instruction to install it.

Solution 2. Update USB driver

You should try the latest lighting cable to see whether you could start the backup. If you feel the USB ports on PC are loose, you should try another ports or PC.

Apple Mobile Device USB driver is necessary for connecting your iPhone to computer. Right-click the Start button on desktop > select Device Manager > expand the Portable Devices Section > right-click on the device name > click update driver > select "Search automatically for updated driver software." Restart iTunes and try connecting your iPhone again.

Disable you firewall and antivirus software and see whether iTunes could read you iPhone and export data on iPhone.

Solution 3. Check iTunes issues

iTunes would save your iPhone data in an incremental backup. If you have old backup on PC, it might affect the task. You could check or uncheck “Encrypt this backup” to make sure the compatibility.

Delete the old backup would also be helpful. Go to Edit > Preferences > Devices and you would see your old backup.

If your iTunes backup failed for not enough space, it is because iTunes would save iPhone data to C Drive by default. You should change iTunes backup location and try again.

Safely backup what you care to computer

If you want to back up your iPhone without so much trouble, FoneTool would be your choice. It is a free professional iPhone backup software and allows you to backup photos, videos, music, contacts, and messages to computer.

Preview and Select: FoneTool would let you know which content your backup includes. Preview and select the files you want.

Change Path: You could easily change the path by one click on the path to backup iPhone to external drive.

Widely Compatible: It supports most iPhone models from iPhone 4 to the latest iPhone 14 and would be perfectly compatible with the latest iOS 16/15. It also supports iPad and iPod Touch.

Step 1. Download FoneTool for free. Connect your iPhone to computer and tap “Trust” on it.

Step 2. Click Selective Backup under More Features. Click an icon to enter the folder. Select the files you want and click on OK to return.

Step 3. You could click Backup Storage Path to change the path. Then click on Start Backup and it would backup your iPhone in seconds.

If you would like to check your backup on computer, you just need to click the eye icon or pin icon to view via FoneTool or locate the backup on computer.

Conclusion

If your iPhone won’t backup to iTunes, you should follow the instruction in this passage to check the connection, iPhone and computer in 3 steps. The most convenient way to backup what you care about is using FoneTool to save quick save iPhone to computer. If this passage solves your problem, you could share it to help more people.