Back up your device
What gets saved by Apple iCloud Backup
Some things get backed up by Apple, so you don't need to turn on Google One's backup to save this data. These files include:
- iMessages, SMS texts, and MMS messages
- App data
- Device settings
For the most up-to-date list and to find more details about iCloud, visit the Help Center.
- To Google Photos: Original quality photos and videos
- To Google Calendar: Calendar meetings and events
- To Google Contacts: Contact info like phone numbers and email addresses
Start a backup on iPhone or iPad
With Google One, you can choose which data to sync to your Google Account. To get started, download the Google One app on your device.
After your data syncs, your photos and videos, contacts, and calendar are automatically backed up to your Google Account. You can check the status of your device sync in the Google One app.
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google One app 👁 Google One
. - On the left, tap Menu 👁 Image
👁 and then
Settings 👁 and then
Sync settings. - Tap Photos & videos 👁 and then
Go to Google Photos.- If you don’t have Google Photos installed, tap Get Google Photos app.
- In Google Photos, under “Backup settings,” turn on Back up & sync.
- Your photos and videos backup from your device to Google One.
Currently, contact photos don’t sync. The sync includes contact details like name, phone number, email, address, birthday, and social profiles.
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google One app 👁 Google One
. - On the left, tap Menu 👁 Image
👁 and then
Settings 👁 and then
Sync settings. - To check if you can sync, tap Contacts 👁 and then
Check status. - To grant access to Apple contacts, tap Allow.
- To sync your Apple contacts, tap Set up sync 👁 and then
Upload contacts. - After your upload is complete, tap Next.
- To sync your contacts to your device, follow the on-screen instructions.
- To sync future contacts, follow the next set of on-screen instructions.
- To finish setup, tap Done.
Important: The sync shows it’s already "Synced to iPhone," if you have Google Calendar for iOS.
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google One app 👁 Google One
. - On the left, tap Menu 👁 Image
👁 and then
Settings 👁 and then
Sync settings. - To check if you can sync, tap Calendar 👁 and then
Check status. - To grant access to your events, tap Allow.
- To sync your Apple calendar, tap Set up sync 👁 and then
Upload events. - After your upload is complete, tap Next.
- To sync Google Calendar events to your device, follow the on-screen instructions.
- To sync future events, follow the next set of on-screen instructions.
- To finish setup, tap Done.
Back up your photos & videos overnight
Important: To make sure the backup process stays active, keep your device charged and the Google Photos app open.
You can use Overnight backup to keep your device awake while you sleep so that your device can backup your photos without interruption. Even if your screen dims, Google Photos stays open and active. This speeds up the upload time and potentially reduces backup times from days to hours.
- On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Photos app 👁 Photos
. - Tap your Profile picture or Initial 👁 and then
Photos settings. - At the bottom, tap Overnight backup 👁 and then
Start overnight backup 👁 and then
Exit.
Tip: Your device's display will fade to black but the app will continue to upload your photos and videos.
Delete your data backups
With Google One, you can choose which data to sync to your Google Account.
To delete your files after backing them up, use the file management settings inside other Google apps. Learn how to:
Where your device's data is stored
You can’t backup your entire iPhone to your Google Account. However, you can back up some of your data to other Google products like Photos, Calendar, and Contacts.
Here’s where your iPhone data syncs:
- To Google Photos: Original or storage saver photos and videos.
- To Google Contacts: Contacts.
- Currently, contact photos aren’t available.
- To Google Calendar: Calendar events.
Tip: Contacts and calendar events don’t add to your storage usage.
Fix problems with backup or restore
Check that your phone can back up correctly.
- Make sure your device is online. If you use mobile data, try to connect to Wi-Fi for a better connection.
- Make sure your phone battery is charged.
- Install or update the Google One app 👁 Google One
. - To speed up Photos sync, open the Google Photos app 👁 Photos
. - In the Google One app, check your storage. If you're out of storage, you can choose between these options:
- Buy more storage
- Clear storage space
Make sure to check the right place. Your files are saved inside other apps, not Google One.
- For phone numbers and other contact info, check the Google Contacts website or app.
- For meetings and reminders, check the Google Calendar website or app.
- For photos and videos, check the Google Photos website or app.
If your media still won’t back up
You can manually upload your files.
Learn how to: