How to back up your phone before a repair

Every week at the workshop I see customers turn up with a broken phone and no backup. And every week, I have the same awkward conversation: "Are my photos backed up?", followed by an uncomfortable silence.

This guide exists to avoid that moment. Backing up a phone before a repair isn't an over-cautious precaution, it's a real necessity, and I'll explain why before showing you exactly how to do it.

Why it really matters#

A screen replacement can trigger a reset#

This catches customers off guard. On some recent models, particularly iPhones from the 14 series onwards, the link between the screen and the logic board is cryptographically verified. If the original screen is replaced with an unpaired part, iOS can show warnings and, in some cases, a reset may be necessary for Face ID to work properly.

On Android, some repair procedures need to unlock developer mode or flash firmware, which can wipe data depending on the phone.

Water damage can corrupt data at any moment#

A phone that's been in water can keep working for a few hours or even days before internal oxidation destroys the storage memory or the logic board. If you wait to bring your phone in after water damage, the data may be unrecoverable by the time it reaches the workshop.

Drops can damage more than the screen#

A cracked screen can hide impact damage to the battery, the charging port, or the logic board. In those cases, the phone may fail to boot after disassembly. It's rare, but it happens, and without a backup, nothing can be recovered.

Backing up an iPhone#

Option 1: iCloud (the easiest)#

iCloud is the easiest backup to run and the only one that works without a cable or computer.

Where to configure it: Settings → [your name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now

1. 1
   Open the Settings app (the grey gear icon).
2. 2
   Tap your name at the top of the screen to open your Apple ID settings.
3. 3
   Tap iCloud → scroll down to iCloud Backup and make sure the toggle is on (green).
4. 4
   Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to Wi-Fi and don't lock the screen during the operation.
5. 5
   Once finished, the backup date and time are shown under the button. Check it really is today before bringing your phone to the workshop.

What iCloud backs up:

• Photos and videos (if "iCloud Photo Library" is on)
• iMessage and SMS messages
• Contacts, calendars, notes
• App data (accounts, settings, history in compatible apps)
• WhatsApp (if you've set up the backup in WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat Backup)
• Wi-Fi settings, system preferences

What iCloud does NOT back up:

• Data from apps that haven't enabled iCloud backup (some games, banking apps)
• Files in some third-party apps depending on their implementation
• iTunes/Apple Music purchases not downloaded (but they remain accessible from the App Store)

Free limit: 5 GB. Often not enough if you have lots of photos and videos. If your backup exceeds 5 GB, you'll either need to buy iCloud storage (€0.99/month for 50 GB) or use a computer-based backup.

Option 2: Computer backup (iTunes on Windows / Finder on Mac)#

This method backs up the entire phone locally to your computer, with no size limit, free, and often more complete than iCloud.

On Mac (macOS Catalina and later):

1. Plug the iPhone in with the Lightning or USB-C cable
2. Open Finder (the blue smiley face in the Dock)
3. The iPhone appears in the left sidebar under "Locations"
4. Click it → "General" tab
5. Click "Back Up Now"
6. Tick "Encrypt local backup" and create a password, this includes saved passwords and health data

On Windows:

1. Download iTunes from the Microsoft Store if it isn't already installed
2. Plug the iPhone in, authorise access on the phone
3. iTunes → iPhone icon at the top → "This computer" → "Back Up Now"

Duration: 5 to 30 minutes depending on how much data you have. Don't unplug the cable during the backup.

Backing up an Android#

The Android world is more fragmented, the procedure varies slightly by manufacturer. I cover the most common cases.

Google Backup (all Androids)#

This is the native Google backup, available on all Android phones.

Where to configure it: Settings → Google → Backup → Back up now

On some devices (Samsung in particular) the path may be: Settings → Accounts and backup → Back up data → Back up now

1. 1
   Open Settings and tap Google (or your Google account if the Google shortcut isn't visible).
2. 2
   Tap Backup. Check that Back up to Google Drive is on and your Google account is selected as the destination.
3. 3
   Tap Back up now. Stay on Wi-Fi, the backup can take 5 to 20 minutes depending on data size.
4. 4
   Meanwhile, open Google Photos (if installed) → profile picture → Backup status, and wait for all your photos to sync.
5. 5
   Once both syncs are done, check the date shown in Settings → Google → Backup before bringing the device in.

What's backed up:

• Contacts, calendars, Gmail
• Photos and videos (via Google Photos, up to 15 GB free)
• SMS (with certain apps, notably Google Messages)
• Wi-Fi settings, wallpapers, some app settings
• App data compatible with the Android Backup Service

What's NOT backed up:

• WhatsApp (separate backup needed, see below)
• Data from many games
• Local files that aren't synced (downloaded videos, locally stored documents)

Google Photos: back up your photos separately#

Don't rely on Google Backup alone for your photos. Open Google Photos and check that syncing is on.

Google Photos → profile picture (top right) → Backup status

If it says "Waiting" or "Backup off", turn it on and wait for all your photos to sync before bringing the phone in. Google offers 15 GB free shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos.

Samsung Smart Switch#

If you have a Samsung, Smart Switch is the most complete solution.

On the phone: Settings → Accounts and backup → Smart Switch Or download Smart Switch on your PC/Mac from samsung.com/smartswitch

Smart Switch backs up more than Google Backup: messages, call logs, some Samsung app data, the home screen layout. In "PC Backup" mode, everything is stored locally.

Backing up WhatsApp manually#

WhatsApp has its own backup system, independent of the system backups.

On Android: WhatsApp → Menu (three dots) → Settings → Chats → Chat backup → Back up

You can choose a local backup (on the phone, in the WhatsApp/Databases folder) or a Google Drive backup.

On iPhone: WhatsApp → Settings → Chats → Chat Backup → Back Up Now (to iCloud)

What is usually NOT backed up#

Here are the blind spots customers often discover too late:

How to check the backup worked#

A backup that hasn't been verified isn't a backup, it's a hope.

For iCloud:

• Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Storage → Backups → Your device
• Check the date and size. If the size is "0 bytes", something went wrong.

For a Finder/iTunes backup:

• On Mac: Finder → Menu → Settings → Devices. The backup appears with its date.
• On Windows: iTunes → Edit → Preferences → Devices. Same thing.

For Google Backup:

• Settings → Google → Backup. The date of the last backup is shown.

For Google Photos:

• Open Google Photos and check your most recent photo is there. If it shows up, sync is up to date.

My policy at the workshop#

Before starting any repair, I systematically ask my customers whether they've made a recent backup. It's not paperwork, it's because in some cases I need to warn that the repair carries a risk of data loss (water damage, damaged components, certain unlocking procedures).

If the backup isn't done and the phone still works, I take the time to do it with you before starting work. It can add 15 to 30 minutes, but it's time well spent.

If the phone doesn't boot anymore or the screen is completely broken, a backup beforehand is impossible. In that case I do my best to preserve the data, but I can't guarantee the outcome.

The message to take away: if your phone still works, even partially, back up before you do anything else.

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