How to Backup Text Messages on iPhone

Text messages and iMessages on iPhone are important forms of communication with family, loved ones, friends, and colleagues. If those conversations got lost or accidentally deleted, your memories or important information would not be found again. So, backing up the messages on your iPhone regularly is a good way to prevent message loss, especially when you update to a new iOS version or encounter a sudden data loss. So in this post, we would like to share effective ways for iOS users who are seeking a way how to back up messages on iPhone.

How to Backup Messages on iPhone with AnyTrans

If you prefer a way that avoids the annoying problems of iTunes and iCloud, AnyTrans is the exact tool. Unlike iTunes and iCloud, AnyTrans allows users to view messages on computers before backup. Backing up messages separately is another advantage. With this convenient tool, you don’t need to back up all content on your iPhone and then find the messages you want. The easy steps and fast backup process can give you a seamless message backup experience.

Also, with AnyTrans, you can manage and transfer photos, videos, and music, and manage app data like WhatsApp messages, etc. It also can even help you switch from an Android phone to an iPhone easily.

Follow the steps to back up iPhone messages in minutes:

Step 1. Launch AnyTrans on your computer > Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable > Choose Device Manager > Choose Messages.

Step 2. Preview and select conversations you want to backup, and tap the To PC tab to backup text messages on iPhone to PC/Mac computer. Then you can also set the text message output format (Here we take .html as an example).

PhoneTrans – Professional Utility on Backup Messages iPhone

Designed for data transfer and backup, PhoneTrans is another choice to back up iPhone Data to Computer. For better security concerns, PhoneTrans provides a professional data backup function that could cover all the needs while switching phones. With PhoneTrans, you can choose to back up some of the messages with the Selective Backup function or one-click backup all messages with the Full Backup function. You decide the way in which things will be done.

Here are steps to back up iPhone messages with PhoneTrans:

Step 1. Download PhoneTrans and run it on your computer. Connect your iPhone to the computer at the same time. Click Phone Backup on the left panel and tap on Start Backup to go on.

Step 2. Follow the instructions on the screen. Now click on the Messages on the iPhone and tap on Back Up Now to back up iPhone messages.

Minutes later, PhoneTrans will complete the backup journey. Then you will see Backup Complete words on the screen which means all the messages have backed up via PhoneTrans. Also, there is a full backup option on PhoneTrans which means you can back up your iPhone wholly.

How to Back up iPhone Text Messages to iCloud

iCloud is a way that allows you to sync your messages to iCloud with a Wi-Fi network connection. With iCloud backup, you can view your data on other iDevices, like Mac or iPad, but you can’t back up the only wanted messages like iTunes. So if you have lots of data on your iPhone, you may not know how long iCloud backup takes. And also iCloud has only 5GB of free space for every user. Considering how to back up messages on iPhone to iCloud, here are the steps:

Here is how to back up iPhone Messages to iCloud for iOS 11.3 and older versions:

1. Make sure your iPhone is using a stable Wi-Fi network. (Please keep your iPhone connected to a Wi-Fi network and a power source).
2. Go to “Settings” > Tap “iCloud” > Click Backup (Storage & Backup).
3. Turn on iCloud Backup > Then tap Back Up Now to back up messages on iPhone.

Here is how to back up iPhone Messages to iCloud for the iOS 11/12  version:

1. Make sure your iPhone is using a stable Wi-Fi network and connect your iPhone to a power source.
2. Go to “Settings” > Tap on [your name] at the top of the screen. Scroll down and choose your iPhone.
3. Choose the “iCloud Backup” option > Turn on the “iCloud Backup” switch.
4. Tap on “Back Up Now” to backup text messages on iPhone to iCloud. Please keep your iPhone connected to the Wi-Fi network until the process completes.

Here is how to back up iPhone Messages to iCloud for other iOS versions, including the latest iOS 18:

1. A stable Wi-Fi network and enough power would be necessary.
2. Head to Settings > Click on the Apple ID (Device name) > Click on iCloud > Tap on Messages and enable the Sync button.

Once you enable the sync button, it will turn green. Every time you back up your iPhone, the Messages are synced.

How to Backup iMessages & Text Messages with iTunes

iTunes is a must-have tool for iOS users. It supports backup and restores your iPhone. When you connect your device to your computer, iTunes will automatically back up it, or you can back it up manually. However, you need to know some tips: first, iTunes backup is a long journey, because it backs up the whole device. So you cannot selectively back up the items you want. Besides, you cannot view or read the messages in iTunes backup directly unless you restore it.  So for faster and smarter operation, we recommend you move to Method 1 with a more user-friendly tool.

Here is how to backup iPhone text messages with iTunes:

1. Open iTunes and plug your iPhone into your computer. Click the device button – the Phone icon.
2. Under Summary, you will see your iPhone info.
3. Move the mouse to the Backups section, and click on “Back Up Now”. iTunes will start backing up your iPhone text messages.
   

   Backup Text Messages on iPhone with iTunes

FAQs about Backup Messages on iPhone

Q1: How to backup text messages on iPhone to computer？

There are several tools to back up text messages from your iPhone to a computer, like iTunes and Finder. Also, you can try the easiest one – AnyTrans, which can help you backup messages to a computer with a few clicks.

Q2: How do I backup my iPhone messages without iCloud?

This post mentioned three methods to back up my iPhone messages without iCloud: iTunes, AnyTrans, and PhoneTrans. If you want to view the messages before backup, AnyTrans would be a good choice.

Q3: How do I retrieve text messages from my iPhone backup?

Here are steps to retrieve text messages from iPhone backup:

• Connect Your iPhone to the Computer.
• Open iTunes
• Click the small iPhone icon in the top-left corner.
• Restore Backup.

Note: Restoring from a backup replaces all current data on your iPhone with the data from the backup. If you want to retrieve deleted text messages, PhoneRescue for iOS would be a saver.

The Bottom Line

In this article, we provide 4 effective solutions for how to backup messages on an iPhone: AnyTrans, PhoneTrans, iTunes, and iCloud. AnyTrans is recommended for its easy steps and fast backup process. With this powerful tool, you can back up text messages and iMessage separately and view the content before backup. Free download AnyTrans and enjoy the 3-day free trial version!