How to Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive With Ease

Part 1. The Easiest Solution to Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive

At the beginning, in order that all the users can know how to backup iPhone to external hard drive, we start with the easiest solution. To back up iPhone to an external hard drive, a third-party app is needed. You can try Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS) to back up iPhone songs, photos, and videos to an external hard drive easily. This software is a complete phone manager, which enables to perform all the features related to iOS without any need for iTunes. Using Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS), you can backup all your files as well as the folders to external hard drive with just a few clicks. Take a good portable hard drive for iPhone that you can easily carry in your bags, and this iPhone hard drive will have all your data from iPhone.

Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS)

Transfer MP3 to iPhone/iPad/iPod without iTunes

• Transfer, manage, export/import your music, photos, videos, contacts, SMS, Apps etc.
• Backup your music, photos, videos, contacts, SMS, Apps etc. to computer and restore them easily.
• Transfer music, photos, videos, contacts, messages, etc from one smartphone to another.
• Transfer media files between iOS devices and iTunes.
• Fully compatible with iOS 7, iOS 8, iOS 9, iOS 10, iOS 11 and iPod.

Available on: Windows Mac

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How to Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive with Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS)?

Below listed are the detailed steps to backup iPhone to external drive on the basis of different file types as well as folders.

Method 1: Export iPhone Files to External Hard Drive by Type

Using Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS), you can backup of different file types like music, videos, photos and others to external hard drive as per your requirements. Below given are the steps to export files from iPhone to external hard drive:

Step 1. Launch Dr.Fone and connect iPhone

Download, install and launch Dr.Fone on your PC/Mac. Among all the features, select "Phone Manager". Then using a USB cable, connect your iPhone to the PC and it will be connected under the software interface.

Step 2. Connect external hard drive

Next, using a USB cable, connect the hard drive to your PC. The external hard drive on Windows PC by default can be found under “Computer” and on Mac it can be found on desktop. If you have wireless hard drive for iPhone, connect it over WiFi network.

Step 3. Select file types and files and export

Next, select the file type that you wish to export to external hard drive. The main interface of the software shows the type of files on top menu bar which includes Music,Videos, Photos, and Information (only for Windows), Apps.

Tap on the type of the content you wish to export and the list of files available will be shown. Once the type and files are selected, tap on “Export” option and select “Export to PC”.

After that, browse external hard drive location on your PC and tap on OK. The selected files are successfully exported to external hard drive.

The above steps will successfully backup iPhone to external hard drive.

Method 2: Export Files to External Hard Drive by Folders - Windows only

Using Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (iOS) on Windows PC, the files on iPhone can be exported to external hard drive on folder basis. The software allows checking the available folders on iPhone and then they can be selectively exported to external hard drive. The step 1 and the step 2 are the same as the method 1 as above.

Step 3. Explore and browse folders on iPhone

On the main interface of software, go to Explorer > Phone. The list of folders on your iPhone can be seen on the right panel. Double clicking any of the folders will further show its sub-directory. Previous and Next icon can be used to go back to the parent directory and see the history subdirectory respectively.

Step 4 Select folder and export

From the given list of folders, select the ones that you wish to send to external hard drive (Hold down Ctrl or Shift key to select multiple folders at one time). Tap on “Export” and then from pop-up window browse for the connected hard drive under “Computer” on your PC and tap on “OK” to start the process.  The folder will be exported to external hard drive.

You can also take a dedicated hard drive for iPhone and the steps above will backup iPhone to external hard drive successfully.

Part 2. Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive with iTunes

Taking phone backup these days is not a onetime task but a regular one and in fact a very important thing too. With hundreds of images, videos, music files and other content, your iPhone becomes a warehouse of all your important data. If you have bought a good capacity iPhone, then the backup of all its content on your PC or Mac with limited space can surely be an issue. Thus to make sure that your iPhone content is stored at a secured place, external hard drive is an apt option. Though there are many third party software’s to backup iPhone data to external hard drive, if you are no mood for this solution, then using iTunes is an option. Using iTunes you can backup your iPhone to external hard drive and below given is the solution for the same.

Steps to Back Up iPhone to External Hard Drive with iTunes

Listed below are the steps to backup iPhone on external hard drive using iTunes. Before starting the process, make sure that iTunes program is closed on your PC.

Step 1 Connect external drive

Using a USB cable, connect external hard drive to your PC to which you wish to backup. Open file explorer (Windows + E) on your PC and locate the connected drive. Note down the letter which is assigned to external hard drive. (Screenshot below shows letter “G” assigned to hard drive named as “Passport Ultra”.

Step 2 Connect iPhone to PC using a USB cable to other port of your PC with external hard drive being connected. In case if iTunes opens automatically, close the program.

Step 3 Open Run box by pressing “Windows + R” key on your PC. Type “cmd” in Run box and press “OK”which will open the command prompt.

Step 4 At the prompt, type the following command and enter

mklink /J "C:UsersWindowsusernameAppDataRoamingApple ComputerMobileSyncBackup” “f:iPhonebackup"

Here mention the username that you are using for your Windows account in place of “Windowsusername” and the “f” in “f:backup" needs to be replaced with the letter assigned to your external hard drive. iPhonebackup needs to be replaced with the name of the folder on hard drive where backup will be saved.

Below given screenshot shows Payal as the Windowsusername, G as the external hard drive letter and iPhonebackup as the folder name on the hard drive.

Step 5 Launch iTunes and the connected device will be shown as an icon on interface. Click on File > Devices > Back Up. The process of backup will start.

Step 6 Once the process completes, you can open the folder on the hard drive and check the backup files from iTunes.

With this method, you can backup all the iPhone files to the external hard drive, but can't selectively back up the files. What's more, the process is a little complicated, for non-technical persons, it's not easy to control.

The above given solutions on how to backup iPhone to external hard drive, will surely serve your purpose. You can also take a separate hard drive and then the iPhone external hard drive will free you from all worries of losing your data.