Does iTunes Back Up Photos on iPhone? Everything You Need to Know

If you're wondering, "Does iTunes back up photos?", you're not alone. iTunes can back up various types of iPhone data, but whether your photos are included depends on how you manage them. In this guide, we'll explain whether iTunes backs up photos, where iTunes stores iPhone backups, and how to back up your photos safely.

Part 1. Does iPhone iTunes Backup Include Photos?

What does iTunes back up? The backup feature of iTunes covers most of the iPhone data, including:

• Photos stored in your camera roll
• Videos, movies, music, and other media files
• Messages, contact lists, call logs, and voicemail
• App-related data, including settings, documents, and purchases from the App Store
• System settings, such as Wi-Fi configuration, VPN, and network settings
• Items like notes, calendars, reminders, and Safari bookmarks
• Cache, temporary internet files, and other offline data can also be backed up.

So, does iTunes back up iPhone photos? The answer depends on how your photos are stored:

• If "iCloud Photos" is not enabled, iTunes will back up all the photos on your device to your computer, including images and videos in the "Photos" app.
• If "iCloud Photos" is enabled, iTunes will not back up the photos, as these images are already stored in iCloud. During the backup process, content synced with iCloud will not be backed up again.

Part 2. Where Does iTunes Back Up Photos?

Does iTunes back up photos from iPhone? From the above information, you probably know the answer. Once again, I will remind you that iTunes cannot backup all iPhone photos, but only those Camera Roll photos. Then, where does iTunes backup photos? Well, the location of iTunes backup pictures varies with different operating systems:

For Windows: C:\Users[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

For Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/

Part 3. How to Back Up Photos from iPhone to iTunes

Now you know the fact that iTunes can back up pictures and where the location is, if you want to ensure that iTunes fully backs up your photos, follow these steps to begin iTunes photo backup:

Step 1. Open "Settings" on your iPhone > [Your Apple ID] > "iCloud" > "Photos" > turn off "iCloud Photos". This will store your photos locally, allowing iTunes to back them up completely.

Step 2. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes. Click the device icon in the top left corner to go to the "Summary" page.

Step 3. In the "Backups" section, select "This Computer", then click "Back Up Now". (iTunes Back Up Now button greyed out?)

Step 4. If you want to enhance backup security, you can check "Encrypt local backup" and set a password.

Step 5. Once the backup is complete, you can check the most recent backup time by going to "iTunes" > "Edit" > "Preferences" > "Devices".

Part 4. Alternative Ways to Back Up iPhone Photos

Although iTunes can back up iPhone photos, it is difficult to locate iTunes backup photos on your computer, and you cannot directly view or access the photos within the backup. If you need a more flexible way to back up photos, Coolmuster iOS Assistant is the best iTunes alternative. It allows you to easily back up, restore, import, export, and edit iPhone/iPad/iPod files on your computer, giving you full control over where to save the iTunes backup photos.

Highlights of iOS Assistant:

• Transfer photos from iPhone to PC/Mac in one click.
• Back up all data from iPhone to iTunes/computer and restore iTunes backup files to iDevice selectively.
• Easily transfer iOS files after previewing and selecting them.
• Support contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, notes, bookmarks, books, calendars, apps, and more file types.
• Effortlessly edit, add, or delete data stored on your iOS device directly from your PC/Mac.
• Support photos with various formats, like JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, PEG, etc.
• Fully compatible with all iPhones/iPads running iOS 5 - iOS 27, such as iPhone 17/16/15/14/13/12/11/X, and so forth.

Free Download for PC

 

Free Download for Mac

Here is how to back up iPhone photos to your computer using iOS Assistant:

Video Tutorial:

Bonus: Does iCloud Backup Include Photos?

Similar to iTunes backups, whether iCloud backs up photos also depends on your iCloud settings:

• If "iCloud Photos" is enabled, photos will be stored directly in iCloud and will not be included in the iCloud backup.
• If "iCloud Photos" is not enabled, the iCloud backup will include all the local photos on your iPhone.

How to check if iCloud Photos is enabled?

Step 1. Go to "Settings" > Tap "Apple ID" > Select "iCloud".

Step 2. Find the "Photos" option and check if "iCloud Photos" is turned on.

Conclusion

Does iTunes back up photos from your iPhone? As explained above, whether your photos are included in an iTunes backup depends on how they are stored and synced. If you want to selectively back up iPhone photos and save them to a location of your choice, Coolmuster iOS Assistant is a convenient option. It allows you to back up photos separately, export them to your computer, and view them whenever needed.

If you have any questions or encounter problems while using the methods above, feel free to leave a comment below.

Related Articles:

iCloud Backup vs. iTunes Backup: What's the Difference Between Them?

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How to View iPhone Backup on PC or Mac? 4 Ways You Can Try