Regularly creating iCloud or iTunes backups should be routine for every iOS user, but if you want to upgrade to a beta version of iOS or if you think you might want to downgrade shortly after installing a new iOS update, you'll want to make sure create an archived iTunes backup beforehand.

An archived iTunes backup is essential because it saves the current state of your iOS device and prevents it from being accidentally overwritten by subsequent backups. Apple recommends all public beta testers create an archived backup before installing a beta in case something goes wrong and a restore is needed. Here's how to do it.

Create an Encrypted Backup

encryptedbackup

  1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to a Mac with the latest version of iTunes installed and click on the device icon in iTunes.
  2. Under backups, choose "This computer." Select "Encrypt iPhone backup" and set a password. An encrypted backup includes account passwords, Health, and HomeKit data. A non-encrypted backup will wipe all of this data if it's used for a restore.
  3. Click "Back Up Now" and wait for the backup process to finish. It will take approximately five minutes to complete depending on what's installed on your iPhone.

Archive the Backup

archivedbackup

  1. To archive the backup, choose "Preferences" from the iTunes menu and select the "Devices" tab. Choose the fresh backup and right click to bring up the "Archive" option.
  2. Once archived, a backup will be marked with the date and the exact time that it was archived.

Your archived backups are always visible in the Preferences section of iTunes, even when a device is not plugged in. Deleting one of your archived backups can be done from the same menu, by selecting a backup and choosing the "Delete Backup" option.

This guide is applicable to iTunes users on the Mac. Windows iTunes users are not able to create archived iTunes backups using the same method and will instead need to rename their iTunes backup folder or move it to another location to prevent it from being overwritten.

Creating an archived backup is one of the key steps in our how to that walks users through installing a beta version of iOS, which is available here.

Top Rated Comments

jclo Avatar
126 months ago
I realize this how to may be something that a lot of people already know and creating an archived backup is nothing new, but we're publishing it now to fill in some gaps in our existing how to coverage.

It'll be useful to people who aren't familiar with creating archived backups and it's specifically being added for future use in other how tos where an archived backup is a requirement, like this one: https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/how-to-download-ios-beta/

You'll see a few other how tos like this here and there with the same disclaimer.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jack daniels Avatar
126 months ago
Thanks for clarifying that the instructions don't work on a PC. However, at the beginning of the article it mentions that the instructions are for Mac adn PC, so could you please clear this up.

Could you please also give us more complete instructions on how to archive a backup on a PC? For example, the location of the backup folder and/or how to rename it (e.g. do you just rename the folder or change a setting in iTunes)?

I'm not entirely sure that archived backups aren't possible on a PC. I have an archived backup on my PC together with a date and time, and some non archived backups. Perhaps this happens automatically if you restore your device to an earlier state then back up (e.g. if you back up a new iPhone, then restore it from an older iPhone, does the new iPhone backup gets archived).
iTunes for Windows doesn't contain anything in the UI for archiving iTunes backups, which is why it's not included in this guide. You can manually archive backups on Windows by moving the backup itself to somewhere other than the default directory. Depending on your version of Windows, this varies.

Find and Manage your iTunes backups
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204215

The backups in the default directory will be named the UDID of the device that created them. Simply drag the folder to an external drive or wherever you back up your files, and when it's time to restore, move them back into the default directory and it will be available in iTunes to restore from.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
naeS1Sean Avatar
126 months ago
I realize this how to may be something that a lot of people already know and creating an archived backup is nothing new, but we're publishing it now to fill in some gaps in our existing how to coverage.

It'll be useful to people who aren't familiar with creating archived backups and it's specifically being added for future use in other how tos where an archived backup is a requirement, like this one: https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/how-to-download-ios-beta/

You'll see a few other how tos like this here and there with the same disclaimer.
I love this article and all the articles you do like it. Even though it's often basic stuff, it's nice to affirm and also see if I missed some obvious things. Thank you!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclo Avatar
126 months ago
Is this something that can be used to revert back to the iOS version you archived at if you're subsequently unhappy with an upgrade?

e.g. My iPad 2 is on iOS 6. Can I archive backup now, upgrade to iOS 9, and then if I find the performance hit unacceptable revert back to iOS 6 via the archived backup?
Only so long as Apple is signing the update. Apple doesn't sign software for very long following a new version of iOS so the window for downgrading is pretty small.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lironl Avatar
126 months ago
Thanks for clarifying that the instructions don't work on a PC. However, at the beginning of the article it mentions that the instructions are for Mac adn PC, so could you please clear this up.

Could you please also give us more complete instructions on how to archive a backup on a PC? For example, the location of the backup folder and/or how to rename it (e.g. do you just rename the folder or change a setting in iTunes)?

I'm not entirely sure that archived backups aren't possible on a PC. I have an archived backup on my PC together with a date and time, and some non archived backups. Perhaps this happens automatically if you restore your device to an earlier state then back up (e.g. if you back up a new iPhone, then restore it from an older iPhone, does the new iPhone backup gets archived).
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Carvensno Avatar
126 months ago
Is this something that can be used to revert back to the iOS version you archived at if you're subsequently unhappy with an upgrade?

e.g. My iPad 2 is on iOS 6. Can I archive backup now, upgrade to iOS 9, and then if I find the performance hit unacceptable revert back to iOS 6 via the archived backup?
Nope because Apple isn't signing iOS 6 anymore. Backup is only for your stuff on the phone, ie... Texting, contacts, music, pics, apps, and etc...not the OS.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone air thickness

Apple Said to Cut iPhone Air Production Amid Underwhelming Sales

Friday October 17, 2025 8:29 am PDT by
Apple plans to cut production of the iPhone Air amid underwhelming sales performance, Japan's Mizuho Securities believes (via The Elec). The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, while the standard iPhone 17 is a major success, performing...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
maxresdefault

Here's Everything Apple Announced Today

Wednesday October 15, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We didn't get a second fall event this year, but Apple did unveil updated products with a series of press releases that went out today. The M5 chip made an appearance in new MacBook Pro, Vision Pro, and iPad Pro models. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. We've rounded up our coverage and highlighted the main feature changes for each device below. MacBook Pro M5...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New 14-Inch MacBook Pro Has Two Key Upgrades Beyond the M5 Chip

Thursday October 16, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with an M5 chip, and there are two key storage-related upgrades beyond that chip bump. First, Apple says the new 14-inch MacBook Pro offers up to 2× faster SSD performance than the equivalent previous-generation model, so read and write speeds should get a significant boost. Apple says it is using "the latest storage technology," ...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

Apple Debuts New iPad Pro With M5 Chip, Faster Charging, and More

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple today announced the next-generation iPad Pro, featuring the custom-designed M5, C1X, and N1 chips. The M5 chip has up to a 10-core CPU, with four performance cores and six efficiency cores. It features a next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerator in each core, allowing the new iPad Pro to deliver up to 3.5x the AI performance than the previous model, and a third-generation ray-tracing ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Apple Announces New 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M5 Chip

Wednesday October 15, 2025 6:07 am PDT by
Apple today updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, which is also available in updated iPad Pro and Vision Pro models. In addition, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro can now be configured with up to 4TB of storage on Apple's online store, whereas the previous model maxed out at 2TB. However, the maximum amount of unified RAM available for this model remains 32GB. Like...
m4 macbook air blue

M5 MacBook Air Coming Spring 2026 With M5 Mac Studio and Mac Mini in Development

Thursday October 16, 2025 3:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air models equipped with the new M5 chip in spring 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is also working on M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models that will come early in the year. Neither the MacBook Pro models nor the MacBook Air models are expected to get design changes, with Apple focusing on simple chip upgrades. In the case of the MacBook Pro, a m...