Apple iPhone 8 Plus Starters Guide: How to Backup and Restore Apps, Contacts, Photos, and Data [Tutorials]

The new 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus has just got officially unveiled by Apple earlier this week and its intro details regarding key features and specs are by far impressive. Both the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus devices come in two variants — 16GB and 64GB units. With that said, these new iPhones offer a huge space for you to store various contents while getting the same high speed performance as promised.

Anyone who gets to own these devices will for sure take advantage of the high storage capacity given that these are very hefty iPhones. While storing files is not a problem with these smartphones, creating backups would still be deemed necessary for safekeeping. For those who are new to iOS with iPhone 8 Plus as their very first device, this content will walk you through the basics in backing up and restoring files and data on your new iPhone. Doing so will ensure that you’ll still have alternatives, should things suddenly go wrong with your iPhone in the future. Feel free to refer to this content whenever needed.

This post highlights the standard device management procedures particularly in updating and restoring of apps, contacts, photos, and data on the new iPhone 8 Plus.

You may not find the need to perform any of these operations during the early periods, it’s among the most common procedures to carry out in the future. This is especially true when you will get to encounter software-related issues that could not be rectified by the basic workarounds. Read on to learn how to manage iOS apps and services on your iPhone 8 Plus.

How to back up apps, contacts, photos and media files on the iPhone 8 Plus

Backing up your iPhone means that you will create a copy of your information to use in case your device gets damaged, lost, or replaced. You may opt to back up your iPhone through iCloud or iTunes, as you would prefer.

Back up iPhone 8 Plus apps through iCloud

Creating backup through iCloud will require a Wi-Fi connection. With that said, make sure that Wi-Fi is enabled and that your device is connected to the Internet. After ensuring that your device is connected, proceed with these steps:

  1. Navigate to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. If prompted, sign in with your Apple ID.
  4. Tap iCloud to continue.
  5. Tap the slider next to the apps you want to backup.
  6. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and then tap iCloud Backup app.
  7. If disabled, tap the iCloud Backup option to enable it.
  8. Tap Back Up Now to start backing up of the selected apps.

Wait until the backup is finished. Your apps will then be available on iCloud.

Back up iPhone 8 Plus apps through iTunes

Another alternative media storage for you to select when backing up your iPhone apps in iTunes. This method requires a computer that runs the latest version of iTunes app. Then follow the steps to proceed with the apps backup creation.

  1. Open iTunes on the computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone 8 Plus to the computer using the supplied USB cable.
  3. If prompted, enter the correct passcode for your iPhone or select Trust This Computer then follow the onscreen instructions.
  4. Select your iPhone 8 Plus from the list of available devices in iTunes.
  5. Navigate to the Summary section and then tap Apps from the list.
  6. Select This computer to create the backup of your selected apps on the computer. Otherwise, click iCloud to backup the contacts to iCloud.
  7. Click Back Up Now and then wait until the backup is successfully completed.

How to backup iPhone 8 Plus contacts

Contacts are among the most important contents on your iPhone that you should create backup for. Backing up of contacts on your iPhone 8 Plus can be done through iCloud or iTunes, as you would prefer. Here’s how it’s done.

Back up iPhone 8 Plus contacts through iCloud

Again, you will need a Wi-Fi connection to carry out the process. Proceed with the following steps after making sure that your device is connected to the Internet.

  1. Navigate to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the list.
  4. If prompted, sign in with your Apple ID to proceed.
  5. Tap iCloud.
  6. Tap Contacts to toggle the switch to ON.
  7. If prompted, select the option to Merge contacts with iCloud.
  8. Tap the iCloud Backup app located at the bottom of the list.
  9. If disabled, tap to turn on iCloud Backup option.
  10. Tap Back Up Now to continue.

Wait until the backup is finished. All your contacts should now have a separate backup on iCloud.

Back up iPhone 8 Plus contacts through iTunes

If you prefer to use iTunes to backup your contacts information on your iPhone, you will need a computer (Windows or Mac) that has the latest version of iTunes app installed. Then follow these steps once everything ready.

  1. Open iTunes on the computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone 8 Plus to the computer using the supplied USB cable.
  3. If prompted, enter the correct passcode for your iPhone or select Trust This Computer then follow the onscreen instructions.
  4. Select your iPhone 8 Plus from the list of available devices in iTunes.
  5. Navigate to the Summary section and then tap Contacts from the list.
  6. Select This computer to create the backup of your selected contacts on the computer. Otherwise, click iCloud to backup the contacts to iCloud.
  7. Click Back Up Now and then wait until the backup is successfully completed.

How to backup photos and media files on your iPhone 8 Plus

Photos and media files do take up huge space of your iPhone’s internal memory. The more files of these types you store, the faster the memory could become full. This is why it’s highly recommended to backup or move these files to either iCloud or iTunes. Doing so will free up more space on your iPhone’s internal storage, allowing it to accommodate new processes and services without showing performance issues.

You can back up photos and media files through iCloud from your phone for as long as it’s connected to the Internet.

How to backup photos and media files on iPhone 8 Plus through iCloud

  1. Navigate to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the list.
  4. If prompted, enter your Apple ID to sign in.
  5. Tap iCloud to continue.
  6. Tap Photos.
  7. Tap the slider next to iCloud Photo Library to enable it.
  8. Tap iCloud to go back to the previous screen.
  9. Scroll to the bottom of the list and then tap the iCloud Backup app.
  10. If disabled, tap iCloud Backup to enable it.
  11. Tap Back Up Now to start the backup process of your photos.

Wait until the backup is complete and your photos now have separate copies on iCloud.

Back up photos and media files on your iPhone 8 Plus through iTunes

Apple offers a dedicated app for iOS device management called iTunes. With iCloud, you can download more contents from the App Store or iTunes Store, upgrade to the latest iOS version, back up and restore iOS on your iPhone. To carry out these things, you need to secure a computer with the latest version of iTunes app installed. Once you have everything set, proceed with the following steps to backup your iPhone 8 Plus photos and media files with iTunes.

  1. Open iTunes on the computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone to the computer using the supplied USB cable/high speed connector.
  3. If prompted, enter the correct passcode for your device or select the option to Trust This Computer. Then follow the onscreen instructions to continue.
  4. Select your iPhone 8 Plus from the list of available devices in iTunes.
  5. Navigate to the Summary section and then click Photos from the list.
  6. Navigate to the Backups section on the right panel and then click This Computer. Doing so will create a backup of your selected photos on the computer. Otherwise, click iCloud if you want the backup of your photos to be stored on iCloud.
  7. Click Back Up Now to start the backup process.

Wait the backup process is finished.

Once it’s complete, you can navigate to iTunes Preferences-> Devices, to see if your backup was successfully created. If you are using a Windows computer, you can view this information by choosing Edit-> Preferences-> Devices from the menu bar at the top of the screen. You should then see the name of your device (iPhone 8 Plus) with the date and time that iTunes created the backup.

How to restore backup files on your iPhone 8 plus from iCloud or iTunes

The location of your backup files vary depending on the backup method you used. If you used iTunes to create the backup, you can find it in a specific directory or folder. However, the file path may vary depending on which computer you are using (Mac or Windows).

To restore backup apps, contacts, photos and media contents on your iPhone 8 Plus, you will need to reload the software and complete the initial setup process. You can restore backups through your iPhone settings or a computer through iTunes.

How to restore from an iCloud backup

  1. Turn on your iPhone.

If you already set up your device, you need to erase all of its contents before you proceed with the subsequent steps to restore from your backup.

  1. Follow the onscreen setup steps until you get to the Apps & Data screen.
  2. Tap Restore from iCloud Backup.
  3. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID.
  4. Select your preferred backup.
  5. If prompted, enter your Apple ID to sign in to your account and continue to restore your apps and contents.

Wait until the restore process is complete and then finish the setup process to start using your device again. Contents including your apps, photos, music and other information will continue to restore in the background for as long as your device is connected to the Internet and turned on.

How to restore from an iTunes backup

  1. Open iTunes on the computer.
  2. Connect your iPhone 8 Plus to the computer using the supplied USB cable.
  3. If prompted, enter the passcode for your device or select the option to Trust This Computer then follow the onscreen instructions.
  4. Select your iPhone 8 Plus from the list of devices in iTunes.
  5. Click the Restore Backup button in iTunes.
  6. Locate and select the backup file you want to use.
  7. Click Restore and wait for the restore process to finish.

Be sure to keep your iPhone 8 Plus connected after it reboots and then wait for it to sync with your computer. Once the syncing is complete, you can disconnect your iPhone.

A more detailed, separate content on how to backup restore your iPhone 8 Plus with iCloud and iTunes will be covered in our next set of iPhone 8 Plus tutorials. Keep posted.

Connect with Us

If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the new Apple iPhone 8 smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone 8. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

1 thought on “Apple iPhone 8 Plus Starters Guide: How to Backup and Restore Apps, Contacts, Photos, and Data [Tutorials]”

  1. i was trying to download some pictures from my iphone 8 to my lap top this morning. Accidentally, I observed it was “restoring”. After few minutes I saw the screen saver photo I used in my iphone 5 from 3 years ago. it completely replaced everything in my iphone 8. What should I do. I have forgotten all passwords I used in that old phone.

    I want to get back everything I had in my iphone 8 as of this morning, January 18, 2018.

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