What is in there
App data, device settings, Home screen and folder layout, Messages and their attachments, ringtones, Apple Watch backups, purchase history for your apps and media, and photos and videos if iCloud Photos is turned off.
The effect is that restoring puts the phone back the way it was: same apps in the same places, same settings, same conversations.
What is deliberately left out
Anything already synced to iCloud in its own right is not duplicated into the backup — Photos with iCloud Photos on, Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Mail, Safari data and Health if you sync it. That is not a gap; those items come back through sync when you sign in.
Also excluded: Apple Pay card details, for security, and Face ID or Touch ID enrolments, which are tied to the specific device's secure hardware and must be set up again.
Encrypted versus unencrypted computer backups
This is the one that costs people real data. An unencrypted computer backup deliberately omits saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, call history, website history and Health data. You restore and discover years of Health records are gone.
Ticking Encrypt local backup includes all of it. iCloud backups are always encrypted, so this distinction only applies to backups made on a Mac or PC — our computer backup guide covers where the tick box is.
Apps are re-downloaded, not restored
A backup stores your apps' data, not the apps themselves. On restore, iOS fetches each app fresh from the App Store and then applies the saved data to it.
That has a consequence worth knowing: an app withdrawn from the App Store cannot be reinstalled, so its data is unrecoverable no matter how good your backup is. If an app matters and is not actively maintained, export anything irreplaceable from inside it.
What never survives a restore
Two-factor authenticator codes, unless the app syncs them itself. Some banking and workplace apps that bind to a specific device and require fresh enrolment. Transit cards, which usually need re-adding. And anything in an app that stores data only on a server you are no longer signed into.
Sort out authenticators before wiping a phone, not after. It is the single most common way an otherwise clean migration goes wrong.
How this shapes which backup to make
For everyday protection, iCloud is fine and automatic. For anything where you might need to go backwards — before an update or a beta — you need an encrypted computer backup made beforehand, because an iCloud backup made on a newer version cannot be restored onto an older one.
Our restore guide covers that rule and what it means in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an iPhone backup include photos?
Only if iCloud Photos is off. With it on, photos live in iCloud separately and are restored through sync instead.
What does an unencrypted backup leave out?
Saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings, call history, website history and Health data. Encrypt the backup to include them.
Are apps stored in the backup?
No. Apps are re-downloaded from the App Store and the backup supplies their data. An app withdrawn from the store cannot be restored.
Do authenticator codes transfer in a backup?
Not unless the authenticator app syncs them itself. Re-enrol or export them before wiping a phone.