How to Restore an iPhone Without iTunes
The way iPhone users have backed up and restored their devices has been by connecting their phone to iTunes and saving their data to the computer’s hard drive. That method works fine if you have iTunes, but you should learn to back up and restore your iPhone without iTunes.
Why Not Use iTunes?
The number of ways to restore an iPhone has expanded thanks to the rise of Apple’s cloud storage service, iCloud. This platform makes it possible to access not only backup data, but functions like photos, calendars, and contacts on any device that’s logged in to the same Apple ID. To reset your phone to factory settings, return to the main Settings screen and tap General. Migration to iCloud has made physical storage in the Apple ecosystem less important. And with other functions like backups and music libraries heading for the cloud, it’s increasingly unnecessary to connect your phone to iTunes. Another benefit of cloud storage is it makes it possible to access the information you’re keeping online wherever you are. If your phone has an issue you can’t solve by restarting, and you’re away from your computer, iCloud will help you solve the problem immediately instead of forcing you to wait until you can connect to iTunes again. However, the more immediate reason is iTunes won’t be around forever. As of macOS 10.15 (codenamed Catalina), the app no longer exists in Apple’s operating system. Once you upgrade to the new operating system, syncing and backing up to iTunes won’t be an option.
