How to Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive Without iTunes

For iOS users, using iTunes is a good way to back up iPhone to external hard drive. However, research shows that using iTunes to make a backup can be slow and may easily encounter the iTunes stuck on backup issue. Therefore, it’s important to know how to backup iPhone to external hard drive without iTunes.

With the alternative methods available, you can achieve a seamless and efficient backup process that meets your needs. Explore these options and discover a faster, more flexible way to protect your iPhone data. Scroll down for details!

Way 1: Directly Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive Without iTunes

Are you looking for a seamless way to backup iPhone to external drive without iTunes? In this case, AOMEI FoneBackup, a free and reliable transfer and backup tool, will be a good choice. With AOMEI FoneBackup, you can back up your iPhone data (including photos, videos, music, messages, etc.) on a PC, USB drive, external hard drive.

Highlights of Using AOMEI FoneBackup to Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive:
Direct Backup to External Hard Drive: With AOMEI FoneBackup, you can directly back up your iPhone to an external hard drive without the need for iTunes or other complex processes.
Flexible Storage Management: You can specify the storage path on your external hard drive where you want to save the backup files.
Quick and Easy Backup: With its user-friendly interface, AOMEI FoneBackup offers an alternative to iCloud or iTunes for backing up your iPhone to an external hard drive using a USB cable.
Data Security and Privacy: AOMEI FoneBackup prioritizes data security during the backup process, ensuring that your iPhone data is safely stored on an external hard drive.

So, how to back up your iPhone to external hard drive using AOMEI FoneBackup? Now click the download button to get and install it on your PC and connect your iPhone and external hard drive to the PC with USB. Then, follow the instructions to make an iPhone backup.

#1. Fully Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive

AOMEI FoneBackup’s Full Backup feature serves as an excellent alternative to iTunes, ensuring the security of all your iPhone data. The backup process is simplified to just two clicks.

Step 1: Launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Choose Phone Backup on the main interface > Locate Full Backup > Click Get Started to continue.

Step 2: Enable Backup encryption as you need > Choose your external hard drive as a storage to save the backup > Click Start Backup.

★Tip:

 By enabling the Backup Encryption feature, you can create encrypted backup of your iPhone to keep your data (such as Fitness records, keychains, and more) safe.

#2. Selectively Backup iPhone to External Hard Drive

AOMEI FoneBackup sets itself apart from iTunes and iCloud with its superior selective backup feature, which enables you to back up specific desired files from your iPhone to your PC. Let’s start the process:

Step 1: Navigate to the main screen of AOMEI FoneBackup > Click Phone Backup > Choose Selective Backup > Click the Get Started button.

Step 2: In this window, you can click each icon to preview and select the files (such as photos, music, videos, and more) to back up > Click OK.

Step 3: Click Backup Storage Path to choose your external hard drive to save the backup files > Click Start Backup.

Once the backup is finished, you can go to the Backup History screen to restore or delete the backup files.

With the help of AOMEI FoneBackup, you cannot only back up all iPhone data (such as photos, videos, music, notes, messages, and more) but also let you transfer files from iPhone to PC, USB drive,  external hard drive.

AOMEI FoneBackup

Easy iPhone Data Manage Software

• Transfer unlimited files between iPhone and PC.
• 1-click transfer data to new iPhone or Android.
• Fully/selectively backup iPhone with ease.

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Way 2: Backup iPhone to External Drive Without iTunes on iPhone

Can you backup iPhone to external hard drive without computer? Of course! If you have iOS 8 or a newer version installed on your iPhone, you can connect and make use of portable external hard drives using a lightning cable. Here is how to backup iPhone to external hard drive without iTunes on iPhone:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone and the external hard drive using a lightning cable. Once connected, open your iPhone to locate the files you wish to back up.

Step 2: Tap the Share option > Locate and select your external hard drive as the designated destination for saving the files.

To be honest, this is a way to backup and save your iPhone data to external hard drive, but it is time-consuming to back up a large number of files.

Way 3. Backup iPhone to External Drive Without iTunes on Mac

If you are using macOS Catalina or later, follow the steps below to backup iPhone to external hard without iTunes:

Step 1: Open Finder and click on your device icon> In the General tab, click Manage Backups to see your backup list.

Step 2: Right-click the desired backup and select Show in Finder> Copy the backup folder to your external hard drive.

Also Read: How to Move iPhone Backup to External Hard Drive on Mac/PC >>

The Bottom Line

That’s all about how to backup iPhone to external hard drive without iTunes. Hope the two methods can give you some help. If you have many data to back up, using AOMEI FoneBackup is a good option for you. With AOMEI FoneBackup, you cannot only back up your iPhone data but also seamlessly transfer photos, music, videos, and contacts between iPhones, computers, and even from one iPhone to another. Why not try it out? Download and use it at once!