When you create an Apple ID during the setup process of your first Apple Device or later, Apple automatically creates your iCloud Account with 5 GB of free storage space; which allows you to enable automated iCloud Backups and initiate manual backups to Apple’s cloud storage service.
Now that Apple has done its part to ensure the proper storage and protection of your messages, photos and other data, it becomes your responsibility to ensure that automated Backups to iCloud are enabled on your iPhone and sufficient space to handle iCloud Backups is available in your iCloud Account.
Hence, it is important that you become familiar with the steps to enable automated iCloud Backups and also the steps to initiate manual backups of your device to iCloud.
Backup iPhone to iCloud Manually & Automatically
All that is required to make your iPhone automatically backup its most essential data to iCloud is to enable or toggle-on the iCloud Backups option on your iPhone. Once this is done, you can expect your iPhone to automatically backup its data to iCloud, whenever it is plugged in for charging and connected to a good Wi-Fi Network.
In addition to automated iCloud Backups, you can always initiate a manual backup of your device iCloud at any time.
1. Automatically Backup iPhone to iCloud
The easiest way to ensure that a most recent backup of your device is always available on iCloud is by setting up your iPhone for automated iCloud Backups.
1. Open Settings > tap on your Apple ID Name.
2. From Apple ID screen, go to iCloud > iCloud Backup > move the slider next to Backup This iPhone to ON position.
This will setup your iPhone to automatically backup its data to iCloud, whenever it is plugged in for charging and connected to your Home or Office Wi-Fi Network.
2. Manually Backup iPhone to iCloud
If your iPhone is sufficiently charged (60% or more) and connected to Wi-Fi network, you can initiate a Manual Backup of your device to iCloud by using the following steps.
1. Open Settings > tap on your Apple ID Name.
2. From Apple ID screen, go to iCloud > iCloud Backup and make sure the slider next to Backup This iPhone is set to ON position.
3. After this, tap on the Back Up Now option to start the process of backing up your device to iCloud.
What is Included & Not in iCloud Backup?
While both automated and manual iCloud Backups are easy to make, you need to be aware that iCloud Backups are not classified as being a complete backup of iPhone.
Hence, it is really important that you clearly understand as to what is actually included and not included in a typical iCloud Backup and take steps to ensure the protection of data; which is not included in a typical iCloud Backup.
For more information, you can refer to this guide: Difference Between iCloud and iTunes Backup of iPhone.