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How to back up photos automatically on your iPhone

Setting up automatic photo backup means you'll never lose pictures if your phone is broken, lost, or stolen. This guide shows the simplest approach using iCloud, which is built into every iPhone.

  1. Open Settings

    Find the gray gear icon on your Home Screen and tap it.

    Diagram: where to find the Settings app icon Settings Gray icon with gears
    The Settings app icon.

  2. Tap your name at the top

    At the very top of Settings, you'll see your name with a small picture. Tap it.

  3. Tap "iCloud"

    On the page that opens, tap "iCloud."

  4. Tap "Photos"

    In the iCloud section, tap "Photos."

  5. Turn on "Sync this iPhone"

    At the top, you'll see a switch labeled "Sync this iPhone." Tap it to turn it on (it will turn green). Your photos will start uploading to iCloud over Wi-Fi.

    Diagram: a toggle switch shown in the off (gray) and on (green) positions Off (gray) Tap to turn on On (green) In iOS, switches turn green when active
    A green switch means sync is on.

  6. Choose "Optimize iPhone Storage"

    Below the switch, you'll see two options: "Optimize iPhone Storage" or "Download and Keep Originals." Choose "Optimize iPhone Storage" — this saves space on your phone by keeping full-quality copies in iCloud and smaller versions on your phone.

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