How to Sync Your iPhone, iPad, and iPod with Your Computer Using iTunes

With iTunes set up on your computer there are many things you can transfer onto your device, including songs, films, TV programmes, books, photos, videos, contacts, and calendars. Alternatively, you may already have all of these things handy on your device, but want to back them up safely onto your computer. Either way, doing so is easy following these simple steps.

Syncing your device to iTunes

1. Open up iTunes on your computer (it should be the latest version).
2. Connect your device to the computer using the USB cable. Whichever device you’re using should appear at the top of iTunes as a small icon.
3. Click on the icon. A column will appear on the left with all of the content you can sync to your device.
4. Click on whichever type of content you want to sync to your device. The main page will change to bring up that type of content.
5. Make sure the tick box next to Sync is ticked.
6. You will now have the option to customize the content however you see fit. For example, if you decide to sync music, iTunes will let you sync your whole music library or selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres.
7. Repeat these steps for every type of content you want to sync to your device.
8. When you’ve chosen everything you want to sync, click the Apply button on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Your device should begin syncing.

Turning syncing off

1. To delete data from your device via syncing, open up iTunes on your computer
2. Connect your device to the computer using the USB cable. Whichever device you’re using should appear at the top of iTunes as a small icon.
3. Click on the icon. A column will appear on the left with all of the content you can sync to your device.
4. Click on whichever type of content you want to sync to your device.
5. Untick the box next to Sync.
6. Click on the Apply button on the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Your device should begin syncing without the type of content you wanted to delete.

Backing up your device to iTunes

1. Connect your old device to your computer.
2. If it doesn’t do it automatically, open iTunes. Make sure it’s the latest version.
3. Select your device from the iPhone logo.
4. Under Backups, click Back Up Now.
5. To make sure it’s been backed up correctly, go to iTunes Preferences and then Devices. Your device and the latest backup should be shown.