How to Backup More Than One iPhone to Computer

If you have multiple iPhones in your family, you might want to sync all of them to one iTunes on your computer. Fortunately, it’s possible to do this without messing up any data. The trick is to create a separate iTunes library for each iPhone user. Here’s how to do it:

First, close iTunes on your computer or Mac, if it’s already open. Then hold the SHIFT key on your keyboard and launch iTunes. This should bring up a pop-up window. You need to select “Create Library.” Make sure the location is the MUSIC folder and then name your iTunes library. Let’s say, iPhone SE. Hit “Save,” and this should launch iTunes with the new iTunes library. That is iPhone SE library.

Now, select “Edit” on the main menu bar and hit “Preferences.” Select “Advanced.” Untick the box “Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library.” This step is essential because it will tell iTunes not to add duplicates of your current iTunes library to the new iTunes library. Once you untick this option, hit “OK.”

Next, connect your new iPhone or any other iPhone that you want to sync with this new iTunes library. Select the icon and you can sync or backup this new iPhone with this new iTunes library, and it’ll not mix up the data with another iPhone or old iTunes library.

What do you do if you want to sync your another iPhone or old iPhone with the same iTunes? Again, close iTunes. Hold the SHIFT button on your keyboard and launch iTunes. This time you have to select “Choose Library.” Make sure you are on the MUSIC folder. You should see all the available iTunes libraries. Select the iTunes library that you want to use to sync your another iPhone or old iPhone. Let’s say iPhone 6s Plus. Double click on the folder and select this iTunes Library dot ITL file. Hit “Open.”

You need to make sure that the checkbox is untick. Then you can connect your old iPhone and backup or sync it with this old iTunes library without worrying about mixing up the data with other iPhones. Basically, every time you should launch iTunes with the iTunes library that you want to use with your iPhone model. You can do that simply by holding the SHIFT key on your keyboard while launching iTunes.

That’s how you can easily backup multiple iPhones to one computer or sync multiple iPhones to iTunes on one computer.