Syncing with iTunes copies information from your computer to iPhone, and vice versa. You can sync by connecting iPhone to your computer, or you can set up iTunes to sync wirelessly with Wi-Fi. You can set iTunes to sync photos, videos, podcasts, apps, and more. For help syncing iPhone with your computer, open iTunes, then choose iTunes Help from the Help menu.

  • Sync wirelessly. Connect iPhone. Then in iTunes on your computer, select your iPhone, click Summary, and select “Sync with this iPhone over Wi-Fi.”

If Wi-Fi syncing is turned on, iPhone syncs when it’s connected to a power source, both iPhone and your computer are connected to the same wireless network, and iTunes is open on the computer.

Tips for syncing with iTunes on your computer

Connect iPhone to your computer, select it in iTunes, and set options in the different panes.

  • In the Summary pane, you can set iTunes to automatically sync iPhone when it’s attached to your computer. To temporarily override this setting, hold down Command and Option (Mac) or Shift and Control (PC) until you see iPhone appear in the iTunes window.

  • In the Summary pane, select “Encrypt iPhone backup” if you want to encrypt the information stored on your computer when iTunes makes a backup. Encrypted backups are indicated by a lock icon , and a password is required in order to restore the backup. If you don’t select this option, other passwords (such as those for mail accounts) aren’t included in the backup and you’ll have to reenter them if you use the backup to restore iPhone.

  • In the Info pane, when you sync mail accounts, only the settings are transferred from your computer to iPhone. Changes you make to a mail account on iPhone don’t affect the account on your computer.

  • In the Info pane, click Advanced to select options that let you replace the information on iPhone with the information from your computer during the next sync.

  • In the Photo pane, you can sync photos and videos from a folder on your computer.

If you use iCloud to store your contacts, calendars, and bookmarks, don’t also sync them to iPhone using iTunes.