Backup iPhone to Google Drive Instead of iCloud | 2 Ways

• Can I Backup My iPhone to Google Drive Instead of iCloud?
• iCloud vs. Google Drive
• How to Backup iPhone to Google Drive Instead of iCloud?
• Tip: Keep Google Drive Files Safe Online
• FAQs about Backup iPhone to Google Drive Instead of iCloud
• The Epilogue

Can I Backup My iPhone to Google Drive Instead of iCloud?

Can you backup iPhone to Google Drive instead of iCloud? Yes, you can back up your iPhone to Google Drive instead of iCloud. While iCloud is the default backup option for Apple devices, you have the flexibility to choose Google Drive as an alternative backup solution. Google Drive offers additional storage space and is compatible with both iOS and non-Apple devices.

iCloud vs. Google Drive

iCloud is a convenient and automated solution provided by Apple for iOS devices. It allows you to back up essential data, such as photos, videos, app data, device settings, messages, contacts, calendars, and more, to your iCloud account. The backup process occurs wireless when the device is connected to Wi-Fi and charging, ensuring seamless and automatic data protection.

With iCloud, users are offered 5 GB of free storage for their backups. This 5 GB is shared among all iCloud services, including iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive, and email storage. While 5 GB might be sufficient for some users, those with more extensive data needs or multiple devices may find it limiting.

Google Drive provides you with a versatile and cross-platform solution to store and backup your files and data securely. It supports various data types, including documents, photos, videos, and more. You can easily accessible from any device connected to your Google Account. Additionally, Google Drive offers collaboration tools, making it easy to share and collaborate on files with others, enhancing productivity and teamwork.

Google Drive offers 15 GB of free storage shared across Google services, such as Gmail and Google Photos. For users requiring more storage, Google offers paid plans, including options for 100 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB, and larger capacities.

To make it clear about iCloud vs. Google Drive, you can check the following information provided by the chart.

Compare	Google Drive	iCloud
Free Storage	15 GB	5 GB
Version History	Stores previous versions of files for 30 days	30-day version history for all files
Platform Support	iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Web	iOS, Mac, limited Windows OS, and Web
Security Measures	Two-factor authentication, encryption in transit & at rest	End-to-end encryption for some data, strict privacy policies
Transfer Speed	High-speed transfer for large files and folders	Reliable syncing, good transfer speeds
Plans	$1.99/mon for 100GB; $2.99/mon for 200GB; $9.99/mon for 2TB; $99.99/mon for 10TB; $199.99/mon for 20TB; $299.99/mon for 30TB	$0.99/mon for 50GB; $2.99/mon for 200GB; $10.99/mon for 2TB
Functionality	Strong collaboration tools, third-party app integration	Seamless integration with Apple devices, limited third-party apps

Google Drive vs. iCloud

From the above chart, Google Drive is more suitable for you to protect files on multiple devices, because it supports more platforms, free cloud storage, and storage plans for various demands if you’re not using all Apple products, like iPad, Mac, and iPod touch. Besides, Google Drive can work seamlessly with other Google services, like Gmail, Google Photos, Calendar, and more.

How to Backup iPhone to Google Drive Instead of iCloud?

Method 1. Backup iPhone Contacts, Calendar events, Photos and Videos

Steps to Backup iPhone to Google Drive on iPhone:

Important: Before proceeding with the steps, ensure you are connected to a stable Wi-Fi network, as Google Drive only backs up data via Wi-Fi.

Step 1: Download and install the Google Drive app from the App Store on your iPhone.

Step 2: Launch the Google Drive app and sign in to your Google account. Tap the "Menu Bar" located at the top left corner of the page to display the menu.

Step 3: Select "Settings" and then tap on "Backup".

Step 4: Choose "Contacts" and turn the option on to backup iCloud contacts to Google Contact. Please do the same for "Calendar Events", and "Photos & Videos".

Step 5: Tap "Start Backup" to initiate the backup process for your iPhone contacts, calendar events, photos, and videos.

Method 2. Manual File and Folder Backup Using the Files App

It's time to focus on safeguarding your files and folders stored on your iPhone. Instead of using Google Drive, which can be inconvenient due to limitations in selecting multiple items, we'll use Apple's Files app to backup iPhone to Google Drive instead of iCloud.

Follow these steps to enable access to Google Drive and back up your files and folders:

1. Open the Files app and tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen.

2. Tap the settings icon (located at the top right of the screen) and select "Edit".

3. Turn on Google Drive by tapping the switch, and then click "Done". You may need to sign in with your Google ID.

4. Go to "On My iPhone" and use the "Select" option to choose all files and folders.

5. Copy the selected items by tapping the icon with three dots at the bottom right, then selecting "Copy".

6. Navigate to Google Drive and create a new folder, e.g., "iPhone Backup", by tapping the first icon with three dots in the toolbar, selecting "New Folder", naming it "iPhone Backup", and tapping "Done".

7. Go to the new empty folder and paste the files and folders by long-tapping on the folder's background and selecting "Paste". The files will be copied and uploaded to Google Drive for safekeeping.

Tip: Keep Google Drive Files Safe Online

After getting the ways to backup iPhone to Google Drive instead of iCloud, you have to ensure that your Google Drive storage space is enough to hold all the data from iCloud, or it will failed to backup iPhone to Google Drive. If your Google Drive is full, you can use the comprehensive cloud file manager - MultCloud to backup Google Drive to OneDrive, or other clouds directly and restore data if Google Drive files missing.

Besides, you’re able to migrate iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos to another cloud directly if you have backed up iPhone to iCloud and want to get more available space in iCloud.

MultCloud supports almost all cloud drives on the market, it’s flexible to use.

Please follow me to backup Google Drive to OneDrive with MultCloud:

1. Sign in with your MultCloud account if you have created one.

2. Tap Add Cloud > Google Drive, then follow the on-screen guide to add Google Drive. Then add OneDrive.

3. Select Cloud Backup, choose Google Drive as the source, and OneDrive as the destination.

4. Tap Backup Now to backup Google Drive to OneDrive.

FAQs about Backup iPhone to Google Drive Instead of iCloud

Can I directly backup my iPhone to Google Drive without using iCloud?

iPhone does not offer native support for backing up directly to Google Drive. iCloud is the default backup option for iOS devices. However, you can transfer data from iCloud to Google Drive when switching to an Android device.

How can I transfer WhatsApp data from iPhone to Google Drive?

WhatsApp on iOS does not have a direct option to backup to Google Drive. WhatsApp data on iPhone is backed up to iCloud. You can’t restore it from your iCloud backup if you would like to transfer WhatsApp data to an Android device from iPhone. So, you can backup WhatsApp to iCloud, then move to Google Drive.

Can I use third-party apps to backup my iPhone to Google Drive?

Some third-party apps might offer solutions to backup specific data to Google Drive, but they might not provide a complete backup of your entire iPhone data like iCloud does.

Are there any other cloud services I can use to backup my iPhone data?

Yes, besides iCloud and Google Drive, you can explore other cloud storage services that offer iOS app integration, such as Dropbox, OneDrive, and Amazon Drive.

Will backing up to Google Drive consume my Google Drive storage quota?

Yes, backing up your iPhone data to Google Drive will use your Google Drive storage space. You might need to consider upgrading your Google Drive storage plan if your data exceeds the free storage limit.

How can I ensure my photos and videos are backed up to Google Photos?

To back up your iPhone photos and videos to Google Photos, you need to install the Google Photos app and enable the backup and sync feature. Then check the backed-up items on your Google Photos website.

Can I access my Google Drive backup on any device?

Yes, once your iPhone data is backed up to Google Drive, you can access it from any device with the Google Drive app or by signing in to your Google Account on a web browser.

The Epilogue

How to backup iPhone to Google Drive instead of iCloud? Try the above two ways to make it. If your Google Drive storage is full, MultCloud is the best way for you to migrate Google Drive to Dropbox, OneDrive, or other clouds. If you have backed up iPhone data to iCloud, MultCloud is capable of transferring iCloud Drive to Google Drive directly, and free up iCloud space automatically.