3 Free Ways to Fix iTunes "Back Up Now" Greyed out on Windows

Have you ever wanted to back up your iPhone via iTunes only to find that the Apple iTunes “Back Up Now” button greyed out on Windows? This essentially means that you cannot back up your personal data from your iPhone to iTunes. From time to time, iPhone users who may wish to back up their iPhone on computer tend to encounter the error of "iTunes backup greyed out". This can be very frustrating especially if you want to restore your iPhone or simply back up iPhone data on computer. Fortunately, we are here to help you solve the issue of 'iTunes backup now greyed out'.

1. Why iTunes “Back Up Now” Greyed out on Windows

• The iTunes version could be outdated and can no longer enable syncing of your iPhone.
• Connecting your iPhone to computer using a wrong port or incompatible USB cable.
• Outdated iOS device can also cause the problem.
• Weak internet connection. Connect to a reliable network or a strong Wi-Fi connection.

2. Solutions for iTunes “Back Up Now” Greyed out

1. Update iTunes on Windows to Latest Version

If you are experiencing iTunes backup now greyed out issue on windows 10, probably the iTunes version on your PC is outdated and is not compatible with your iPhone. Therefore, updating iTunes to the latest version can fix this problem.

Step 1: Launch iTunes on your PC.

Step 2: From the menu bar found at the top of the iTunes window, click on Help > Check for Update.

Step 3: Follow the steps to install the latest iTunes version.

2. Restart both iTunes and Windows Computer

Sometimes, iTunes backup now greyed out issue could be caused by unknown reasons and restarting of both the iTunes and rebooting the computer itself could bypass this issue.

Steps on how to restart iTunes and your device:

Step 1: Close iTunes first and then long press the Wake/Sleep button together with the Home button to shut downyour iPhone.

Step 2: Wait for a few minutes and turn iPhone back on by pressing the power button.

Step 3: Open your iTunes again.

Steps on how to restart your Windows computer:

Step 1: Press the Windows key on your computer.

Step 2: Find the Power button and click on it.

Step 3: Choose the Restart option. Once the PC restarts, launch the iTunes app and connect your iPhone to the computer using a compatible USB cable.

3. Backup iPhone When iTunes “Back Up Now” Greyed out on Windows

Option 1: Backup iPhone with iCloud when iTunes “Back Up Now” Greyed out on Window

If iTunes “Back Up Now” is greyed out on windows, this does not mean that you cannot back up your device completely. You can use the iCloud backup to back up your iPhone.

Steps on how to backup iPhone with iCloud:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to a stable Wi-Fi network.

Step 2: Launch the Settings app > Your Apple ID (your name) and then click on iCloud.

Step 3: Click on the iCloud Backup.

Step 4: Touch on "Back Up Now" and ensure that your device remains connected to the internet until when the process is complete.

Option 2: Backup iPhone with An Professional Backup & Restore Software

FoneGeek Backup & Restore (iOS) is a great iPhone backup & restore tool that offers plenty of features to enable you to back up your iPhone in a quick and easy way. These features include:

• Backup and restore data files fully or separately without overwriting the previous data.
• View and export over 18 types of data from your iOS device or from the backup files.
• It works well with iOS 14/13, iPhone 12, etc.

   

How to selectively back up your iPad data using FoneGeek Backup & Restore (iOS)

Step 1: Download and open the FoneGeek Backup & Restore (iOS) software on your computer. Click on "Backup & Restore" option located in the left panel of the program’s interface.

Step 2: Connect your iPhone to the computer. After discovering your device, choose the data types for you and click on the "Backup" button for the tool to start the backup process. You will receive a notification once the process is complete and you can view and export the data from the backup on your computer or restore them to your device.

If you want to back up your device on iTunes and see iTunes “Back Up Now” greyed out on Windows 10, you can try the above methods to fix the problem. However, it is highly recommended that you use other alternative ways to backup your iPhone. This will ensure that you do not go through the same experience again once iTunes “Back Up Now” is greyed out on Windows. Feel free to leave your comments.