You can back up iPad using iCloud or your Mac. To back up the tablet up to a Mac:
- Connect iPad and your computer with a cable.
- In the iTunes app on your PC, click the iPad button near the top left of the iTunes window.
- Click Summary.
- Click Back Up Now (below Backups).
- To encrypt your backups, select “Encrypt local backup,” type a password, then click Set Password.
To see the backups stored on your computer, choose Edit > Preferences, then click Devices. Encrypted backups have a lock icon in the list of backups.
Note: You can also connect iPad to your computer wirelessly if you set up syncing over Wi-Fi.
(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages — where the images sometimes come from.)
