How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud - Apple Support (2024)

FAQs

How to back up your iPhone or iPad with iCloud - Apple Support? ›

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and make sure that Back Up This [Device] is turned on. Connect your device to a power source. Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network. Make sure that your device's screen is locked.

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup. Turn on iCloud Backup. iCloud automatically backs up your iPhone daily when iPhone is connected to power, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi. Note: On models that support 5G, your carrier may give you the option to back up iPhone using your cellular network.

Check that you're connected to Wi-Fi. Check your upload speed. Leave your device connected to power and Wi-Fi for 24 hours. If your backup still isn't done, archive important data then contact Apple Support.

A variety of factors can cause iCloud backup errors, including mismatched Apple ID credentials, a poor Wi-Fi connection, not enough iCloud storage, and a lack of physical storage space on the device. Whatever the cause, there are some simple troubleshooting steps to try.

If you haven't turned on iCloud Photos, iCloud Backup may include photos and videos in your Photos or Camera Roll, as well as face information from the People & Pets album. When you use iCloud Photos, your photos, videos, and face information automatically sync to iCloud so they aren't included in your daily backup.

Besides Photos, the two biggest data hogs using your iCloud storage tend to be Mail and Messages. If you turn off the iCloud backup settings for these two apps however, old messages won't be restored in case you get a new phone.

Go to Settings > [your name], and tap iCloud. Tap iCloud Backup. Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process ends.

If your iPhone won't back up when you've clearly got enough available storage, several potential issues might be at play; let's take a quick look: Poor network connection. Low iPhone battery at time of backup. Problems with iCloud settings.

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup. Turn on Backup This iPhone. iCloud automatically backs up your iPhone daily when iPhone is connected to power, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi.

What to do if a backup fails? ›

The most common reason for a Cloud backup to fail is the snapshot volume being full. The snapshot volume is a logical volume that is created during the backup process. This snapshot volume will store all changes written to disk during the process of your backup.

(800) 275–2273

Apple / Customer service

iCloud backups include most of the data and settings stored on your device. However, iCloud backups do not include the following data: Data that's already stored in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, Notes, My Photo Stream, and iCloud Photo Library. Data stored in other cloud services, like Gmail and Exchange mail.

Your content won't be deleted from iCloud when you erase your device.

iCloud backups include all the information and settings stored on your device that don't already sync to iCloud. iCloud backups don't include: Data that you already store and sync in iCloud, like Contacts, Calendars, and Notes. Photos, if you turned on iCloud Photos.

Make sure that you have a backup of your previous device. If you purchased a new iPhone or iPad, you may be eligible for temporary iCloud storage.

You should always have a current backup of your iPad so that if it's lost, stolen, or damaged, you can restore all of your data and apps to a fresh device. Backing up to Apple's iCloud is easy and automatic (if you've turned it on), so you can always have a current backup with no hassle.