Restore iPhone from Backup

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Whether you need to restore your previous iPhone's data to a new iPhone or you're just experiencing a glitch, you can restore your iPhone's data, apps, contacts, and more by connecting it to iTunes and restoring from a backup. You can also do this by erasing your phone's data from iCloud and then restoring from an iCloud backup if your iCloud backups are up to date.

Steps

Restoring an iTunes Backup

  1. Attach your iPhone cable to your phone and computer. The USB end of the cable--e.g., the larger end--should fit into your computer, while the small end fits into the charging port on your iPhone.
    • Although you can use any USB-to-iPhone charger, use the one that came with your iPhone for best results.
  2. Open iTunes on your computer if it doesn't open automatically. Depending on your model of computer, you may have to confirm that you want to open iTunes automatically after attaching your phone.
  3. Wait for your iPhone to sync to iTunes. The bar at the top of your iTunes window should say "Syncing [Your Name]'s iPhone (Step [X] of [Y])". After your iPhone finishes syncing to iTunes, you can begin the restoration process.
  4. Click the "Device" icon to open your iPhone's summary tab. This icon resembles an iPhone and is located beneath the "Account" tab.[1]
  5. Click "Back Up Now". This is under the "Backups" section. While optional, doing this will ensure that your data is as up to date as possible when you restore from a backup point.
    • If you have automatic backups enabled, you don't need to back up again--your phone will have done so when you plugged it into your computer. Check the date of the latest backup under the "Backups" section to confirm that your phone's data backed up.
    • When backing up your phone, you can choose either iCloud, which backs up your phone to your iCloud account, or "This computer", which saves your phone's data on your current computer.
  6. Click "Restore iPhone". This is in the iPhone-specific box at the top of the iTunes page.
    • If you have "Find My iPhone" enabled, iTunes will prompt you to disable it before restoring. Do this by tapping the Settings app to open Settings, scrolling down and tapping "iCloud", scrolling down and tapping "Find My iPhone", and sliding the switch next to "Find My iPhone" to the right to disable the Find My iPhone feature. You may need to enter your iCloud password to complete this process.
  7. Click "Restore and Update". This will confirm your decision. Be sure to read the information on the pop-up before continuing so you know what to expect when you restore your iPhone.
  8. Click "Next", then click "Agree". This will initiate the restore process. Clicking "Agree" means that you accept the terms and conditions of use for Apple's software.
  9. Wait for your reset to finish. This can take several minutes, since iTunes is erasing and reinstalling iOS on your phone.
  10. Select your restore point. You'll find this option in the "Restore from this backup" section; click the bar with your iPhone's name in it to select a restore point. The date and location of your selected backup will display below the bar, so pick the most recent one for best results.
    • Click the circle next to "Restore from this backup" to enable it if it isn't your default option.
  11. Click "Continue" to initiate the restoration. Your iTunes will begin restoring your phone; you should see a "Time remaining" value on the bottom of the restoration pop-up window.
    • The overall phone restoration time can take quite awhile--generally around 20 to 30 minutes--depending on how much data you have to restore.
  12. Swipe the "Slide to unlock" text on your phone's screen. This will unlock your phone.[2]
    • Restoring your phone will erase your passcode; you can place a new passcode on your phone at any time from the "Passcode" tab in the Settings app.
  13. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted. This will restore your phone and its data. Please note that you will need to wait an additional amount of time to let your phone's apps update and resume their pre-erase status.

Erasing and Restoring from an iCloud Backup

  1. Consider backing up your iPhone to iCloud before continuing. Since you'll be erasing your iPhone's contents and then retrieving the most recent record of your iPhone's data, backing it up before erasing will ensure that your data is as up to date as possible when you restore it.
    • If you don't have any iCloud backups available, you'll need to backup your iPhone from iTunes.
  2. Go to iCloud's Find My iPhone site on any computer. Click the link provided to do so.
  3. Enter your Apple ID and password on iCloud's main page. These are the credentials you use when purchasing apps from the app store.
  4. Click the "Find iPhone" option. This will open the "Find My iPhone" app on your computer, from which you can monitor your iPhone's location or, in this case, delete its data.
    • You'll need to re-enter your Apple ID password here to access "Find My iPhone".
  5. Click the "All Devices" option at the top of the screen. This will prompt a drop-down menu.
  6. Click the option for your iPhone. It should say "[Your Name]'s iPhone" in the drop-down menu.
    • If you have multiple iCloud-enabled iOS devices, they should be in this menu as well.
  7. Click "Erase iPhone" in the right corner of your phone's window. You can find this window on the right side of your computer screen.
    • Click "Erase" again on the pop-up window to confirm your choice. This will take you to the password entry menu.
  8. Type your Apple ID password into the "Erase iPhone" window. This is a cautionary measure.
    • Click "Next" after this step. This will take you to the "Find My iPhone" preferences. You'll also need to click "Next" on the phone number entry menu, then click "Done". iCloud will begin erasing your phone from this point.
  9. Wait for your iPhone to finish erasing, then pick it up. You'll need to proceed with setting up your iPhone on the physical device itself from here.
  10. Swipe the "Slide to unlock" text on your phone's screen to unlock it. This will begin the setup process.
  11. Navigate through the initial setup options. These include your preferred language, region, and wifi networks.
    • Tap your preferred language on the next screen. This will set your phone's default language.
    • Tap your preferred region on the "Select Your Country or Region" screen. This will set your phone's default location.
    • Choose a wifi network to connect to. You can also skip this step.
  12. Enter your Apple ID and password on the "Activation Lock" screen. These credentials must be the same ones you used to set up your iPhone.
    • If you've changed your Apple ID password since setting up your iPhone, use that password instead.
    • Tap "Next" when you're finished here. This will take you to the location services page.
  13. Choose to enable or disable location services. If you aren't sure of which one to choose, tap "Disable location services" at the bottom of your screen.[3]
  14. Enter a passcode of your choosing, then enter it again to confirm. You can also do this later if you wish.
  15. Tap "Restore from iCloud Backup" on the "Apps and Data" screen. This will begin the restoration process.
    • To proceed, you'll have to enter your Apple ID and password again. This is to check for iCloud backup files. Tap "Agree" in the lower right corner of your screen to continue; tapping "Agree" will prompt you to select an iCloud backup date.
  16. Tap your preferred iCloud backup date to begin the backup process. Please note that a restoration from iCloud will take several minutes.
  17. Wait for your iPhone to finish restoring. This process removes your passcode; you can place a new passcode on your phone at any time from the "Passcode" tab in the Settings app.
    • You'll need to enter your Apple ID password when prompted. This will restore your phone and its data. Please note that you will need to wait an additional amount of time to let your phone's apps update and resume their pre-erase status.

Tips

  • You should backup your iPhone at least once a week to ensure your data's protection.
  • To backup your phone to iCloud, you'll need to purchase more memory--iCloud's default five gigabyte limit isn't enough to support a full backup.
  • If you get locked out of your phone and you can't remember your password, doing an iPhone restore will allow you access to your files since it removes the passcode on the lock screen.

Warnings

  • Make sure you're restoring your phone from the most recent backup; otherwise, you can lose data.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/ht204306
  2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204184
  3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202033
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