How To Finish Restoring Iphone From Icloud

(Pocket-lint) - Let's say you reset your iPhone to factory settings, or maybe your iPhone has been acting all wonky - either way, there is one easy way to get its system back to working order: Restore it from a backup.

Just like you should back up your computer, it's important that your iPhone is backed up. By default it should automatically save a copy of your information - such as app data, home screen organisation, photos, purchase history, visual voicemails, and more - every 24 hours via iCloud. But if you need to manually backup at anytime you can just open Settings then tap your account at the top then select iCloud > iCloud Backup and tap 'Backup now'.

You can also back it up when connected to your computer with iTunes open. That way, you've always got a recent backup and can get access to your data should something ever go awry.

Once you've backed up everything, you can even erase your iPhone, including content and settings, and still, you will get it all back. Here's how.

Apple

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How to restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup

Turn on your iPhone. You will see a Hello screen if your device is new or has been erased. Then, go through the onscreen setup steps until you get to the Apps and Data screen. There, tap Restore from iCloud Backup, and sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. Next, follow these steps:

Choose a backup. Look at the date and perhaps pick the most recent.
After you choose, the transfer starts.
You may be asked to update to newer software. If so, follow the steps.
When asked, sign in with your Apple IDs to restore your apps and purchases

You can tap skip step 4 and sign in later, but you won't be able to use apps until you sign in with your Apple ID. Also, stay connected to Wi-Fi or 4G LTE while restoring your iPhone from an iCloud backup, and be sure to wait for the progress bar to complete. Content like your apps, photos, music, and other information may take several hours or days, depending on the amount of information.

Remain connected to power while you let the restore process complete.

Apple

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How to restore your iPhone from a computer backup

If you have a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, open Finder. (Got a PC, or a Mac running macOS Mojave 10.14? Open iTunes instead.) Then, connect your iPhone to your computer with a cable. You may need to enter your device passcode or accept "Trust This Computer" to continue. You'll then be able to select your iPhone when in the Finder window on Mac or in iTunes on Windows. Now, follow these steps:

Select Restore Backup.
Choose a backup. Look at the date and perhaps pick the most recent.
Click Restore and wait for the restore to complete.
You may be asked to enter the password for an encrypted backup.
Keep your device connected after it restarts and wait for it to sync with your computer.
You can disconnect when the sync finishes.

Want to know more?

Check out Apple's support page for more details.

Writing by Maggie Tillman. Editing by Cam Bunton. Originally published on

15 May 2020.