How to restore your iPhone from a backup (iCloud or computer)

Restoring copies your settings, apps, messages and more from a backup onto an iPhone. You might need it after a repair or replacement, when moving to a new iPhone, after erasing the phone to fix a problem, or to get back something you deleted. The one thing that trips people up is that a restore only happens during setup. The steps below cover both iCloud and computer backups, plus the problems you are most likely to hit.

Before you start

• Check the backup exists and its date: on another device, go to Settings › your name › iCloud › Manage Storage › Backups, or look in Finder or the Apple Devices app on your computer.
• Know your Apple Account password, and your computer backup password if the backup is encrypted.
• Charge the iPhone and use a stable Wi-Fi network. Mobile hotspots and hotel Wi-Fi often stall large restores.
• If the iPhone has anything newer than the backup that you want to keep, save it first. Restoring replaces everything.

How to restore iPhone from backup

Backup, Quick Start or set up as new?

• Quick Start: best when you have the old iPhone in your hand. It copies everything directly from phone to phone, so nothing is lost since the last backup.
• Restore from backup: best when the old phone is lost, broken or already erased, or when you need to go back to an older state to recover something deleted.
• Set up as new: a clean start. Good for fixing stubborn problems, since nothing from the old setup comes across. Your iCloud photos, contacts and messages still sync back once you sign in.

What a backup does and does not include

• Included: settings, Home Screen layout, app data, messages (if Messages in iCloud is off), photos (if iCloud Photos is off), call history, ringtones and visual voicemail password.
• Synced separately, not in the backup: iCloud Photos, Messages in iCloud, contacts, calendars, notes and anything else already stored in iCloud. These download on their own once you sign in.
• Apps themselves: not stored in the backup. They download again from the App Store, so apps that were removed from the store may not come back.
• Computer backups need encryption for some data: Health and Activity data, saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords are only included if you turn on Encrypt local backup in Finder or the Apple Devices app. With iCloud, Health data and passwords sync through iCloud separately.

Should you restore after fixing a problem?

If you erased the iPhone because of crashes or battery drain, restoring the same backup can bring the problem back with it. Try using the phone set up as new for a day first. If the problem is gone, restore and watch whether it returns.

Can I restore just one app or one thing?

No. Apple’s restore is all or nothing: it replaces everything on the iPhone with the backup. Some apps, such as WhatsApp, have their own backup and restore inside the app, which lets you bring back only that app’s data. For deleted messages or photos, check Recently Deleted first, since it is far less disruptive than a full restore.

Restoring to a different iPhone model

You can restore a backup from any iPhone to any other iPhone, including a newer model, as long as the new phone’s iOS is the same version or newer than the one that made the backup, and it has enough storage. Features the new phone does not support are simply skipped. A backup cannot be restored to an Android phone; to move from iPhone to Android, use the transfer tools on the Android phone during setup.

Turn on encrypted backups on your computer

If you back up to a Mac or PC, select the iPhone in Finder or the Apple Devices app and tick Encrypt local backup, then choose a password you will remember and save it in a password manager. Encrypted backups include your Health data, saved passwords and Wi-Fi networks, so a restore brings back much more. Without the password, the backup is useless, so do not lose it.

Common restore problems

• Backup not listed: check you signed in with the Apple Account that made it. Tap Show All Backups if only the latest few appear.
• “Requires a newer version of iOS”: the backup came from a newer iOS. Update during setup when offered, or update the iPhone, then restore.
• Restore paused or very slow: it pauses when Wi-Fi drops. Stay on a strong network. If the progress bar has not moved for over an hour, restart the iPhone; it usually resumes.
• Forgot the encryption password: that backup cannot be restored. Apple cannot recover the password. You can reset it for future backups in Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset All Settings, then make a new backup.
• Not enough space: you cannot restore a larger backup to an iPhone with less storage. Delete data from the old phone and back up again, or move photos to iCloud Photos first.

After the restore: check these

• Keep the iPhone on Wi-Fi and a charger until apps and photos finish downloading. Apps show a gray icon with a progress circle until they are ready.
• Sign in to apps that ask again, especially banking and email apps, which often need you to log in on a new device.
• Re-add cards to Apple Pay; for security, Wallet cards need to be added again on each new device.
• Check that Face ID or Touch ID is set up, since biometric data is never included in a backup.