My iPhone Won’t Backup To iCloud! Here’s How to Fix it!

Learn how to fix the problem if your iPhone won’t back up to iCloud.

By Dave Johnson - Senior Staff Writer
7 Min Read

For a long time, I used to wake up only to find that my iPhone hasn’t been backed up to iCloud in days or weeks. When I tried to back up my iPhone manually, i experienced error messages. In this article, i’ll explain the solutions i tried when my iPhone couldn’t backup to iCloud.

Backups are important and you should be backing up your iPhone regularly. If iCloud won’t let you do so, then this article is for you. Continue reading to learn how to fix the problem when your iPhone won’t backup to iCloud

Why Won’t My iPhone Backup To iCloud?

There are a number of reasons your iPhone may not be able to backup to iCloud. These include:

  • Your iPhone is not connected to Wi-Fi.
  • You don’t have enough iCloud storage space.

I’ll guide you how to fix those two most common issues that interfere with iCloud backups: no Wi-Fi connection and not enough iCloud storage space.

Note: If you want your iPhone to back up to iCloud automatically overnight:

  • Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and make sure that Back Up This iPhone is turned on.
  • Make sure that your iPhone is connected to a power source.
  • Make sure that your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
  • Make sure that your iPhone’s screen is locked.
  • Make sure that you have enough iCloud storage space available.

How to fix the problem when your iPhone won’t backup to iCloud

1. Make Sure Your iPhone Is Connected To Wi-Fi

iCloud backup works best when your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. This is because of the amount of data that can be backed up in a single backup. Without Wi-Fi, iCloud backups can use up your entire data plan. Even if you have unlimited data, it’s usually slower than Wi-Fi and the backup could literally take days to complete.

How To Check Your Wi-Fi Connection

  1. Open Settings and tap Wi-Fi.
  2. Make sure the switch next to Wi-Fi is on, and that a checkmark appears next to the name of your Wi-Fi network.

If the switch is on, try toggling it on and off. This can sometimes fix a minor connectivity issue.

Now that you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network, try performing an iCloud backup by doing the following:

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

If your iPhone iCloud backup fails despite being connected to a Wi-Fi network, try the following to troubleshoot:

  • Enable Airplane Mode and wait for about a minute and then turn it off by going to Settings > Airplane Mode.
  • Restart your modem and router. You can do so by unplugging the router and modem’s power cords from the power outlet for 15 seconds.
  • Make sure that your iPhone is not too far away from your modem/router.
  • Contact your Internet service provider. It is possible that you may have a problem with your account with them. Or they may be having an outage problem.
  • Try a different Wi-Fi network. You may be having a connection problem.
  • Reset network settings. Please note that if you do this, your current network settings will erased, such as your Wi-Fi passwords, etc. You can do so by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset and tap Reset Network Settings.

See also: How to fix Wi-Fi not working on iPhone

2. Make Sure You Have Enough iCloud Storage

Are you getting an alert message saying ” iPhone backup failed. You do not have enough space in iCloud to back up this device”?

If this is the case, there’s not enough iCloud storage. Thankfully, you can see a graph of how much iCloud storage you’re using and which apps and features are using the most storage on your iPhone.

Check your current available iCloud storage size

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.
  2. Tap iCloud.
  3. The bar graph at the top shows your overall storage usage.
  4. Tap Manage Storage for more details.
  5. Below the graph, you see a list of apps and features and how much iCloud storage they use. The apps and features that use the most storage are at the top of the list. You can tap an app or feature for more information.

Is your iCloud almost full? If you’re running low, you can reduce the size of your iCloud Backup or upgrade to iCloud+. I’ll guide you how to do that later in the article.

Check your next iCloud backup size

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.
  2. Tap iCloud.
  3. Tap Manage Storage.
  4. Tap Backups, then tap the device you’re using. Next Backup Size should show you the size of the next backup. It might take a few minutes for your device to calculate Next Backup Size.

Reduce the size of your iCloud Backup

If your backup needs more space than the amount you have available in iCloud, you can reduce the size of your backup. There are a few ways to do so:

  • You can do so by choosing which apps to back up. You do not have to back up all of your apps. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups > your iPhone. You will see a list of your apps. Choose which ones you think you do not need to back up and toggle them off. When you toggle, you will be asked to confirm. Tap Turn Off and Delete. Now, this app will not be backed up.
  • Another option is that you may want to try to reduce the size of your iCloud photos. You can delete the movies, photos that you do not want. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Photos app and then delete the photos you don’t want. You may also want to save these photos on your computer etc.
  • You can turn off iCloud Photos. You can do so by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > manage Storage > iCloud Photos. Tap Turn Off & Delete Photos. If you choose this option, you will have 30 days to download your photos and videos. Then go to Deleted Albums and tap Delete.
  • You can remove files in iCloud Drive. To do this the open the Files app on your device. Then go to Browse > iCloud Drive > Select and select the files that you want to remove and then tap the trash icon. Note that deleted files will remain for 30 days so if you want to remove them now, go to Locations > Recently Deleted > Select and tap Delete.
  • You can free up iCloud space by removing email messages from your iCloud email account. Open Mail and delete your messages that you do not want to. And then open the Trash folder and delete them. You can also access iCloud on your iPad or computer by signing in to iCloud.com.

upgrade to iCloud+

Apple gives you 5GB of free iCloud storage. If 5GB is not enough, you can easily upgrade to iCloud+. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.
  2. Tap iCloud, then tap Upgrade to iCloud+. In iOS 17 or earlier, tap iCloud, tap Manage Account Storage, then tap Change Storage Plan.
  3. Choose a plan and follow the onscreen instructions.

Upgrade your iCloud+ plan on your iPhone

If you already have iCloud+ plan, you can buy more storage space. Here is how:

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.
  2. Tap iCloud, then scroll and tap Manage Plan. On iOS 17 and earlier, tap iCloud, tap Manage Account Storage, then tap Change Storage Plan.
  3. Choose a plan and follow the onscreen instructions.

3. Sign Out Of And Back Into Your iCloud Account

Another possible solution when your iPhone won’t backup to iCloud is to sign out of and back into iCloud. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Settings app, then tap your name.
  2. Scroll down to the bottom.
  3. Tap Sign Out.
  4. Enter your Apple Account password and tap Turn Off. Forgot your Apple Account password?
  5. Turn on the data that you want to keep a copy of on your device.
  6. Tap Sign Out.
  7. Tap Sign Out again to confirm that you want to sign out of iCloud.
  8. Sign back in.

Does Signing Out Of iCloud Permanently Delete The Files On My iPhone?

When you sign out, any information stored in iCloud remains available in iCloud. That information will be removed from your device unless you choose to keep a copy of that data when prompted.

After signing back in, try backing up your iPhone to iCloud.

4. Reset All Settings

If you’re still having issues backing up your iPhone to iCloud, it’s time to reset your iPhone’s settings. When you do this, all settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults. No data or media are deleted.

  1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
  2. Tap Reset All Settings and follow the onscreen instructions.

Once the reset process is complete, try backing up your iPhone again.

5. Backup Your iPhone In iTunes Or Finder

. Also, another note is that you can use your computer to backup. Here is how:

  1. Open the Finder on your Mac, or open the Apple Devices app on your PC. If your PC doesn’t have the Apple Devices app, or your Mac is using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes instead.
  2. Connect your iPhone to your PC using the cable that came with your iPhone.
  3. If asked for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the onscreen steps.
  4. Select your iPhone in iTunes.
  5. Click General in the Apple Devices app or Summary in iTunes.
  6. Click Back Up Now.
  7. When the process ends, you can see if the backup finished successfully. You’ll see the date and time of your last backup.

The last backup could not be completed

If you see this message, you can easily fix it. iCloud backups are automatic. But sometimes you may see this ‘the last backup could not be completed’ error. Please try the steps below to resolve this problem:

  • Restart your iPhone. Simply restart your phone and then retry again.
  • Update your iPhone. You can update your iPhone easily by going to Settings > General > Software Update. This will check for updates and if there is an update available, tap Update Now to install the update.

iPhone Backing Up To iCloud Again

You’ve fixed the problem and your iPhone is backing up to iCloud again. You’ll know exactly how to fix the problem the next time your iPhone won’t backup to iCloud. Leave a comment below if you have any other questions about your iPhone!

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Dave Johnson is a staff writer for GeeksChalk based in New Jersey. He covers news, how-tos, and user guides for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.
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