Got a tip for us?

Backup

iPhone 12, Pro, or Pro Max not Backing Up? Fix it Here!

by GeeksModo Staff

Backing up your iPhone is something that you need to do periodically. If your iPhone 12 is not backing up, then you could potentially lose some of your data. When we say “data,” what we mean is the configuration of your iPhone and everything that makes it uniquely yours. That includes your apps, pictures, videos, podcasts, music, etc. Your iPhone should back up with iCloud automatically. Sometimes, though, conditions arise where that does not happen. If you find your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max not backing up, you’ll need to figure out what the problem is, then how to fix it.

How to fix it if your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max is not backing up

Here are some of the common reasons why your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max won’t back up and how to fix the issue:

Your iCloud Settings Might Be the Reason Your iPhone 12 Backups are Not Working

The first thing that you should think of as a possibility if your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max is not backing up successfully is your iCloud settings. The feature needs to be switched on. If you have not taken the needed steps to enable it, then your iPhone 12 won’t back up.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone then tap your name located at the top of the screen. This will launch your Apple ID settings.
  2. Select iCloud, then scroll down to where it says iCloud Backup. Tap it.
  3. You will see an iCloud backup button. Toggle it to the on position, and it will change to green.
  4. When the prompt appears, tap Okay.

Now, automatic iCloud backups are on. Your iPhone should back up every time that you plug it into a power outlet and connect to Wi-Fi. Make sure that your iPhone is locked when you do this as well. Otherwise, it won’t work.

Your Wi-Fi Connection Could be Why Your iPhone 12 Won’t Back Up

Another common reason for your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max not backing up with iCloud could be your Wi-Fi connection not working. If you’ve got a working Wi-Fi network at home, that is the ideal place for you to back up your devices. If your Wi-Fi connection is shaky, though, the process could be interrupted, or it might not even be able to start.

If you don’t see the Wi-Fi icon on your iPhone, then you know that it’s not connected. You can easily do it, though.

  1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone then tap Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap the Wi-Fi button, moving it to the green On position. Your iOS device will automatically join your network if you have set it up to do so. If you haven’t done this, then you’ll need to select your Wi-Fi network and type in your password.

If your Wi-Fi isn’t working, then you can turn off your router and then turn it back on. If that doesn’t work, then check all the connections. If you’re still experiencing problems, then contact your internet provider. There may be a temporary outage in your area.

See also: iPhone connected to Wi-Fi but no Internet access?

Is Your iPhone Connected to a Power Source?

If you’re using iCloud to backup your iPhone, then it will need to be plugged to a power outlet. If an outlet is not available to you, you can also connect your iOS device to a computer, either a laptop or a desktop machine.

When you plug it in, make sure that the USB cable you are using is working properly. If it is, a battery icon will appear at the top right of your iPhone’s screen. It’s recommended to use the official Apple cable. If you use a third-party cable, it might be cheaper, but these might not work correctly.

Make Sure You Have Sufficient iCloud Storage to Back Up Your iPhone

iPhone backups are what take up most of your iCloud storage space. If you don’t have enough storage space, then your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro or iPhone 12 pro max won’t back up to iCloud.

There is no specific amount of space that you’ll need. That’s going to depend on how much data is on your iOS device. You might need only 1GB, or you might need as many as 4 or 5GBs. You can run out of space faster, but there are ways to resolve this problem.

To see how much space you have left, start the Settings app on your iPhone. Then, tap your name located at the top of the screen. Tap iCloud, and choose Manage Storage. Now the iCloud storage page will launch, and you will see how much you have used and how much is left. If all 5GB of the free storage for your iPhone has been used, you’ll know that’s why your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max cannot back up.

What Can You do if You’re Out of Storage for Your iPhone?

If your iOS device is out of storage space, then you’ll need to check what you have on there. Deleting old, backed up data is one options. That might be from the iPhone itself, or some of the apps. Deleting your iPhone backup will free up the most space, but then if you restore it as it was, you’ll run into the same problem. Because of that, deleting data related to your apps or the apps themselves is usually the Best option.

Head over to the iCloud storage page, and tap the app for which you would like to delete the backed-up data.
You’ll need to tap Delete Data. In some cases, it will say Delete Documents and Data instead, or Turn Off and Delete. Any of these options performs the same task.
Press Delete again to confirm your action.
You Can Also Upgrade Your Storage Plan
Upgrading your iCloud storage plan is another option offered by Apple. It’s at least worth considering. Usually, it costs just a few extra bucks a month on your phone bill, and you get to avoid this hustle of having to choose which apps to eliminate. You will find an option to upgrade on the iCloud storage screen. You’ll get a lot of new space, and now you can take more pictures, shoot more video, or whatever else you find useful.

Check the Status of iCloud

It is also possible sometimes for iCloud servers to go down for a while. The system is imperfect, and while it’s a rarity, that might be why your iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max is not backing up. If you feel like the iCloud servers might be down, you can rule out that by visiting the Apple’s System Status page. If there is an outage in service, then it will indicate there, and it will also provide updates and an approximate timeframe when it will be up and running again. Usually, Apple is quick to fix the problem.

Sign Out of iCloud, then Back in Again

Signing out of iCloud and then back in again is essentially a way of resetting your iPhone’s presence on the network. That can be a solution sometimes with backup issues.

  1. Start the settings app on your iPhone then tap your name located at the top of the screen.
  2. Scroll down through your Apple ID settings and tap Sign Out.
  3. When prompted, type in your Apple ID, followed by your password. Next, tap Turn Off, deactivating Find My iPhone.
  4. Tap Sign Out, then tap Sign Out again when the prompt appears.

From there, you can tap Sign into Your iPhone and sign back in. After entering your Apple ID and password, your iPhone should be recognized again. If you have another Apple device connected to your ID, a code might be sent to it that you will be prompted to enter.

Once you are signed back in, plug your iPhone to a power outlet, and see if the backup goes forward as it should. Usually, that will have fixed the issue.

Try Restarting Your iPhone

One last troubleshooting step you can try when your iPhone 12 won’t back up is restarting your device. It’s a simple fix for many problems, so it’s worth giving it a shot too.

  1. Press and hold down any of the volume button together with the side button. After a few seconds have passed, a power slider Will appear on the screen and the option to shut down the phone.
  2. Drag the slider from left to right, and the Device will shut down.
  3. Wait a few seconds for the phone to shut down completely and then press and hold the side button again. The phone will power back on.

Now try plugging your iPhone to a power outlet to see if the data will back up.

If you’ve tried everything that we’ve mentioned but your iPhone 12 won’t backup to iCloud, then you can either contact Apple Support through online life chat, or you can take the device into an Apple Store and talk to the Geniuses about the problem. Be sure to book a Genius Bar appointment before making a visit to avoid any inconvenience. Explain to them everything that you’ve tried, and they can inspect your device to see if there is some kind of hardware issue or another possibility that you’ve been unable to detect.

Tags: Backup, iCloud
Show Full Article

How To Restore iPhone From iTunes Backup (#1 Easiest Way)

by GeeksModo Staff

If the worst happen and you need to restore your iPhone, the simplest way to do so is through iTunes. In this article, we’ll explain how to restore an
iPhone via iTunes…

If your iPhone is not working properly, or if you’re getting ready to sell it, you’ll want to restore the device. But restoring your iPhone can mess up the device
if you don’t do things in the right way.

In this article, we’ll explain what an iPhone restore is, under which circumstance you might want to do a restore, and the steps to follow when you do so.

You will need toback-up your iPhone before getting started, and the best way to do that is via iCloud or iTunes. We’ve explained both options in detail below, so read on for instructions on how to backup and restore your iPhone…

What Restoring Your iPhone Does

Restoring your iPhone is the “nuclear” version of formatting your device back to factory default. A restore will erase everything from your iPhone–settings,
apps, the OS, as well as the firmware itself.
If you want the iPhone to appear the way it was when you first opened it from the box you need to restore it.

All the methods explained here work on iPad too. Another handy tip, especially if you’ve ever thought the following:

Is to make sure you have
Find Myconfigured on your iPhone or iPad.

Why You May Want To Restore Your iPhone

You want to restore your iPhone if you are planning to sell or giving it to someone, or you are having some issues with it. Always keep in mind to do a restore if you
are selling your iPhone.
Restoring your iPhone will remove everything on the device, wiping not only all your information but the existing OS and firmware from the device.

After a restore, the device will install the latest clean version of iOS.

How to Restore Your iPhone From iTunes

Restoring your iPhone can somehow be risky because if you do it wrong you can seriously mess up your device. However, it’s very rare to encounter such an issue.
What we are saying, most of the time people restore their iPhone without doing a backup first. Then when they go to restore their device, they
find they don’t have any of their data saved.

Another common issue is when people restore their iPhone without disassociating their Apple/iCloud ID from it first and then sell their device. If you don’t
disassociate your Apple/iCloud ID first, that iPhone will forever be locked to your Apple/iCloud ID, which means a future owner won’t have full access
over it.

Back-Up Your iPhone First!
The first, MOST ESSENTIAL step is toback up your iPhone BEFORE restoring it. So choose a backup method. You can do this via iCloud or iTunes.

How to backup iPhone to iCloud manually:

  1. Make sure you’re iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network
  2. Head over to Settings & then tap your profile on top
  3. Tap on iCloud
  4. Tap iCloud Backup

    5. > Turn on “iCloud Backup” if it’s switched off

    Tap Backup Now

How to Backup iPhone or iPad in Mac on MacOS Catalina

  1. Build a connection between your iPhone and computer via USB cable and launch Finder.
  2. Now, click on the name of your device.
  3. Next, click on General at the top of the Finder window and then click
    Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
  4. Finally, click back up now.

How to back up your iPhone or iPad using iTunes on windows PC or Mac running MacOS Mojave or earlier

  1. Launch iTunes
  2. Connect Your iPhone To Your PC using a USB cable
  3. Click iPhone , then summary
  4. Click Backup Now

How to restore iPhone or iPad backup in MacOS Catalina

If your Mac is runningMacOS Catalina, you can restore your iPhone or iPad from Backup using Finder. Before you jump into it, ensure that the Find My is turned off.
Now, simply follow these steps:

  1. Build a connection between your iPhone and Mac via a USB cable.
  2. Now, open Finder on your Mac.
  3. Next, click on your device from the Locations section.
  4. Next on, click on General to reveal device settings.
  5. Click on restore Backup
  6. Choose the Backup data you wish to restore from the pop-up that appears on the screen.
  7. Lastly, click Restore to initiate the restoration process.

Keep your iPhone or iPad connected after it restarts and wait for it to sync with your Mac.

How to restore iPhone or iPad Backup from iTunes

If your Mac is running MacOS Mojave or older or windows PC, iTunes will help you with the task. Before you dive into it:

  • Ensure that your Mac or PC is running the latest version of iTunes.
  • Ensure that Find My iPhone is disabled.
  • Now, Follow these steps to restore Your iPhone or iPad backup from iTunes
    1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
    2. When your iPhone appears in iTunes, click on its Summary panel and then click Restore backup.
    3. Click Restore again to confirm that you want to restore your iPhone to factory settings. All data and content will be erased.
  • After your iPhone restarts you’ll be asked if you want to set up the iPhone as a new device (do this if you are selling it or giving it away) or if you
    want to restore it from a backup. If you want to set it up as a new device, you’re done, just follow the “Set Up As New iPhone” steps on screen when you see the
    Hello screen.
    If you want to restore your device from a backup you can do so from iCloud or your iTunes backup (depending on where you backed up your iPhone before
    you restored it.
    To restore from iCloud: After you see Hello screen follow the steps in the iOS Setup Assistant until you get to the Set-Up screen. Select Restore from iCloud
    Backup. Select the backup you made.

    • To restore from iTunes: connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC using a USB cable. In iTunes choose File > Devices > Restore from Backup. Choose the backup
    you made.
    That’s all, folks.

    Tags: Backup, iTunes
    Show Full Article

    How To Back Up Your iPhone (The #1 Easiest Ways)

    by GeeksModo Staff

    Why do people back up iPhone data to iCloud? Answer: if your iPhone goes missing, or it’s damaged, you cannot access all the vital information that is stored on
    The device. Backing up your iPhone regularly ensures that, should the worst happen, you’re 100% covered – and you can still retrieve all your most important
    information. While it may appear difficult, backing up an iPhone is actually very easy…
    If you don’t know how to back up an iPhone, then this article is for you. Here are the 4 most common methods for backing up an iPhone.

    All the methods explained here are easy, so, by the end of this post, your iPhone will be completely backed-up and ready to go.

    How To Back Up iPhone

    Method #1) iCloud – The Simplest Way

    Apple default cloud storage service is known as iCloud. It works seamlessly on all iOS/macOS devices, therefore, most users prefer iCloud backups option when backing
    up an iPhone.

    How to backup iPhone to iCloud:

    1. Make sure you’re iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network
    2. Head over to Settings & then tap your profile on top
    3. Tap on iCloud
    4. Tap iCloud Backup

      5. > Turn on “iCloud Backup” if it’s switched off

      Tap Backup Now

    You can check the status by heading over to Settings > your profile > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage

    Things To Keep In Mind

    iCloud offers only 5GB free storage, so you might need to upgrade your iCloud storage space 50GB costs $0.99 a month while 200GB costs $2.99
    a month.

    Method #2 How to Backup iPhone or iPad in Mac on MacOS Catalina

    Apple discontinued iTunes with the introduction ofMacOS Catalina. Thankfully, you can use finder to back up your iPhone or iPad to Catalina. Simply follow these steps:

    1. Build a connection between your iPhone and computer via USB cable and launch Finder.
    2. Now, click on the name of your device.
    3. Next, click on General at the top of the Finder window and then click
      Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.
    4. Finally, click back up now.

    Method #3 How to back up your iPhone or iPad using iTunes on windows PC or Mac running MacOS Mojave or earlier

    Before the introduction of iCloud, Apple’s method for backing up iOS devices was iTunes. And in 2020 , it still works perfectly too.

    How to backup iPhone with iTunes

    1. Launch iTunes
    2. Connect Your iPhone To Your PC using a USB cable
    3. Click iPhone , then summary
    4. Click Backup Now

    Things To Keep In Mind

    This is a manual process and can take a while to complete depending on the size of data stored on your iPhone.

    Moreover, your PC hand drive need to have enough space on your as well.

    If you have met all these, you’re all set with an iTunes Backup

    Method #4 Google Photos Backup For ALL Your Images

    If you want to store all your photos somewhere, somewhere safe, Google Photos is your best bet, which can be downloaded for free on the App Store.

    After downloading the app, simply select it as a backup for all your iPhone’s photos and videos. This way, anytime you take photos they’ll be
    automatically uploaded to Google Photos, where you can access them any time and anywhere.

    You just need a Gmail account and a computer.

    Dropbox and OneDrive are also great options, but I especially like the way the Google Photos app looks and works.

    Tags: Backup, iCloud, iTunes
    Show Full Article

    How To Restore An iPhone From iCloud (In 5 Easy Steps)

    by GeeksModo Staff

    So you just bought a new iPhone or reset your old one back to factory default. That means, you probably want to get all the old data and settings you
    had on your phone up and running on your brand new or reset iPhone. And the most convenient way to do so is restoring your iPhone from a previous iCloud Backup. In this article I’ll explain how to restore iPhone from iCloud Backup in quick and easy steps.

    What Is An iCloud Backup?

    Basically, an iCloud backup is a duplicate of all the data, layouts, and other settings on your iPhone that is stored on Apple’s cloud service known as,iCloud.
    Here’s what is included on iCloud Backup:

    • App data
    • Images and videos saved on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch (unless you use iCloud Photos)
    • Apple Watch backups
    • iMessage, text (SMS), and MMS messages (unless you use Messages in iCloud)
    • Device settings
    • Visual Voicemail password (You’ll need the SIM card which was in use during backup)
    • Home screen and app arrangement
    • Purchase history from Apple services, such as your music, films, TV shows, apps, as well as books
    • Ringtones

    Having said that, there are a couple of stuff that are NOT included in an iCloud backup. These mostly include your data such as emails, Notes, Contacts, Calendars,
    And bookmarks if you are an iCloud user.

    This is because iCloud already stores this data on Apple’s servers separately from an iCloud backup, therefore, no need of including this data
    in the iCloud backup.

    Before Restoring An iPhone From iCloud

    Before you restore an iPhone from iCloud, you need to ensure you already have an iCloud backup of your iPhone.
    For this to happen you’ll need to have hadenabled iCloud backups on your iPhone beforehand.

    To set up your iPhone to back up to iCloud, simply follow these steps:

    1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
    2. Tap on your profile at the top of the display (this will be your name).
    3. On the next screen, select iCloud.
    4. Now scroll down and tap on iCloud Backup.
    5. On the Backup screen toggle the iCloud Backup switch to ON position.

    After performing the above steps, your iPhone will automatically back up to iCloud each day provided your iPhone is plugged to power and connected to a Wi-Fi network.
    This means, you’ll have a new iCloud backup with the most latest apps and settings each day.

    Therefore, when you restore from iCloud you’ll have your iPhone with the most lately used settings again.

    How To Restore An iPhone From iCloud

    OK, now that your iPhone’s data is backed up to iCloud, you are ready to restore your new or reset iPhone from iCloud. Here are step-by-step instructions for how to restore a current
    iPhone that you are already using:

    1. Launch the Settings app.
    2. Now, tap General.
    3. Next, tap Reset.
    4. Next on, tap ‘Erase All Content and Settings’.
      On the Apps & Data screen, choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
    5. Enter your Apple ID to sign in so your phone can access your iCloud backups.
      Go to ‘Choose backup’, then choose the backup you want from a list of available
      backups in iCloud.

    And here are the instructions for how to restore iCloud backup on new iPhone:

    1. Switch on your new iPhone.
    2. From the Apps & Data screen, choose Restore from iCloud Backup.
    3. Enter your Apple ID to sign in so your phone can access your iCloud backups.
      Go to ‘Choose backup’, then choose the backup you want from a list of available
      backups in iCloud.

    After you’ve followed the above given steps, your iPhone will begin restoring from iCloud. It’s worth noting however, restoring from iCloud can take a while depending
    on the size of your iPhone backup. If your iPhone backup is quite a lot of gigabytes, it could take an hour or so.

    Tags: Backup, iCloud, iTunes
    Show Full Article

    How To Back Up Your iPhone To iCloud (The Easiest Way)

    by GeeksModo Staff

    It’s always a good idea to back up your iPhone or iPad. In today’s day and age, our most important data is probably stored on our smartphones. Phones
    Store our photos, messages, contacts, etc.
    The good news is that if you have an iPhone, Apple offers an easy way to constantly keep your iPhone backed up to the company’s cloud service, called iCloud. In this article,
    I’ll explain everything you need to know aboutHow to back up your iPhone to iCloud

    So, what Is An iPhone iCloud Backup?

    Just like other tech companies out there, Apple has a host of cloud services that you can take advantage of. Apple has named its cloud services “iCloud”. Apple’siCloud
    services has numerous features, including ad-free email, bookmark syncing, online file store, etc. But the most important
    iCloud feature is the iPhone backup.

    The iPhone’s iCloud backup feature lets users create a copy of their iPhone’s data and store it on Apple’s cloud. This copy of your data allows you to
    easily retrieve all of your data
    in the event you ever want to reset or restore your iPhone.

    Your iPhone iCloud backup also simplifies the process of transferring all your data from one iPhone to another. When you purchase a new iPhone, you only need
    to log into your iCloud account on it and the new iPhone will start fetching data from your iCloud backup and putting it on your new iPhone.

    What Is Stored In An iCloud Backup?

    Your iCloud iPhone backup doesn’t store all the data you have on your iPhone – just the most essential bits. Here’s
    everything Apple says gets included
    in your iPhone iCloud backup:

    • App data
    • Apple Watch backups
    • iPhone settings
    • Home screen and app layout
    • iMessage, text (SMS) and MMS messages
    • Purchase history from Apple services, such as your music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books
    • Ringtones
    • Photos and videos on your iPhone
    • Visual Voicemail password (requires the SIM card that was in use during backup)

    You may notice that things such as emails and contacts aren’t included in the above list. That’s because emails and contacts are already stored online through
    your email provider (which could be iCloud, or another service such as Gmail). Because they’re already stored online, there’s no need for them to be stored
    in your iCloud backup.

    How Do I Backup My iPhone To iCloud?

    Fortunately, it’s easy to back up iPhone data to iCloud. You just require3 things:

    • An iPhone
    • An iCloud account
    • Wi-Fi internet connection

    The purpose of having an iPhone is quite straight forward (it’s what you’re backing up to iCloud). As for an iCloud account, you’ll have one if you own an iPhone. Your
    iCloud account is associated with your Apple ID. Lastly, you’ll need a Wi-Fi internet connection to back up your iPhone to iCloud.

    Got all that? Perfect. Here’s how you back up iPhone data to iCloud:

    1. . Connect your iPhone to your Wi-Fi network.
    2. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
    3. Tap on your profile at the top of the iPhone’s Settings app.
    4. Tap on iCloud.
    5. Tap on iCloud Backup.
    6. On the “Backup” screen, toggle the iCloud Backup switch to ON position
    7. A “Back Up Now” button will appear. Tap it.

    After you tap the “Back Up Now” button, your iPhone will perform its first backup to iCloud. Note, this could take some time depending on the amount of data on
    your iPhone. And if you’re iCloud backup is just taking way too long, we recommend that you
    free up some storage space on the iPhone.

    But the good thing is after this first backup, you won’t need to manually backup your iPhone to iCloud. Your iPhone will automatically back up your iPhone
    to iCloud daily as long as you’ve followed the above given steps and your iPhone is plugged to power source and connected to Wi-Fi network and the screen is
    locked.

    All of the above happens when we plug our iPhone to power before we go to bed to sleep, meaning your iPhone will do daily backups to iCloud
    as you sleep.

    Tags: Backup, iCloud
    Show Full Article