"Hello, I recently upgraded to iPhone 13. Since I installed the new iOS, I have noticed that I keep having a notification that my iCloud is full and the backup failed. I have the latest iOS 15.3.1 and iCloud+ (50GB). The backup size is about 20GB, so I have 30GB free on iCloud. I have tried exiting iCloud and signing in again. Also, deleted the old backup and tried to make a new one. I can't seem to understand what I am doing wrong. Also did not have this issue in my previous phone, and my wife's iPhone 12 Pro (latest iOS & not iCloud+) has the same issue. Is it possible that is an iOS bug?"
- Apple Support Community
"iCloud backup failed, but I have space." Many iPhone users had reported the same issue these days, especially when they updated to the latest iOS version. Don't worry if you have encountered the same error. Read the tutorial carefully to find out the most appropriate way to fix your iPhone's iCloud backup not working issue.
Part 1. FAQs about iCloud Backup
Part 2. What to Do when iCloud Backup Fails?
Before proceeding to specific solutions to fix the iCloud backup taking forever or not working, you may also want to figure out the following questions.
1. What's Included in the iCloud Backup?
iCloud will only back up the information and settings saved on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, not including information in iCloud, like contacts, notes, bookmarks, calendars, messages, voice memos, iCloud photos & shared photos.
2. How Long Should iCloud Backup Take?
There is no standard time for an iCloud backup, depending on your data size, Wi-Fi condition, and device performance. But it normally takes 30 minutes to 2 hours to back up everything on your iDevice.
3. Why Won't My iCloud Back Up when I Have Enough Storage?
The most common reasons for iCloud backup not working lie in:
Learn more: If iTunes is stuck on preparing iPhone for software update, you can fix it with these tricks.
Below are twelve practical solutions to troubleshoot the error "iCloud backup failed".
If the iCloud backup fails every time and shows you "The last backup could not be completed", there might be something wrong with your Wi-Fi connection. Therefore, ensure that your iPhone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network and check if the Wi-Fi signal is strong. Note that iCloud backup cannot work with the cellular data network only. You can also reset the router before calling your Wi-Fi network provider for help.
As a matter of fact, your iPhone screen must be locked to perform the automatic iCloud backup. If you have turned off the Auto-Lock option, you may forget to lock your screen at night. To check whether you have enabled the Auto-Lock option on your iPhone:
You might need: Searching for a practical contact backup app for iPhone? Maybe you can get some useful information from these options.
You will also encounter the iCloud backup failed issue when the iCloud storage is insufficient. To solve this,
Once you have made room for more storage space, try backing up your iPhone to iCloud again.
See more:
Transfer Large Videos from iPhone to PC via 8 Powerful Methods
Easily Transfer Text Message Photos from iPhone to Computer [Proven]
Exiting the iCloud account on your iPhone will restart the iCloud backup, which may fix the minor system glitches or bugs that caused the iCloud backup not working issue. For that,
Resetting all settings on your iPhone wipes out everything from your device and restores it to the factory status. And this way usually works for fixing various software errors, including the iCloud backup keeps failing.
To reset all settings on your iPhone:
As you know, 5GB of free storage is far more than enough for backing up an iPhone for ages. Thus, you can upgrade the iCloud+ plan for your device according to your needs.
iCloud backup failed problem may also result from hanging-up apps, indicated by a grayed-out icon. If you suspect that the iCloud backup problem has something to do with a slow-loading app, ensure that the Wi-Fi network you're connecting to is reliable and speedy. If the Wi-Fi network is fine, but the problem exists, pause the backup for a while and restart it later.
Or, you can delete the app from your iPhone and download it from the App Store again.
If the iPhone/iCloud backup keeps failing, try hard resetting your iPhone to fix the issue.
Hard reset iPhone with Face ID:
Hard reset iPhone 8 or iPhone SE (2nd generation and higher):
Hard reset iPhone 7:
Hard reset iPhone 6s or iPhone SE (1st generation):
What if the iCloud backup fails every time? Instead of backing up your iPhone to iCloud, you can try iTunes or Finder to back up your iPhone to a Windows PC or Mac.
Using iTunes:
Using Finder:
Another way to fix the iCloud backup failed issue is by restoring your iPhone in DFU mode. You can check here to learn how to put an iPhone in DFU mode.
Suppose the above tricks still cannot resolve the iCloud backup problem. In that case, you can back up your iPhone to a computer with the alternative app Coolmuster iOS Assistant. It is better to use than iCloud backup and backs up everything from your iPhone to a computer without iTunes, iCloud, or network consumption.
Key features of Coolmuster iOS Assistant:
* One-click to back up iPhone data to a PC or Mac.
* Restore computer backups to your new iPhone/iPad/iPod.
* Selectively export iPhone data to a computer.
* Selectively import backups from the computer to your iPhone.
* User-friendly and secure.
* Consume no network during backup.
* Widely compatible with all iPhone models (iOS 16 supported), such as iPhone 14/SE (3rd generation)/13 Pro Max/13 Pro/13/13 mini/12 Pro Max/12 Pro/12/12 mini/SE/11 Pro Max/11 Pro/11/XS Max/XS/XR/X/8/8 Plus/7 Plus/7, etc.
How to back up an iPhone to a computer?
1. Install and open Coolmuster iOS Assistant on your computer.
2. Connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB cable and trust the computer if asked. Once connected, you will see the home interface below.
3. Click the Super Toolkit section on the top and choose iTunes Backup & Restore. After that, tap Backup > select your iPhone from the list > define a location to store your data. Finally, hit OK to start the backup process.
Further reading:
How to Back Up iPhone with Broken Screen? (4 Possible Ways)
How to Back Up Locked or Disabled iPhone? (Best Way in 2023)
The last resort to fixing the iCloud backup failed issue is reaching out to the Apple Support team. It's not bad to contact the Apple's technical department, and you get two ways to do so:
I have to remind you that not all methods above work 100% for resolving the iCloud backup failed problem. Assume you want to fix the iCloud backup problem without failure. You'd better choose the alternative app Coolmuster iOS Assistant to back up your iPhone to a computer or contact Apple Support. They are reliable and have a higher success rate.
If you think this tutorial is helpful, please share it with more Apple users.
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