Back up your iPhone directly from the device itself
You can back up your iPhone to iCloud without a computer. Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and tap iCloud Backup. Toggle the switch to turn it on — it will be blue when active. Your iPhone will now back up automatically when it is connected to power, locked, and on Wi-Fi.
The first backup takes longer than later ones because it has to copy everything. Depending on how much is on your phone and your Wi-Fi speed, this can take 30 minutes to several hours. Plug your iPhone in and leave it alone during this time. Do not unplug it or turn off Wi-Fi, or the backup will pause and restart from the beginning the next time conditions are right.
After the first backup finishes, iCloud backs up automatically once a day as long as your phone stays plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi. You do not have to do anything else. If you want to back up right now instead of waiting for the automatic schedule, you can force a backup by tapping Back Up Now on the same iCloud Backup screen.
Key Takeaways
- Turn on iCloud Backup in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup, then toggle the switch on.
- Your iPhone backs up automatically when plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi — you do not need to do anything after turning it on.
- The first backup can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on how much data is on your phone.
- You can force a backup immediately by tapping Back Up Now instead of waiting for the automatic schedule.
- iCloud gives you 5 GB of free storage, and you can buy more if your backups are larger than that.
Check how much iCloud storage you are using
Open Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud. At the top you will see a storage meter showing how much space you have used and how much is left. Tap Manage Account Storage to see what is taking up space — usually Photos, Mail, or app data.
Apple gives you 5 GB of free iCloud storage. If your backup is larger than 5 GB, you will need to buy more storage. The cheapest paid plan is 50 GB for 99 cents per month. If you have a lot of photos or videos, you might need 200 GB for $2.99 per month or 2 TB for $9.99 per month. The storage plan you buy is shared across your entire iCloud account, so it covers backups, photos, mail, and anything else stored in iCloud.
If you do not want to pay for more storage, you can delete old backups to make room. On the Manage Account Storage screen, tap Backups, then tap the backup you want to delete (usually an older iPhone model or an old backup date), then tap Delete Backup. This frees up space immediately.
Turn off iCloud Backup and back up to a computer instead
If you prefer to back up using a computer, you can turn off iCloud Backup and use iTunes or Finder instead. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and toggle the switch off. Your iPhone will stop backing up to iCloud automatically.
On a Mac running macOS Catalina or newer, plug your iPhone into the computer with a USB cable, open Finder, click your iPhone in the sidebar, and click Back Up Now. On a Mac running an older version of macOS or on a Windows PC, use iTunes instead — plug in your iPhone, click the device icon, and click Back Up Now.
Computer backups are encrypted and stored on your hard drive instead of in the cloud. They back up everything on your phone, including settings and app data. The downside is that you have to plug in your phone and run the backup manually each time — it does not happen automatically like iCloud does.
Restore from an iCloud backup on a new or erased iPhone
When you set up a new iPhone or erase an existing one, you will see the option to restore from an iCloud backup. During setup, you will be asked to sign in with your Apple ID. After you sign in, the screen will ask Apps & Data — tap Restore from iCloud Backup. Choose which backup you want to restore from (usually the most recent one), then wait for the restore to finish.
Restoring from iCloud can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on how much data is in the backup and your Wi-Fi speed. Your iPhone will download all your apps, photos, messages, settings, and other data from iCloud. Keep your phone plugged in and on Wi-Fi during this time — if the connection drops, the restore will pause and resume when you reconnect.
After the restore finishes, your iPhone will look and work exactly like it did before. Your apps will be in the same places, your messages will be there, and your settings will be the same. The only things that do not restore are things that were not in the backup — for example, if you turned off iCloud Backup before deleting some photos, those photos will not come back.
What happens if you do not have Wi-Fi during backup
iCloud Backup only works on Wi-Fi, not on cellular data. If your iPhone is not connected to Wi-Fi, the automatic backup will not run even if the phone is plugged in and locked. You have to connect to a Wi-Fi network for the backup to start.
If you are away from home and do not have access to Wi-Fi, you can wait until you get back, or you can use a public Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop or library. Just make sure you are on a network you trust — avoid backing up on public Wi-Fi networks that require a login page or that you do not recognize, because someone on the network could potentially see your data.
Troubleshoot a backup that is stuck or not running
If your iPhone has been plugged in and on Wi-Fi for hours but the backup has not started, try these steps. First, make sure iCloud Backup is actually turned on — go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and check that the toggle is blue. If it is off, turn it on and wait a few minutes.
Next, unplug your iPhone and plug it back in. Sometimes the backup process gets stuck and needs to be restarted. Wait 10 minutes with the phone plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi. If the backup still has not started, try tapping Back Up Now manually on the iCloud Backup screen.
If the backup starts but gets stuck partway through, check your Wi-Fi connection — if the signal is weak, the backup may pause. Move closer to your router or restart your Wi-Fi by turning it off and back on in Settings. If you still have problems, restart your iPhone by holding the power button and swiping to power off, then turning it back on. After restart, plug it in and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I back up my iPhone while using it?
No. iCloud Backup only runs when your iPhone is locked. If you unlock your phone, the backup pauses immediately and resumes when you lock it again. This is why backups usually happen overnight — your phone is plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi while you sleep.
Will backing up to iCloud use my cellular data?
No. iCloud Backup requires Wi-Fi and will not run on cellular data. If you are away from Wi-Fi, the backup will wait until you connect to a Wi-Fi network. This protects you from accidentally using your cellular plan for a large backup.
What if I delete something from my iPhone — will it be in the backup?
It depends on when you deleted it. iCloud keeps backups from different dates, so if you restore from an older backup, deleted items will come back. But if you restore from the most recent backup, deleted items will not be there because they were already gone when that backup was made.
Can I back up to iCloud and to a computer at the same time?
You can only have one backup method active at a time. If iCloud Backup is turned on, your iPhone will not back up to a computer. If you want to use both, you would have to turn off iCloud Backup, back up to the computer, then turn iCloud Backup back on — but this is not necessary for most people.
How often does iCloud Backup run?
iCloud Backup runs once per day, as long as your iPhone is plugged in, locked, and on Wi-Fi. It does not run on a fixed schedule — it just runs once in each 24-hour period when conditions are right. You can also tap Back Up Now to run a backup immediately without waiting.