iCloud: Troubleshooting restore issues with iCloud Backup

To restore from an iCloud backup, you must have a valid iCloud backup to restore from. Your iOS device (iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch) must be in the Setup Assistant, which is available when you first set up your iOS device, or immediately after erasing all content and settings on an iOS device. The basic steps to restore are as follows:

1. After proceeding through the initial, basic setup steps (such as choosing a language and joining a Wi-Fi network, you will be given several options in the Setup iPhone (or, iPad or iPod touch) screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup, and tap Next.
2. When prompted in the iCloud Sign In screen, enter the Apple ID and Password for the iCloud account you wish to restore from. Then, tap Next.
3. When prompted, review the Terms and Conditions. Then, if you agree to them, tap Agree.
4. In the Choose Backup screen, select the backup you wish to restore from. A checkbox will appear next to the backup you have chosen to restore from.
   • Note: You can access older Backups by tapping "Show older backups..."
5. Tap Restore to start the restore process.

After initiating a restore, iOS will begin restoring the data you backed up to iCloud. The first part of the restore process is the foreground restore, which consists of the restoration of settings and third-party application data. While this is occurring, you will be given an estimate of how long it will take for the foreground restore to complete. Your iOS device will be fully occupied by the restore process. During the foreground restore, it's best to simply allow allow our iOS device to work. 

After the foreground restore completes, your iOS device will reboot and begin the background restore. During the background restore, Camera Roll content is restored and iTunes and App Store content is downloaded again from the iTunes and App Store. 

During the background restore, you may be prompted for login information for various accounts, such as:

• Your iCloud Apple ID
• Additional Apple IDs, if you have purchased and backed up items from the iTunes and App Store with multiple Apple IDs
• The username and passwords for any additional Internet accounts you configured while backing up, such as Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, Yahoo, or any number of third-party email or Internet services you were using.

You can continue to use your iOS normally during the background restore, though it is advisable to have it on a Wi-Fi network for the best performance.

If you have any trouble starting a restore, be sure to verify:

• Your iOS device is plugged in to a power source.
• Your iOS device is on a Wi-Fi network that is connected to the Internet via a broadband connection.
• You have successfully created backups with iOS before.
• You are signed in with the same Apple ID you backed up from earlier.
• Your iOS device is up-to-date with the latest version of iOS software.

Even if you are connected to the Internet, iCloud backups will not appear if you have never completed a backup successfully, or the backups you've created are from a newer version of iOS than you are attempting to restore to.

If no backups are appearing, and you are unsure whether or not you have completed a backup, first verify you are attempting to restore from the Apple ID you created the backups with. If you are, be sure to check the status of those backups in the iCloud Preference Pane or iCloud Control Panel. Open the iCloud System Preferences or iCloud Control panel, and then click Manage Storage. Then, select Backup. Any available backups should be listed with their status. If a backup is flagged as incomplete or has no date or size indicated, you will not be able to restore from it. 

If you receive an alert during the restore, be sure to note the text of the message, and cross reference it in the Alert Message matrix in the fifth major section of this article.  

Keep in mind that restoring is dependent on being connected to the Internet, so the faster your connection, the faster your restore will be. However, even with a fast broadband connection, it can often take around 1-4 hours per gigabyte to complete a foreground and background restore. If you are traveling between countries, you may need to allocate even more time. iCloud is tuned to provide you with the best service in the geographical location you most frequently connect from, and in regards to iCloud Backup, the geographical region you created the original backups from.

If you receive connection errors, or timeouts, while restoring, you should verify your device has a valid connection to a fast Wi-Fi network and that it's plugged into a power source. Then, let it work. A good way to do this is to start the restore an hour or two before you go to sleep. That way, you can input any needed information after the iOS device restarts and the background restore starts, but you will be less likely to use the phone during the background restore. This will allow it to proceed without interruption. Background restore is designed to allow you to use your phone normally, but if you are getting errors, or having trouble completing the restore, it's best to avoid any possible network interruptions and maximize the resources the iOS device can allocate to the restore process, by allowing it to work uninterrupted. Of course, you can check the status of the recovery by unlocking the screen or by reviewing the progress of downloaded applications or Camera Roll content, but in an error-prone situation, it's best to avoid doing work and launching apps unrelated to the restore process.

As noted earlier, you will receive prompts for your Apple ID and other passwords. This is normal. When you are restoring to a device that you have already backed up from, you should receive fewer prompts to re-enter passwords, but if you are restoring to a new device, it is expected that you will have to re-enter your passwords again. This is done to preserve the integrity of your accounts.

If your restore completed, but it seems like you are missing information:

1. Make sure you have an active and reliable Wi-Fi connection whenever possible during the restore. iCloud Backup will retry if your connection is interrupted, for example, if you need to move from one network to another. However, if you are unable to connect to a Wi-Fi network at all, you will not be able to complete your restoration. As noted in the previous section, restorations can take some time to complete, depending on the speed of your connection to the Internet and the amount of data you are attempting to restore. While iCloud Backup is designed for mobility, if you continue to receive errors while restoring, you should allow the restore to complete without interrupting the iOS device's network access or connection to a power source.
2. Verify that the data you are looking for is actually backed up to iCloud as part of the Backup feature. See this article for more information on what is backed up with iCloud Backup.
3. Some additional actions may need to be taken after a restore in order to completely restore your data:
   • Re-enter passwords for some apps such as iTunes Store, Game Center, and third party apps.
   • Use iTunes Match (learn about iTunes Match availability) to download songs, albums or playlists to your device.
4. If iCloud Backup is still in the background restore and is restoring actively, it's a good idea to let it finish. However, if you continually receive unresolvable alerts, you may restart the device.
   
   • Apple does not recommend interrupting or restarting the device during the foreground restore. At the end of the foreground restore, your iOS device will restart itself and begin the background restore, which is expected and normal.
5. Keep in mind that iCloud Backup, as with iTunes Backup, does have some rules about how and where it restores data, for example:
   • You can restore from an iPhone or iPod touch to an iPad and vice-versa, however, some data is not restored when doing so, such as:
     • Camera Roll data is not restored between iPad and iPhone and iPod touch devices. Camera roll data is restored between the same (iPhone to iPhone, iPad to iPad, and iPod touch to iPod touch) and similar devices (iPhone to iPod touch and vice-versa).
     • When restoring from an iPhone or iPod touch backup to an iPad (or vice versa), only third-party apps and their data will be restored. Icon order will not be restored. Keep in mind this does not affect iTunes Match.
     • Apps that are not compatible with the device you are restoring to will not be restored, for example, iPad-only apps will not be restored to an iPhone.
     • As noted earlier, you cannot restore a Backup created with a newer version of iOS than you are attempting to restore to.
   • There are no issues restoring from supported versions of the same type of device. For example, you can restore from an iPhone 4S-created Backup to an iPhone 4, provided the iPhone 4 is not running an earlier version of iOS than the iPhone 4S. 

Note: If you have trouble remembering the text of any messages you receive, you might want to take a screenshot on your iOS device. You can take a screenshot in iOS by simultaneously pressing the Home and Lock buttons. The screenshot will then be saved to your Camera Roll or Photos collection.