Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup

Learn how to restore your device from a backup in iCloud or on your computer.

Restore your device from an iCloud backup

If you already set up your device, erase it before you follow these steps.

  1. Turn on your device. The Hello screen appears.

  2. Follow the onscreen setup steps until you reach the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen.

  3. Tap From iCloud Backup.

    An iPhone showing the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen with From iCloud Backup as the first option.

  4. Sign in to your Apple Account to access your backups.

  5. Review the date and size of each backup, and then choose the most recent one. Your device starts restoring from the backup. 1

  6. When asked, sign in again to restore your apps and purchases. 2

  7. Keep your device connected to Wi-Fi and power until the progress bar finishes. 3

    An iPhone showing a progress bar and the time remaining while restoring from an iCloud backup.

  8. Finish setting up your device. 4

Restore your device from a backup on your computer

  1. On a Mac with macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, open the Finder. On a PC with Windows 10 or later, open the Apple Devices app.

  2. Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable. 5

  3. Select your device in the sidebar. If your device is missing, get help connecting your device.

  4. Click Restore Backup.

    A Finder window showing an iPhone selected in the sidebar.

  5. From the Backup menu, review the date and size of each backup, and then choose the most recent one.

  6. When asked, enter the password for your encrypted backup.

  7. Click Restore. 5

    A Finder dialog showing the Backup menu and a password field.

  8. Keep your device connected to your computer while it restarts and syncs.

  9. Disconnect your device from your computer after the sync finishes. 6

Restore your device after a service appointment

After you get your device back from an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, you might need to restore it. Choose one of these options:

Setting up your device as new creates iCloud backups that replace your saved iCloud backups. To restore from a saved iCloud backup after you set up as new, restore as soon as possible:

  1. Erase your device.

  2. Restore your device from your saved iCloud backup.

Learn more

Need more help?

Tell us more about what's happening, and we'll suggest what you can do next.

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  1. Your device might show a message that it needs a newer version of iOS or iPadOS. Follow the onscreen steps to update.

  2. If you made purchases with multiple Apple Accounts, your device asks you to sign in to each one. If you forgot a password, tap Skip this Step and sign in later.

  3. The time it takes to restore varies depending on the backup size and your network speed.

  4. Content such as your photos, music, and apps continues to download from iCloud after setup. The download time varies depending on how much content you have and your network speed.

  5. If your device asks for your passcode or shows the Trust This Computer alert, follow the onscreen steps. Get help if you forgot your passcode.

  6. After your device finishes restoring, content such as your photos, music, and apps continues to download from iCloud. The time this takes varies depending on how much content you have and your network speed. Keep your device connected to Wi-Fi and power.

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