It is imperative to back up data on your Apple devices as frequently as possible. However, there might be instances where the iCloud backup is stuck on “Estimated time remaining”.
When this happens, a couple of easy tips and alternative solutions are there to fix the issue. Some of the most practiced methods are explained in the following sections.
How to Fix iCloud Backup Stuck on “Estimated Time Remaining”
The following solutions explain how you can easily fix the issue when your iCloud backup is stuck on ‘Estimated time remaining’.
Solution 1: Check Network Issues
If your network connection isn’t established or has some issues in it, your iPhone may initiate the backup process but will get stuck on the ‘Estimated time remaining‘ screen. In such a situation, you can rectify the problems that your network may have by following the procedure that is given below:
- Restart your Wi-Fi router.
- Switch to a different Wi-Fi connection.
- Enable a hotspot on a different mobile device and use its network as Wi-Fi on your iPhone.
Note: In this method, your iPhone assumes that it is connected to Wi-Fi.
Solution 2: Reset Network Settings
If you have tried all the steps in the above solution, probably it is the network settings on your iPhone that are causing the trouble. You can reset them and see if it helps:
- On your iPhone, go to Settings.
- Go to General.
- Scroll down and tap Transfer and Reset iPhone.
- On the next screen, tap Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
- Enter your iPhone’s passcode when it prompts.
- Tap Reset Network Settings again.
- Wait while the network settings on your iPhone reset to factory defaults.
- Reconnect the phone to your wireless router and try backing up your data again.
Solution 3: Check iCloud Storage Space
You can even get the “iCloud backup stuck on estimated time remaining” issue if your iCloud storage doesn’t have enough capacity to accommodate the files, so you should check for the available space on your iCloud account. The process is given below:
- On your iPhone, go to Settings.
- Tap your name from the top of the screen.
- Tap iCloud from the Apple ID page.
- From the STORAGE section of the iCloud window, you can see the amount of storage that is being used.
- To buy more space, tap Manage Storage.
- Tap Change Storage Plan from the iCloud Storage window.
- Follow the on-screen instructions from there to buy more storage according to your requirements and budget.
Solution 4: Reset All Settings
If everything looks fine, probably there is some issue that cannot be identified and isolated. In that case, restoring all the settings to default could be a solution. You can follow the procedure that is given below to get the job done:
- Use the method explained in Solution 1 to get to the Transfer and Reset iPhone screen.
- Tap Reset from the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Reset All Settings.
- Enter the passcode of your iPhone.
- Tap Reset All Settings one more time to restore all the settings of your iPhone to default.
- Once done, reconnect the phone to your Wi-Fi connection, and try backing up again.
Solution 5: Fix Problematic App
In some cases, one or more apps can prevent your data from backing up on iCloud. To fix this, you can exclude those apps from the backup process and see if the issue is resolved. The procedure is given below:
- Use the steps given in Solution 3 to get to the Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Storage page.
- Tap Backups.
- Tap your iPhone.
- Tap the switch(es) representing the app(s) that you want to exclude from the backup. Try one app at one time.
- Tap Turn Off & Delete when you’re prompted. Note: Optionally, you can tap Show All Apps to see the entire list of apps and control which ones should be backed up more granularly.
- Once this is done, try backing up your iPhone again.
Solution 6: Update iPhone Software
If everything looks fine, the chances are that you are using an obsolete or older version of iOS on your iPhone. No matter whether there is an issue or not, it is always recommended to keep your phone updated with the latest operating system to get an uninterrupted and flawless user experience. You can check for available iOS updates by following the procedure that is given below:
- Make sure that your iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Software Update.
- Tap Download and Install. Note: You will get the Download and Install button only when an update is available. If it’s not, you’ll see the “iOS is up to date” message.
- Wait while your iPhone is updated with the latest iOS and restarts automatically.
- Retry backing up your phone.
Two Alternative Ways to Back Up iPhone
Fortunately, iCloud is not the only method or solution to back up your iPhone. If you see that iCloud backup is stuck on “Estimated time remaining” screen even after trying all the possible remedies, you can use any of the following two alternatives for backup:
Alternative 1: Back Up iPhone Using iTunes
iTunes offers easy and free fixes to almost all issues that your iPhone may encounter, be it updating iOS, backing up or restoring iPhone, etc. If you can’t back up your phone with iCloud, you can try iTunes instead. The process is given below:
- Use the lightning cable to connect your iPhone (iPhone 13 Pro Max here) to a PC with iTunes installed on it. Note: If this is the first time you connect your iPhone to your computer, you may have to tap Trust on your phone before establishing a connection between the two devices.
- Click the Phone icon from the top-left area of the screen.
- On the next window, from the left pane, make sure that you are on the Summary page.
- From the Automatically Back Up column of the Backups section on the right, click to select the This Computer radio button.
- Click Back Up Now from the Manually Back Up and Restore column.
- On the next box, click Don’t Encrypt. Note: Alternatively, you can click Encrypt Backups and set a strong password to save your sensitive data like security keys and passwords in an encrypted format.
- Wait while your iPhone is backed up with iTunes before you continue using it normally.
Alternative 2: Back Up iPhone Using a Third-Party Tool
Even though iTunes is a free solution and it works perfectly well in many cases, it has some limitations. For instance, you cannot back up individual apps or files because the entire iPhone is backed up, irrespective of any data that you may or may not need. This is where an efficient third-party program comes into play.
Among all the tools that are available for iPhones, one of the best applications that are compatible with both Windows and Mac computers is Dr.Fone by Wondershare. The program is a one-stop solution for almost everything that you may ever need to troubleshoot your iPhone, maintain it, and improve its performance.
With that said, if you are annoyed with the frequent occurrence of iCloud backup stuck on estimated time remaining screen, Wondershare Dr.Fone help you out. You can use the step-by-step process that is given below to use Dr.Fone to back up your iPhone:
Step 1: Launch Wondershare Dr.Fone and Connect Your iPhone
After downloading and installing Wondershare Dr.Fone on your Windows or Mac computer, launch the software. Next, use the lightning cable to connect your iPhone to the PC.
Step 2: Launch Phone Backup Tool and Initiate Back Up
On the main interface, click Phone Backup. When the next screen appears, click Backup and wait while Dr.Fone detects your iPhone and shows the elements that can be backed up.
Step 3: Select Data for Backup and Back Up iPhone
Uncheck the boxes representing the data you don’t want to back up. Leave all the other boxes checked. Choose a location for backup in the Backup Path field at the bottom, and click Backup.
On the next screen, when prompted, enter your iPhone’s passcode and click OK.
Note: You may also be prompted to enter your iTunes backup password if your phone was backed up with iTunes earlier.
Wait while Wondershare Dr.Fone backs up your iPhone before you can continue using the device normally.
Conclusion
Seeing the iCloud backup stuck on “Estimated time remaining” is pretty normal due to complex applications that are now being developed and installed on the devices. Now, depending on the time and budget you can spare to fix the issues, you can either choose to go with the free solutions as most people do, or you can pick any third-party tool to expedite and simplify the process of backing up your iPhone.
