iCloud is a service provided by Apple that enables one to store important data. But the obstacle faced by most of the users is that restoring from iCloud backup is taking forever even when they are restoring an iCloud backup to their new iPhone 15.
Normally restoring an iCloud backup may take up to a few hours if you have a large size of data. But if it takes much longer than that, there might be some problems. The possible reasons might be a slow network or some reasons that you won’t know. This can be frustrating.
In this article, we elaborate on some simple steps that will help you get past the problem that restoring from iCloud is stuck. The methods also work for iPhone 15.
6 Ways to Fix iPhone Restore from iCloud Taking Forever?
Sometimes it is hard to say which specific reason results in this restoration problem. We analyze all the possible reasons and explain all the possible solutions below to fix the problem of restoring from iCloud backup taking forever.
1. Check the network
The most common cause is a network problem. Make sure your internet connection is intact. It should be strong, stable, and steady. The speed should be moderate to fast. If you are still facing a problem, then:
- If using WiFi, try troubleshooting or restarting the router.
- If using a mobile network, try reconnecting it.
If the underlying problem was a network connection, then it should have been resolved by now. If not then proceed to the next step.
2. Check the size of your iCloud backup
Make sure your iPhone storage is more than the backup size on your iCloud as this could also be the possible reason that leads to iPhone restoring from iCloud backup taking forever. There is not enough space on your device to store the data from iCloud so the process is stuck. Even if you are restoring iCloud backup to iPhone 15, this could also be a problem.
You can check your iCloud backup size by:
- On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later: Open Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage > Backups.
- On a Windows computer: Open iCloud for Windows > Storage > Backup.
- On an iPhone: Open Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backup, and then you can see the size of your iPhone’s backup.
If the backup is larger than your iPhone storage, then it cannot be restored successfully.
3. Update iPhone software
If iPhone restoring from iCloud backup is taking forever, then there is a possibility that you might be using an outdated version of iOS software. Some apps may not be supported by it and get the restoring process stuck.
It is always advisable to use the newest version of the software available to make your device well-matched with your apps. Currently, iPhone 15 usually has iOS 17 pre-installed, so there is no need to update the software on iPhone 15 now. When there is a newer version, it is also recommended to update iPhone 15’s software.
To update your software, follow the following simple steps:
- Go to Settings and then tap on “General”.
- Tap on “Software Update”.
- If an update is available, tap “Download and Install”.
After the update is completed, try to restore the device in iCloud again. If restoring from iCloud is still taking forever, then progress to the next step.
4. Check the Apple system status
The problem may not be on your part or on your device. The latest model iPhone 15 can also have problems when restoring from iCloud backup. It could be Apple’s fault. There could be a server error that needs to be corrected by the company itself. You can check it on the Apple support system website by clicking the following URL:
https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/
Check the iCloud-related services. If it is red in front of the services, then don’t worry you just have to wait for a while till Apple fixes it. If the icon is green, then the problem is definitely on your part and you have to keep troubleshooting it on your own and proceed to the last solution.
5. An alternative method to restore iPhone from backup
If the above-mentioned solutions were of no help to you, you need not worry. We still have one last resolution for your problem.
If you have an old iPhone and want to transfer data to a new iPhone 15, you can use iTunes to back up your old iPhone data and restore that backup to your new iPhone.
Check these simple steps to back up the old iPhone:
- Launch iTunes on your computer.
- Connect your old iPhone to your computer.
- On your iPhone, click Trust on a pop-up that asks you to Trust This Computer.
- Enter your iPhone Lock Screen Passcode.
- On iTunes click the device icon in the top left corner.
- Go to the Summary section. Set the backup option to This Computer and select the Back Up Now option.
- Wait till the completion of the backup.
Now follow these steps to restore your backup to your new iPhone:
- Turn on your new device, set your iPhone, and answer each pop-up screen that appears till you reach Apps & Data screen.
- Choose Restore from Mac or PC.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Open the iTunes application.
- Click Restore from this backup
- Select the backup you want to restore.
- Click Continue.
- Click Restore and enter your password.
- After completion, iPhone restarts. Wait for it to sync before disconnecting it from your desktop.
6. If iPhone restoring from iCloud is stuck on restoring media or app data
In some cases, iCloud takes too long to restore your critical data because it is jammed on restoring media or app data. In these cases, your iPhone has restarted and it is restoring media or app data in the background.
If you are not happy to see that, you can stop restoring the data in the Settings app by following these simple steps:
Open Settings > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Stop Restoring iPhone. Then tap Stop on the pop-up that appears to put an end to the restoring process.
But before that, you have to check whether your important data has been restored to your iPhone or not. If it has been restored just click the Stop Restoring iPhone button you can use your iPhone as usual. If it has not been restored, you can try to restore it from iCloud backup again.
If it is the photos that are not restored, you can turn on photos in iCloud settings on your new iPhone by going to Settings >iCloud > Photos > turn on iCloud Photos. This way, your photos in iCloud.com will be synced to your device.
If it is the WhatsApp data that is not restored, you can make a backup of your WhatsApp data on your old iPhone to iCloud separately, and then install a new WhatsApp on your new iPhone and restore the WhatsApp backup you have just made.
The above methods also apply to iPhone 15.
Conclusion
There are many ways how you can fix the problem of restoring from iCloud taking forever. We have listed all the possible causes and their solutions that may help to fix the problem. Hope that this one-stop article has managed to get rid of the problem for you.
