Best 6 Ways to Fix: My iPhone Won’t Backup to iCloud

My iPhone won’t backup to iCloud when trying to back up iPhone to iCloud. Why does this happen? Well, this post will tell you why and share 6 methods to solve this problem. Let’s have a look!

May by May Updated April 22, 2024
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Why My iPhone Won’t Backup to iCloud?

It is important to back up your iPhone or iPad regularly to protect your data. But some Apple users receive an error message “There was a problem enabling iCloud backup” when performing a backup. What does it mean when you can’t back up your iPhone? It means you won’t find your important data if it is lost or deleted accidentally.

The question is why my iPhone won’t backup to iCloud. Some possible reasons are listed below:

• Poor Wi-Fi connection
• Not enough iCloud storage
• Using a different iCloud account
• …

My iPhone Won’t Backup to iCloud

How to Fix: My iPhone Wont Backup to iCloud

When you encounter the “iPhone not backing up to iCloud” issue, don’t worry. This post offers 6 methods to help you fix this issue. Please read on!

Method 1: Make Sure iCloud Backup Is Enabled

If your iPhone won’t perform backup to iCloud, the first thing you should do is make sure the iCloud Backup option is enabled on your device. Here is how to enable option on your iPhone:

Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone > Tap Apple ID at the top of the display > Tap iCloud.

Step 2: Tap Backup to check if the iCloud Backup option is in the On position. (If the slide is set to Off (greyed out,) please slide it to the On position.)

Enable iCloud Backup

Method 2: Check iCloud Storage Space

Why won’t my iPhone backup to iCloud? One of the major reasons is insufficient iCloud storage space. Each Apple user only has 5GB of free storage, so you need to check if you have enough storage space on your iPhone to back up your iPhone. Here is a full guide:

Step 1: Go to iPhone’s Settings and tap Apple ID > iCloud to check if you have enough iCloud storage space to back up your iPhone.

Check iCloud Storage Space

Step 2: If iCloud storage is full, tap Manage Storage to free up iCloud storage space by deleting some unnecessary data or tap Upgrade to purchase iCloud storage.

It is worth noting that deleting data from iCloud does help you get some storage space. However, if you have more than 5 GB of data on your iPhone for backup, this may not help.

Method 3: Check Network Connection

“My iPhone will not backup to iCloud” may also be caused by a poor network connection. If you try to make an iPhone backup with a cellular data network, you need to check if cellular data is enabled for iCloud. Also, you can connect your iPhone to fast and stable Wi-Fi to perform a backup.

If you still cannot back up your iPhone to iCloud, you need to reset the network settings. Follow the steps below to do that:

Step 1: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone and choose General.

Step 2: Choose Reset Network Settings and tap Reset to perform an operation.

Reset Network Settings

Method 4: Sign Out and Sign into iCloud Again

Another way to fix the iPhone not backing up to iCloud issue is to sign out and then sign back to iCloud on your iPhone. This will resolve authentication issues when you try to perform an iPhone backup.

Step 1: Open Settings and tap Apple ID at the top of the screen. Then, scroll down and tap Sign Out. (Here you need to enter your Apple ID and password and then choose Sign Out.)

Sign Out of iCloud

Step 2: Enter your Apple ID and password to sign into iCloud on your iPhone.

Method 5: Restart Your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone can help you reset settings and updates that may be stuck in between. In this case, trying to restart iPhone may solve this problem. The steps to do that are listed below:

Step 1: Press and hold the Power and Volume buttons. When you get to the slider, slide to power off.

Restart Your iPhone

Step 2: Press the Side button to restart iPhone.

After that, try to back up your iPhone to iCloud to check if the problem “why my iPhone won’t back up to iCloud” is fixed.

Method 6: Try the Backup Tool Alternatively

If you are tired of trying to fix the iPhone not backing up to iCloud issue, you can use a safe and professional iPhone backup tool to manage your iPhone. FoneTool will be a good option for you.

FoneTool is one of the best backup and transfer tools that can help you back up your iPhone to PC or transfer data from iPhone to iPhone, iPhone to PC, etc. With FoneTool, you don’t need to worry about many issues such as iPhone backup failed for poor network, full iCloud storage, or other issues.

How to back up your iPhone using FoneTool? Here is a full guide:

Step 1: Click the download button below to get FoneTool and install it on your PC. Then, connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable.

Download Freeware Win 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
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Step 2: Launch FoneTool, choose Phone Backup in the left menu bar, and then click Get Started under Full Backup.

Choose Full Backup

★Tip:
Full Backup will back up all your photos, contacts, call history, text messages, memos, calendars, Safari (history, bookmarks), applications (data files), and system settings.

Step 2: Enable Backup Encryption to protect private data, click Backup Storage Path to choose a location to save the backup, and then click Start Backup to perform a backup.

Choose Start Backup

When the backup is completed, you can choose Backup History to view, restore, or delete your iPhone backup. If you don’t want to make a full backup of your iPhone, you can also selectively back up iPhone data.

Bonus: How to Manage Your iCloud storage on PC with Ease

Given the 5GB free storage limit in iCloud, if your files exceed that limit, you may need to clean up some unnecessary files in your iCloud space. FoneTool is a free but powerful iOS management tool that lets you seamlessly manage your iCloud files. To guide you through the process, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Launch FoneTool and navigate to My iCloud > Sign in using your Apple ID and proceed to Manage iCloud.

Click Manage iCloud

Step 2: Within the interface, pinpoint each icon to cherry-pick the specific photos you wish to delete > Click the Delete button to begin the entire process.

Delete Files

The Bottom Line

Now you know “why my iPhone won’t backup to iCloud”. If you still cannot back up your iPhone to iCloud after trying the top 5 methods, you can use FoneTool to create an iPhone backup.

FoneTool is a free and safe iPhone backup tool with easy operation and a simple interface. With this tool, you can back up photos, videos, and other files like messages, contacts, notes, and music within a few steps. Most importantly, it doesn’t require a network to perform a backup, so your backup will not be interrupted.

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