Restore the data you backed up (2024)

1. Turn on your device. You should see a Hello screen. (If you already set up your device, you need to erase all its content before you can use these steps to restore from your backup.)

2. Follow the onscreen setup steps until you reach the Apps & Data screen, then tap Restore from iCloud Backup.

3. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID.

4. Choose a backup.

   Look at the date and size of each backup and pick the most relevant. After you choose a backup, the transfer starts. If a message says that a newer version of software is required, follow the onscreen steps to update.

5. When asked, sign in with your Apple ID to restore your apps and purchases.

   If you’ve purchased iTunes or App Store content using multiple Apple IDs, you’ll be asked to sign in to each. If you can’t remember your password, you can tap Skip this Step and sign in later. You won’t be able to use the apps until you sign in with your Apple ID.

   See Also

   Does Deleting an App Mean the Same Thing as Uninstalling It? A Guide for iPhone and AndroidHow to restore your Android phone from a backup | AsurionBackup And Restore Android APPs & DataQuick Solutions to Recover Deleted App Data on Android

6. Stay connected to Wi-Fi and wait for a progress bar to appear.

   Depending on the size of the backup and the network speed, the progress bar might need a few minutes to an hour to show that the networking process is complete. If you disconnect from Wi-Fi too soon, the progress pauses until you reconnect.

7. You can now finish setup.

   Content like your apps, photos, music and other information continues to restore in the background for the next several hours or days, depending on the amount of information. Try to connect often to Wi-Fi and power to allow the restore to complete.

After the restore is complete:

• Go to the App Library and review the apps installed on your device. If you find any unknown third-party apps, you can delete them.

  See the Apple Support article Organise the Home Screen and App Library on your iPhone.

• Review and delete any device configuration profiles or mobile device management (MDM) profiles that you didn’t authorise. (Configuration profiles are used by schools and businesses to help ensure consistent setup across devices. Be careful not to delete profiles installed by your school or workplace.)

1. On a Mac with macOS 10.15 or later, open the Finder . On a Mac with macOS 10.14 or earlier, or on a PC, open iTunes.

2. Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable. If a message asks for your device passcode or to Trust This Computer, follow the onscreen steps.

3. Select your iPhone or iPad when it appears in the Finder window or iTunes.

4. Select Restore Backup.

   See Also

   Uninstalling apps: delete cache & data

5. Look at the date of each backup and pick the most relevant.

6. Click Restore and wait for the restore to finish. If asked, enter the password for your encrypted backup.

7. Keep your device connected after it restarts and wait for it to sync with your computer. You can disconnect after the sync finishes.

After the restore is complete:

• Go to the App Library and review the apps installed on your device. If you find any unknown third-party apps, you can delete them.

  See the Apple Support article Organise the Home Screen and App Library on your iPhone.

• Review and delete any device configuration profiles or mobile device management profiles that you didn’t authorise. (Configuration profiles are used by schools and businesses to help ensure consistent setup across devices. Be careful not to delete profiles installed by your school or workplace.)

If you use Time Machine to back up the files on your Mac, you can easily get back lost items or recover older versions of files. You can use Time Machine within many apps.

1. On your Mac, open a window for the item you want to restore.

   For example, to recover a file you accidentally deleted from your Documents folder, open the Documents folder.

   If you’re missing an item from the desktop, you don’t need to open a window.

2. Use Launchpad to view and open apps on Mac and open Time Machine. A message may appear while your Mac connects to the backup disk.

   You can also open Time Machine by clicking the Time Machine icon in the menu bar, then choosing Enter Time Machine. If the Time Machine icon isn’t in the menu bar, do one of the following:

   • On your Mac using macOS 13 or later: Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Time Machine , then select “Show Time Machine in menu bar”.

   • On your Mac using macOS 12 or earlier: Choose Apple menu>System Preferences, click Time Machine , then select “Show Time Machine in menu bar”.

3. Use the arrows and timeline to browse the local snapshots and backups.

   

   If you see a pulsing light to semi-dark grey tick mark, it represents a backup that’s still loading or validating on the backup disk.

4. Select one or more items you want to restore (these can include folders or your entire disk), then click Restore.

   Restored items return to their original location. For example, if an item was in the Documents folder, it’s returned to the Documents folder.

After the restore is complete:

• Go to Launchpad and review the apps installed on your Mac. If you find any unknown third-party apps, delete them by pressing and holding the Option key, then clicking the X on the app you want to remove.

• Review and delete any device configuration profiles or mobile device management profiles that you didn’t authorise. (Configuration profiles are used by schools and businesses to help ensure consistent setup across devices. Be careful not to delete profiles installed by your school or workplace.)