How to restore iPhone

Smartphones hold an important place in our daily lives, storing precious memories, personal information and acting as our primary means of communication. However, you should always be prepared for the possibility that your iPhone may freeze or you may accidentally delete the data you need. If you’ve experienced software crashes, data loss, or just want a fresh start, you need to understand how to restore iPhone.

Whether you are looking to restore iPhone from iTunes backup or iCloud – we will tell you all the methods we know and outline their pros and cons. By following our tips and instructions, you will be able to restore iPad from backup (or iPhone) and regain control of your device functionality. Read the guide from top to bottom or choose the section you’re interested in:

Also: How to Set Up New iPhone.

• What does restore iPhone mean
• How to restore iPhone without iTunes (in full or in part) recommended
• Restoring iPhone from iCloud
• Brief description
• How long does restoring from iCloud take
• Restore from iCloud paused | What does it mean?
• How to restore iPhone from iCloud | 2 ways
• Restore iPhone from iTunes
• On a Windows PC
• in Mac OS Mojave or earlier
• In mac OS Catalina
• Restore iPhone to factory settings (reset iPhone)

What does restore iPhone mean

Many users are wondering “What does restore iPhone mean“. The term “iPhone restore” has two meanings:

1. Restore meaning “restore the iPhone to factory settings“. This process erases everything from your device, allowing you to start anew. Basically, you just set your iPhone as a brand-new device.
2. Restore as in “restore data from backup to the device“. iTunes and iCloud will restore your data only after they erase everything from the device. Occasionally, they may screw over a couple of other things along the way. Sometimes, there are advantages to using non-Apple programs like CopyTrans Shelbee.

In this article, we will explain how to restore iPhone from backup and how to restore iPhone to factory settings.

How to restore iPhone without iTunes

Use this method if:

1. You are not the biggest fan of iTunes;
2. You don’t want to use iCloud. If you tried to backup your iPhone to iCloud and found that 5GB of free space is not enough or if your iCloud storage is full, this solution is for you. Also, you may not want to store your data with a third party.

👍 CopyTrans Shelbee will be a great replacement for iTunes and iCloud. Check out the article about best data recovery software where we compared 9 methods using various programs.

Unlike iTunes, CopyTrans Shelbee will:

✔️ restore full iPhone backup or just some selected data;

✔️ allow you to restore all your apps or just some of them;

✔️ do full or incremental backup;

✔️ allow to choose the folder to save backup;

✔️ validate backup made;

✔️ compatible with iTunes backup;

✔️ support encrypted iPhone backup;

Download CopyTrans Shelbee

Follow these steps to restore data with CopyTrans Shelbee:

1. Download CopyTrans Shelbee and install the program.
2. Start CopyTrans Shelbee and click on Full restore.



3. Click on the pencil icon and select the backup file.



4. Once you select the backup, CopyTrans Shelbee begins the restore operation. Stand by until the process is complete. CopyTrans Shelbee will restore iPhone content that was backed up with iTunes including messages, Camera Roll images, notes, calendars, iOS settings, app documents, and more.



5. Click “Done” and that is how to restore iPhone backup.

With CopyTrans Shelbee, you can choose which data you want to restore from Shelbee or iTunes backup. Here’s how to make a selective restore to iPhone:

1. Click on Custom restore.



2. Click on the pencil icon to select which backup you want to restore your data from. Сlick Next.
3. Select the data type you wish to restore. For example, you can choose to restore only contacts. Just select Contacts, then click on Next. You can also choose to restore calendars, notes, WhatsApp, and more in the same way.
   Please note that the data you selected will be overwritten.



4. CopyTrans Shelbee will ask you to choose where you want to save the backup of your device in case something goes wrong during Custom restore. Select the destination and click on Start.
5. Wait until the restore process finishes. That’s it! Your device will now restart.

Below is a summary of the most popular methods for those searching for how to restore iPhone from backup, also including the software offered by CopyTrans, CopyTrans Shelbee.

	Resetting iPhone	iTunes	iCloud	🧡 CopyTrans Shelbee	💜 CopyTrans Backup Extractor
Full restore					*
Custom restore (restore only photos, only messages, etc.)					*
Extract data from a backup to PC
Restore to iPhone
Restore from iCloud backup					*
Restore from iOS backup					*
Restore WhatsApp					*
Restore apps that are no longer on the App Store				**the apps should be backed up before removal

* extracts data to PC

Restore iPhone

YouTube guide

Restoring iPhone from iCloud

Another way to put the system back in working order is to restore from iCloud backup. Two main reasons to resort to this method are:

1. You bought a new device and want to transfer data between your old and new iPhone.
2. Someone stole your iPhone or you’ve lost it. If you have it backed up, you can perform a restore to another device.

❗ Here is all you should know about restoring iPhone from iCloud:

• Before restoring, make sure you have a recent backup.
• iCloud restore is different from the iTunes method in that you don’t need your PC and a cable: it is all about your iPhone and a steady Wi-Fi connection.
• Both iTunes and iCloud, however, share the same drawback: they will only restore your data after they erase everything from the device and you can’t select the data types you want to restore. If you want to extract a particular data type to PC without resetting iPhone, use CopyTrans Backup Extractor.
• Another inconvenience is that the data you want might not be part of your iCloud backup. The thing is, your iCloud backups only include the data stored locally on your device. So, your iCloud backup will not include data types already synced to iCloud.
• If you have trouble while restoring from an iCloud backup, see this article by Apple Support.

How long does restoring from iCloud take

Many users are wondering: “How long does it take to restore iPhone from iCloud?”. It usually takes 1-4 hours per gigabyte and depends on several factors:

◼ data types;
◼ amount of data;
◼ your internet connection.

So, the larger your iCloud backup is, the longer it takes to restore iPhone.

Restore from iCloud paused

iPhone won’t restore? Even though iCloud is thought to be a helpful and powerful tool, some users complain about restore from iCloud paused.

There can be a few reasons why the “Restore from iCloud” process on your iPhone may appear paused.

• Slow or Unstable Internet Connection: ensure that you have a strong Wi-Fi connection.
• Large Data Size: if your backup contains a significant number of photos and videos, the restoring process may take some time, just be patient and wait till it finishes.
• iCloud Server Issues: sometimes there may appear some temporary issues or maintenance, leading to a pause in the restore process. You can check Apple’s system status page to see if there are any ongoing iCloud service interruptions that may be affecting the restore process.
• Low Battery: if the level of your battery is low, it may automatically pause to conserve power. Just charge your device to restore iPhone from iCloud backup.

2 ways to restore iPhone from iCloud

1. Restore from iCloud backup to iPhone

Here is how to erase & restore from iCloud:

1. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Tap Erase All Content and Settings;




2. After your iPhone reboots, connect to Wi-Fi;
3. When you get to the Apps & Data screen, tap on “Restore from iCloud Backup” > enter your Apple ID and password > choose the backup you need from the list;

The restore speed depends on the size of your backup and the speed of your internet connection.

2. Restore from iCloud backup to PC

Some good reasons to use this method are:

1. you can get iCloud backup data without iPhone — if you lost it, for example;
2. you can get iCloud backup data without erasing all data from your iPhone;
3. you can select data types to extract.

CopyTrans Backup Extractor will automatically search for all iTunes and iCloud backups on your PC, enabling you to extract the data from them. This way you will restore from iCloud backup without reset.

Advantages of CopyTrans Backup Extractor

• Extract data from any backup to your PC
• Find all the backups automatically (FREE feature)
• The free version allows you to see what a backup includes
• Compatible with different backups: iCloud, iTunes, CopyTrans Shelbee

1. Download CopyTrans Backup Extractor and install it:

Download CopyTrans Backup Extractor

2. Run the program and click on “Log in to iCloud for more backups”.



3. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID: the backup search will then start automatically.



4. Select the backup you need (iCloud backups are marked with a cloud icon).



5. Select the data you want to retrieve. Then click on “Extract”.



6. After the extraction has finished, you will be able to see the retrieved data in the folder.

I don’t see the data I need in my iCloud backup

Some of your data may be excluded from iCloud backup. It happens because Apple doesn’t allow you to back up data that is already stored in iCloud. In simple words, the data stored in your iCloud will not be part of your iCloud backup; the data stored locally, however, will be included.

If you have iCloud Photos enabled (meaning that your photos are stored in iCloud), the photos won’t be in the iCloud backup. The same applies to your notes, contacts, etc.

How to get the data from iCloud? The two main ways to do that are iCloud.com and iCloud for Windows (but you can’t get messages and voice memos from there).

To see what data is stored in iCloud, go to Settings > Your name > iCloud. If the toggle next to Photos in on, the iCloud Photos feature is enabled and your photos will not be included in the iCloud backup. The same applies to other data types.

Alternatively, you can see what will be in your iCloud backup. To do that, go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backup and choose your device.

If you are sure some data type should be in the backup, but it is missing after restoration, read this Apple support article.

How to restore iPhone with iTunes

The word “restore” can also refer to extracting data from a backup onto your iPhone. You can restore iPhone from iTunes. However, you won’t be able to select the data you want to restore. You can restore everything or nothing at all.

You may want to use this method if:

• You bought a new device and want to transfer data between your old and new iPhone.
• Someone stole your iPhone or you’ve lost it. If you have it backed up, you can perform a restore to another device.

You can restore iPhone from iTunes backup on Windows PC or Mac. But on MacOS Catalina, you will need to use the Finder App, not iTunes. See how to do it below.

Restore iPhone from iTunes on PC

1. Connect your iPhone to PC and run iTunes;
2. Wait until your iPhone appears on the iTunes top panel and click on the iPhone icon;



3. Click on Summary, then click on Restore Backup;



4. iTunes may ask you to disable the “Find my iPhone” feature.
   

5. Choose the backup you need and click on Restore.


If necessary, enter the password for your backup (you will be asked to do that if your backup is encrypted).

6. Now just wait until the process finishes.

Restore iPhone from iTunes in mac OS Mojave or earlier versions

Steps for restoring iPhone with Mac OS Mojave are not much different:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer;
2. Launch iTunes;
3. Click on the device icon in the upper-left part of the iTunes window;



4. From the list on the left, choose Summary and click on Restore Backup;



5. Disable the “Find my iPhone” feature if asked.



6. Choose the backup you need and click on Restore.

If necessary, enter the password to your backup (you will be asked to do that if your backup is encrypted).

How to restore iPhone in macOS Catalina (spoiler: we’ll use the Finder)

Apple decided to kill iTunes starting with macOS Catalina. Most of the iTunes functions (including restoring data from backups) have been moved to the Finder App. But no worries here: restoring iPhone from the Finder is as easy as using iTunes. Here is what you should do:

1. Connect your device to your computer;
2. Open the Finder App;



3. On the left-hand bar, find your iPhone in the Locations section and click on it; choose to Trust your iPhone on Mac and choose to Trust your Mac on iPhone;



4. In the Backups section, click on Restore Backup;



5. Choose the backup you need and click on Restore.

Restore iPhone to factory settings

or reset iPhone

Use this option if:

• You want to sell your iPhone or give it away;
• You are taking your device to a repair shop and you want to protect your personal data;
• Your iPhone is slow, it lags and freezes.

To restore iPhone to factory settings, do the following:

1. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all content and settings.



2. After you click on “Erase All Content and Settings”, you will need to enter your iPhone passcode and Apple ID password (if signed in to your Apple account). You can’t reset the device without these combinations. If you forgot your passcode, read this Apple support article.

The restore process will take a couple of minutes. After that you’ll see the welcome screen asking you to set up your device: select your country, language, Wi-Fi network, etc.

Boring but important section

Use the methods described above only if you have a backup at hand so that you don’t lose your data. You can read more about backup types in our article on how to backup your iPhone.

It’s very important to regularly back up your device in order to stop asking yourself “How do I restore my iPhone?” in a panic. You can enable automatic iCloud backups on your device. With this feature enabled, your iPhone will be backed up every 24 hours. Alternatively, you can just connect it to iTunes from time to time or enable backup notifications in CopyTrans Shelbee.

More articles you might like:

• Prevent the loss of iPhone photos – set up automatic photo backups
• How to back up iPhone without iTunes
• I forgot my iPhone backup password
• Getting started with CopyTrans Backup Extractor
• User guides for CopyTrans Shelbee
• What happens if I reset my iPhone