How to restore your iphone from itunes

If you’re having problems with your iPhone, you can get it working again by restoring it to a recent backup. Restoring lets you keep the apps, settings, and purchased content you had the last time you backed up your iPhone. Otherwise, you might have to reset your iPhone to factory conditions to get it working again, which means you’ll lose all your data. Here’s how to restore your iPhone from Finder, iTunes, and an iCloud backup.

Before You Restore

Before you can restore your iPhone, Apple advises you to update it to the latest version. Here’s how to do that:

On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update. If you see a newer version of iOS, download and install it. If your software is up to date, continue on to the next steps.

How to Restore iPhone from Finder

If you’ve upgraded your computer to macOS Catalina, you can back up and restore your iPhone from Finder. If you want to know how to install macOS Catalina and the features you’ll get, check out our blog here.

1. Plug your iPhone into your computer.
2. Open Finder and select your iPhone in the left sidebar. If you don’t see your iPhone in the left sidebar, click on Finder in the menu bar at the top of your screen, and select preferences. Then click the Sidebar tab and check the box next to CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices.
3. Then click Manage Backups to see your most recent backups. If you do not have any backups, you cannot restore your iPhone. If you want to know more about how to back up your iPhone, check out our guide here.
4. Click Restore Backup. In iTunes, the Restore Backup button is located in the General tab under the Backups options.
   
   
5. If prompted, turn off Find My iPhone. If you have Find My enabled when you restore your iPhone, Finder will prompt you to turn it off. Here’s how to do that:
   • On your iPhone, go to Settings > Apple ID.
   • Next, tap Find My, and then Find My iPhone.
   • Finally, turn Find My iPhone off. You will need to enter your Apple ID password to confirm the action.
     
     
6. Wait until your device finishes rebooting. Your phone will show the Apple logo and a progress bar during the backup. Keep your device plugged into your computer until your iPhone restarts and finishes syncing. You should be able to use your phone with the backed-up information once the process is complete.

If you have not updated to Catalina, or you’re using Windows, you can restore your iPhone using iTunes. To do this, plug your iPhone into your computer, click on the phone icon in iTunes, and click Restore Backup. Your iPhone will reboot, after which it will restore your data.

How to Restore iPhone from iTunes

1. Plug your iPhone into your computer.
2. Open iTunes and select your iPhone. You can find this in the top menu bar, next to the play button.
3. Then select Restore Backup.
   
   
4. Click Restore Backup under Manual Backup and Restore. Be careful not to click Restore iPhone, which will reset your iPhone to factory conditions.

No matter which computer you are using, you can always back up using iCloud. In fact, you don’t even need to be around a computer to restore from iCloud.

Before you can restore from an iCloud backup, you should double-check whether you have an iCloud backup or not. Without one, you won’t be able to restore your iPhone.  

How to Check For iCloud Backups

1.  On your iPhone, go to Settings > Apple ID. This is the top option with your name and a circular image.
2. Then tap iCloud, scroll down, and tap iCloud Backup. Here’s where you will see if you have any old backups, along with the date and time when your iPhone was last successfully backed up to iCloud.
   
   
3. If you don’t see any recent backups, click Back Up Now. Even if you don’t have a backup, you might want to create one and try restoring anyway. If you want to know more about how to back up your iPhone, check out our guide by clicking the link.

Remember, it’s a good idea to back up your iPhone as often as possible. The more you back up your iPhone, the less data you will lose when restoring it. If you don’t have any backups, and you run into a problem, you might have to reset your iPhone to factory conditions, which means you’ll lose all your data.

How to Restore your iPhone from iCloud Backup

Now that you know you have an iCloud backup, you can restore your iPhone from an iCloud backup. To do this, you need to reset your phone to factory conditions. Then, you can choose to restore from a backup while going through the setup process.

Note: You’ll have to be connected to WiFi for the restore process to complete. So make sure you have a reliable connection.

1. Go to Settings > General > Reset. This will erase all the content on your iPhone, so make sure you have a backup before you continue.
2. Then tap Erase All Content and Settings. If asked, enter your Apple ID and password.
   
   
3. When your iPhone restarts, follow the on-screen prompts. You will be asked to select your country, choose a WiFi network, set up Face ID, and create a passcode for your iPhone.
4. When you see the Apps and Data screen, tap on Restore from iCloud Backup. There will be a couple of options for you to choose how you want to transfer apps and data to your phone. For this method, choose Restore from iCloud.
   
   
5. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. In the iCloud screen, enter your Apple ID and password, then tap Next.
6. Verify your identity. Apple will try to verify your credentials by sending a code to another iOS device you own or your email address. Type in the passcode or tap Allow on the other device, then agree to the terms and conditions.
7. Enter the password you use for logging into another iOS device. On your phone, you will be prompted to type in the password you use to unlock another device.
8. Choose a backup to restore. The Choose Backup menu will have a list of your recent iPhone backups. You can also choose to see all backups by tapping on Show All Backups.
9. Continue to follow the on-screen instructions until your phone is restored. Your phone will give a prompt saying that it is restoring from iCloud. You will also be given a time estimate when the backup will be complete.

If you want to prevent your phone from running into issues in the future, check out our guide on how to remove a virus from your iPhone.

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