How to Find & Restore Old Backup on iPhone, iPad

Lost old backup on iPhone? Don't worry, read this tutorial to find and restore old backup on iPhone, iPad, iCloud, Finder and iTunes.

It’s a great initiative to create a backup of your iPhone and store your data on your iCloud, Mac/PC or an external hard drive. The best part is that you can create & Manage backups of your iPhone on Mac, and iCloud. But where exactly the iPhone’s old backups are stored, and how can you find them? Luckily, they aren’t so well hidden. It’s handy to access the iPhone’s old backup. Here’s how to find & Restore it if you need it.

3 Ways to Find Old Backup Of your iPhone, iPad & Restore

There are three different ways to access the old backup of the iPhone. Fuss not, we have covered all of them in the below article.

1) From iPhone – iCloud,
2) From Mac – iCloud
3) By Connecting iPhone to Mac & PC (On Mac).

Way #1. From iPhone

You can access your iPhone backup from your iCloud account itself from your iPhone. Here’s how. 

Step 1: Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Your Name [Apple ID].

Open iPhone settings
Open iPhone settings

Step 2: Search and select iCloud. Swipe down and select iCloud Backups.
Step 3: In the All Devices Backup, you will find your iPhone Backup. 

Check Backup in iCloud on iPhone Settings
Check Backup in iCloud on iPhone Settings

Tap on your iPhone Backup. On the next screen, you’ll see the last backup date, backup size, and Next Backup Size.

Restore iPhone Backup

  1. Turn on your iPhone. Once you do so, you’ll see Hello Screen. 
  2. If you’ve already set up your flagship, you’ll need to erase all content before you use these steps to restore from your backup. 
  3. Follow the onscreen instructions to set up steps until you reach the Apps & Data Screen. 
  4. Hit Restore from iCloud Backup.
  5. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. 
  6. Choose a backup. Now look at the date and size of each and select the most recent one. Once you select the backup, the transfer will begin. If the screen prompts show a new version is required, follow the on-screen instructions to update.
  7. When prompted, sign in with Apple ID to restore your purchases and apps. If you’ve purchased App Store or iTunes content using Multiple Apple IDs, you’ll be asked to sign in to each. However, you can skip this step if you have forgotten the password. 
  8. Stay connected to Wi-Fi network and wait until the procedure is finished. The period of this procedure depends on the size of the backup and the network speed. If you disconnect the Wi-Fi, the backup progress bar will be paused. 
  9. Now, let the restore procedure finish. Content such as photos, apps, music, and other information get finished.   

Way #2. From Mac

If you’re using the same Apple ID on Mac, then you can easily access your iPhone backup in iCloud from Mac. So, if you have lost your iPhone and want to restore it, here is how to do it. 

Step 1: Go to your Mac computer’s Apple Menu > System Settings. Click on your Apple ID [Your Name].

Open iCloud Settings on Mac
Open iCloud Settings on Mac

Step 2: Select iCloud from the next screen. In the next screen, select Manage.

Manage iCloud Settings on Mac
Manage iCloud Settings on Mac

Step 3: Click Backups.

Check Backup in iCloud on Mac
Check Backup in iCloud on Mac

Now let your Mac load backup. There, you will see your iPhone backup.

View All Saved Backup in iCloud on Mac
View All Saved Backup in iCloud on Mac

Restore iPhone Backup

The procedure to restore iPhone’s backup is similar to that mentioned above in way #1. 

Way #3. By Connecting your iPhone to Mac

Another way to find iPhone backup is by connecting your iPhone to a Mac using Apple’s official cable. Let me show you can do it. Local Backup is Fast & Recommended to Use.

Step 1: First of all, connect an iPhone to a Mac using a cable.  Select Trust from the prompted pop-up on your iPhone. 

Step 2: Then, click on the Finder Icon located on the Mac Dock. Next, select your iPhone name from the left panel.

Step 3: Click on the Trust Button.

Step 4: Select the Manage Backups… button. 

Step 5: Now, let your Mac load the backup. There, you will see your iPhone backup.

Restore your iPhone Backup 

If you want to restore your iPhone backup when connected to a Mac computer, follow the steps below.

  1. First of all, connect an iPhone to a Mac using a cable. 
  2. Select Trust from the prompted pop-up on your iPhone. 
  3. Then, click on the Finder Icon located on the Mac Dock.
  4. Next, select your iPhone name from the left panel. 
  5. Click on the Trust Button.
  6. Select the Restore Backup.
  7. Choose Restore Button for further confirmation. 

That’s It!

Final Thought!

You have plenty of ways to find and restore the iPhone backup. You can choose from Mac’s Finder to iCloud to find and restore your iPhone backup.

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Karly Wood

Karly Wood, a Wellington-based journalist, excels in covering Apple and tech trends. With a diverse background in public safety, government, and education reporting, her insights bridge multiple disciplines, offering readers a well-rounded perspective on today's technological advancements. Contact Her Team:- [email protected] [OR] [email protected]

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