How Long Does It Take to Backup iPhone to iCloud?

User Concern

“How long does iCloud backup take? My new iPhone 13 Pro has been backing up for 10 hours. Is that normal or did it freeze on a backup?”

The best way to protect the valuable photos, videos, messages and other information on your iPhone is making a backup. Apple makes it easier to back up your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to the cloud using iCloud. However, many users have complained that it takes longer to back up their iDevice via iCloud and they were unable to complete the backup.

How long does it take to backup an iPhone to iCloud? Why is your iPhone taking so long to backup to iCloud? Don’t worry. Here in this article, we will discuss how long does iCloud backup take and why iCloud backup is taking so long. Also, read on to learn a quicker way to back up your iPhone or iPad instead of using Apple’s iCloud.

Part 1. How Long Does iCloud Backup Take?

How long does it take to backup an iPhone to iCloud? Generally, an iCloud backup should take 20 minutes to 2 hours to complete. But the exact time the process takes will depend on several factors, including the amount of data on your device, phone’s storage capacity, device condition and Wi-Fi network speed. Let’s take a look at each of these factors and how they can affect the backup process:

Data Amount

The amount of data on you iPhone/iPad can significantly influence the time that iCloud takes for the backup. For example, backing up 128 GB data will surely be longer than backing up 64 GB. So, it is suggested to keep bccking up your iPhone regularly.

iPhone Condition

Most people don’t realize that they need to backup iPhone or iPad until the device notifies them that they can't take new photos. When you get a message like that, it means that the device’s storage is full and its performance may be less than ideal.

Besides, the latest iPhones have a fast data transfer speed compared to older iPhone models. If you are using an older model, the iCloud backup may take longer.

Wi-Fi Speed

You need to connect to a Wi-Fi network to back up your iPhone or iPad to iCloud. And the time iCloud takes to do the backup also depends on your Wi-Fi network speed. When your Wi-Fi connection is not strong enough, the iCloud backup may take longer than normal.

Data Type

Data type is another critical aspect when it comes to iCloud backup. Media files such as photos, videos and music usually take longer time than other data types. If you have thousands of photos and videos on your iPhone, the backup can take more thank 1 hour to complete.

Taking these factors into consideration, the time it takes for the iCloud backup to be completed cannot be definitive. If you back up your iPhone/iPad at least once a week , your backup will take quicker, about 7-10 minutes.

And the following are different types of data that you can backup on iCloud:

• Photos and videos in your Camera Roll
• Call history
• All the settings on the device
• Data of your apps
• Home screen and app organization
• Messages including iMessage, SMS and MMS
• Screen display and apps layout
• Ringtones and other notification settings
• Your visual voicemail
• Purchase history like apps, music, movies, TV shows and books

Part 2. Why Is iCloud Backup Taking So Long?

That said, there are several reasons why your iCloud backup may take a long time to complete. The following are some common ones:

• When you don’t have enough iCloud Storage. Keep in mind tat iCloud only gives you 5GB storage space for free and you may need to purchase additional storage space if you have a large amount of data on your device.
• When the Wi-Fi connection you are using is very slow or not strong enough. In this case, it may be a good idea to try connecting to a different network.
• If your iPhone is running an outdated version of iOS, you may also experience problems with the iCloud backup. In this case, go to Settings > General > Software Update to check if an iOS update is available.
• You may also have problems with the backup if the system is clogged with too much data. Just go to Settings > iCloud and toggle off some of the data that you don’t want to include in the backup.

Part 3. A Quicker Way to Backup iPhone without iCloud

If you are still having trouble backing up the data on your iPhone/iPad to iCloud, we recommend using FoneGeek Backup & Restore (iOS) as an alternative. This tool is designed to help you quickly and easily backup all the data on your device to your computer in one click.

• You can either make a full backup or selectively back up the data you need only like photos, videos, music, contacts, messages, WhatsApp, notes, etc.
• You are allowed to preview and restore any item from the backup to your iPhone or iPad.
• Unlike restoring from iCloud or iTunes, there is no data loss or overwritten during the restoration.
• This tool works for all iOS devices and iOS versions, even the latest iPhone 14/13/12 and iOS 16/15.

Now free download FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore on your computer and then follow the steps below to backup your iPhone/iPad without iCloud:

Step 1: Launch the program and connect your iOS device to the computer using a lightning cable. When the device is detected, click on the “Backup & Restore” tab at the top to start.

Step 2: All the files and content will be displayed. Select the types of data that you would like to include in the backup and then click on “Backup” to continue.

Step 3: In a few minutes, the backup will be completed and it will be available on your computer. You can view the backup data or restore the backup to your device if needed.

Part 4. Frequently Asked Questions about iCloud Backup

How to turn on iCloud backup?

Please note that iCloud backup isn't turned on by default. To do that, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud and enable "iCloud Backup". Then tap on "Back Up Now" to start creating a backup of iPhone.

How to backup iPhone to iCloud automatically?

Once you have enabled iCloud Backup, iCloud will backup your iPhone automatically as long as you connect the device to a power source and Wi-Fi network. Also, you should have enough free space in iCloud for the backup.

Can I use my iPhone during the iCloud backup?

Yes, you can use your iPhone while the device is on iCloud backup. However, we recommend you not to do that, as the continuous usage of iPhone might cause extra time in the backup.

Is iCloud storage free? How to upgrade iCloud storage plan?

No, Apple only provides 5GB of iCloud storage space for free. If you have lots of data that needs to be backed up, you will have to upgrade to the premium service by going to Settings > [your name] > iCloud Storage > Purchase more storage.

Is it safe to delete backup from iCloud to free up space?

Of course, you can delete previous backup data to free up space on iCloud. But all the data in the backup will be gone forever and you won't be able to restore them. So, it is highly recommend to backup iPhone with FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore, which offers fast backup speed and unlimited storage space.