Creating a backup of significant files stored on your device is highly recommended for safekeeping. Should things go wrong later on, you always have to backup file to recover. The same thing is recommended for users of Apple devices including iPhones. Backups of this particular iOS device can be created using iCloud or iTunes.
iCloud backups are stored in iCloud while iTunes backups are stored locally on your computer. One of the advantages of having an iCloud backup over iTunes is the fact that you will be able to access your backup files anywhere for as long as Wi-Fi connection is available. Thus if anything happens to your phone, you will have a backup to access from anywhere with an internet connection. Meanwhile backing up your device using iTunes will require you to use a computer to store and access your backup files as well.
To backup your iPhone to iCloud, an active and stable connection to Wi-Fi would be necessary. To backup your iPhone to iTunes, you will need to secure a computer with the latest operating system and latest version of iTunes software installed. Needless to say, backing up to iCloud is quicker than iTunes. However, not all of those who opted to backup to iCloud have succeeded. Some of them, including owners of the iPhone 6s handset where complaining about having trouble backing up their device to iCloud. For some reasons, their iPhone won’t backup to iCloud. Why does this happen and what should be done to remedy the problem? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.
What makes your iPhone 6s unable to backup to iCloud?
There are many factors to be considered among the possible causes of this problem. Surfaced among the most prevalent culprits are network issues as well as insufficient storage on iCloud. Consider these two things should you wish to troubleshoot a similar issue on your end.
As mentioned earlier, an active connection to wireless internet (Wi-Fi access) is necessary for you to access the iCloud server and then backup your device. Without a stable connection, errors are likely to manifest. When the connection is lost, your iPhone will also lose access to the iCloud server and the backup process will get interrupted.
Another thing to consider is the available storage in iCloud. With no sufficient space left in iCloud, it will no longer be able to take more files including backup. Typically, you’ll be prompted with an alert message telling you that the process could not be completed due to insufficient space available on iCloud. So what are your options then? Keep reading to learn more.
What to do when your iPhone 6s won’t backup to iCloud?
The outlined solutions below are based on the possible causes. Your chance of obtain a quick fix to your iPhone problem is to determine the underlying cause beforehand. So let’s go ahead and apply the same concept in troubleshooting the main issue. We’ve already tackled two of the main factors that can trigger the same problem to occur on your iPhone. Attempt to begin working on these two then see if doing so can yield positive outcome.
First workaround: Work on your Internet connection (Wi-Fi).
Check and ensure that Wi-Fi is active on your iPhone 6s and it can connect to the Internet. If you are having connecting to the Internet, you need to deal with connectivity issues first in order to proceed with creating iCloud backup without any more trouble. So here’s what you should do then:
- Navigate to your iPhone Settings-> Wi-Fi menu.
- Toggle the Wi-Fi switch to turn the feature on or off. Again, make sure it is turned ON.
- Restart your iPhone 6s.
- Open your browser app and then try to navigate to a website.
If you can access the website successfully, it means that the Internet is working fine so you should be able to access the iCloud server as well.
Try to backup your iPhone 6s to iCloud again to see if it can go through this time.
How to backup your iPhone 6s to iCloud?
Backing up an iPhone to iCloud requires you to have an active account and be logged into your device. Usually this is completed during the activation process but to make sure you’re still logged in, go ahead and check your iPhone Settings-> iCloud menu.
Once you have ensured that you’re logged into your iCloud account on your device, backing up your iPhone to iCloud should be an easy process.
To ensure that you are doing the right thing, you may refer to the following steps on how to properly create an iCloud backup for your iPhone. For starters, here’s the proper way to do it.
Make sure that iCloud backups are enabled on your iPhone 6s. Here’s how to check:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
- Tap iCloud.
- Tap iCloud Backup.
- Toggle the switch next to iCloud Backup to turn the feature on.
- Tap OK to confirm.
Normally, iCloud will attempt to begin creating a backup of your data every 24 hours or so for as long as your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi and has enough power. The first backup can take a while to complete especially if you have never backed up to iCloud before. But once you’ve done already, iCloud will only upload the new changes you’ve made since the last backup was created.
If iCloud backups aren’t created automatically, then you can manually trigger iCloud to backup your device at any time.
- To manually create backup to iCloud, go back to Settings-> Apple ID-> iCloud-> iCloud Backup-> then tap Back Up Now.
iCloud will then instigate the backup process.
Second workaround: Sign out of iCloud then sign in again
This trick has been able to offer remedy to some people who were dealing with the same issue in which their iPhone 6s is unable to backup to iCloud. Should you wish to give it a shot, here’s how it’s done:
- Tap Settings.
- Scroll to and then tap iCloud.
- Tap the option to Sign Out.
- If prompted, confirm that you want to erase all settings. You will then be logged out from your iCloud account and redirected to an iCloud sign in page.
- Enter your iCloud account credentials to sign back in.
- Follow the onscreen prompts to sign in completely.
- After signing in, try to backup your iPhone 6s to iCloud again and then see if it is now working.
While you may be prompted with a message saying that you are about to remove or delete data from your iPhone upon signing out of your iCloud account, you actually won’t lose any of your data in the process because all your files remain in your iCloud Drive. With that said, you will still be able to access them anytime. All your data will be downloaded back to your iPhone automatically once you sign back into iCloud on your device.
Third workaround: Reset all settings on your iPhone 6s.
Incorrect settings on the iPhone, particularly those what are tied to the iOS network functions can also trigger problems when creating iCloud backup. If you started to have problems backing up your iPhone 6s to iCloud after making some changes to your iPhone settings or downloaded new apps or software updates, you may resort to resetting all settings on your device. Although you will lose your wireless network information including saved Wi-Fi networks passwords, doing so will be able to help revert your network settings back to its correct setup and likewise rectify any glitch caused by incorrect configuration. Here’s how it’s done:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap General.
- Scroll to the bottom of the menu then tap Reset.
- Select the option to Reset All Settings.
- Confirm action if prompted to do so.
- Wait for your iPhone to complete the settings reset and when it’s done, your iPhone restarts.
Attempt to backup your iPhone to iCloud again after the reboot to see if you’re already able to do so. If not, continue to the next applicable workaround.
Fourth workaround: Perform a DFU mode restore on your iPhone 6s
A DFU mode restore is considered the deepest type of iOS restore. The iPhone software and hardware settings are erased in the process to eliminate bugs residing in the system structure, which caused software-related issues to manifest on the device. It should only be considered the last resort when dealing with complex issues on your iPhone.
This method can help fix major system glitches that might have affected your iPhone functionalities and services. The process will wipe everything on your iPhone and restore the system back to when it’s normal functions. For this reason, creating a backup using iTunes is recommended beforehand.
How to backup your iPhone 6s to iTunes?
- Connect your iPhone 6s to your computer using the supplied USB cable or Lightning cable.
- Open iTunes on the computer. Be sure to use the latest version of iTunes app.
- Select your iPhone 6s from the list of devices in iTunes.
- Navigate to the center of the screen under the Backups section.
- Click the button labelled This computer under Automatically Back Up header.
- Click the Back Up Now button located on the right side of the screen. Doing so will backup your iPhone 6s to iTunes.
- Wait until the iTunes backup is complete.
You may then perform a DFU mode restore on your iPhone 6s once the iTunes backup has been created. But before you do, verify and ensure that your iPhone has no traces of physical or liquid damage. A DFU mode restore could fail if your iPhone is damaged in any way. And if this happens, your device will bricked and may not be able to work again.
How to enter DFU mode on your iPhone 6s and restore iOS?
- Plug your iPhone into the computer using the supplied USB cable or Lightning cable.
- Open iTunes on the computer. Your iPhone can be turned on or off.
- On your iPhone 6s, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button simultaneously for 8 seconds.
- After the elapsed time, release the Sleep/Wake button but keep holding down the Home button until you will see the message saying that “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode.”
- Release the Home button when you see the aforesaid message.
- If you’ve done it right, your iPhone’s screen will then become completely black. This means that you have successfully entered DFU mode. If not, try again from the very start. Timing is a key to entering DFU mode.
- When you have successfully entered DFU mode, follow the steps to restore your iPhone 6s using iTunes.
After the iOS restore, setup and connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi or sign into iCloud, if necessary then try to backup your iPhone 6s to iCloud again. Considering that the underlying cause was a system glitch, everything should work properly again after the DFU mode restore. Otherwise, consider escalating the problem and seek more help.
Contact Apple Support or your customer care to escalate the problem if you’re still unable to backup your iPhone 6s to iCloud with all the prior methods. They might be able to give you more helpful recommendations given that you’ve already tried every possible means to fix the problem on your end.