Backups & updatesiPhone & iPadLast reviewed 24 Oct 2026
Turn on automatic backups (iPhone and iPad)
If your iPhone is lost, broken or locked by a scammer, a backup brings back your photos and contacts.
Steps
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
- Tap iCloud, then iCloud Backup.
- Turn on Back Up This iPhone.
- Your phone will back up when it's charging, locked and on Wi-Fi.
If iCloud says it is full, the free 5GB may not be enough. You can choose to pay Apple for more storage — only ever do this inside Settings, never from a text or email.