- What's Needed to Use iCloud Backup
- Upgrade Your iCloud Account with More Storage Space
- Restore Your iOS Device from an iCloud Backup
Upgrade Your iCloud Account with More Storage Space
As needed, you can purchase additional online storage space for use with your iCloud account directly from your iOS device. The annual fee is $20 for 10GB, $40 for 20GB, or $100 for 50GB. From the Storage & Backup screen, tap on the Manage Storage icon under the Storage heading to determine how the online storage space associated with your iCloud account is being utilized.
You Can Use iCloud Backup or iTunes Sync, Not Both
If you opt to use iCloud Backup, but then connect your iOS device to your primary computer and attempt to use the iTunes Sync process, it will not work. You'll first need to deactivate the iCloud Backup feature on your iPhone or iPad (or iPod Touch). Then follow these steps:
- To begin using iCloud Backup, first set up a free iCloud account. You can do this when you upgrade your device to iOS 5, when you set up a new iOS device, or any time from within the Settings app. (Tap on the iCloud option from the main menu of the Settings app.)
- Once you have an active iCloud account, launch Settings from the Home Screen of your iOS device, and tap on the iCloud option. Scroll down on the iCloud menu screen within Settings to the Storage & Backup option, and tap on it.
- From the Storage & Backup menu screen, tap the virtual on/off switch associated with the iCloud Backup option. Turn it to the On position. Remember, for this feature to work, the iOS device must have access to a Wi-Fi Internet connection and be plugged into an external power source.
- When you tap on the virtual switch associated with the iCloud Backup option, a pop-up window will appear on your device's screen that says, "Start iCloud Backup: Your iPad [iPhone] will no longer back up to your computer automatically when you sync with iTunes." Tap the OK icon to continue. A Turning On Backup... message will appear.
- Now, below the iCloud Backup option on the Storage & Backup screen within Settings, a new option will appear, labeled Back Up Now. Tap on this icon to initiate the first backup of your device to the iCloud service. In the future, this will happen automatically.
Whenever a backup is underway, a progress tab will appear at the very bottom of the Storage & Backup screen. If you look at this screen when no backup is taking place, the date and time of the last successful backup will be displayed below the Back Up Now icon. Or, if an error occurred during the last backup attempt, an error message will be displayed here.
At any time, you can manually initiate a backup by returning to the Storage & Backup screen within Settings, and then tapping on the Back Up Now icon. It's a good idea to do this after you've made significant changes to the content stored on your iOS device, or if you have important files, data, documents, or other content you want to back up right away.