Top 7 Fixes to New iPhone Cannot Restore Backup Error

Both iTunes and iCloud offer a way to help us backup iPhone. In this case, when losing data accidentally we can easily restore iPhone from the backup to get back the lost items. Besides, we can also utilize this feature to transfer data from old iPhone to new iPhone.

However, the restoration does not work smoothly as it is supposed to. You get a message saying that new iPhone cannot restore backup software update. Why can't I restore my iPhone from backup? And how to fix? Well, take it easy. Actually, it’s a quite common error that many users have reported before. Here in this guide, I’ll explain why iPhone restore from backup failed and also provide you some methods you can follow to solve this problem.

Why Cannot Restore Backup iPhone?

Many situations can lead to the cannot restore backup new iPhone 15/16 problems and the following are the common possible causes.

1. The current iOS version on iPhone is not compatible with the backup.

2. The version of iTunes is too old to perform the backup.

3. There is something wrong with the backup itself maybe it’s broken.

4. There is not enough storage space on your iPhone.

5. The Internet connection is not stable to download the backup.

How to Fix iPhone Cannot Restore Backup

Here in this part, we'll focus on the way to troubleshoot the iPhone restore from backup failed issue. These methods apply to all iPhone models including the latest iPhone.

► Note: If you are trying to transfer data to new iPhone through the restore but failed, you can refer to Solution 7 to get another quick way to make it.

Solution 1. Restart Your Computer and iPhone

Sometimes a simple restart can help you get out of the trouble. Reboot your iPhone or computer according to your situation and try to perform the restore again. If it still failed, keep reading to try other methods.

Solution 2. Update iOS to the Latest Version

You may get the message says that “The backup cannot be restored to this iPhone because the software on the iPhone is too old”. In this case, just update the iOS to a higher version:

1. Go back to App & Data screen and choose Set Up as New iPhone option.

2. Skip the remaining step to complete the setup process.

3. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to update iOS to the latest version.

4. Erase your iPhone to restart the setup process and try to perform the restore.

If you are in the new iPhone setup process and trying to restore from iCloud backup but failed because of the old iOS, you might be prompted to update your software. You can choose to download the update and it will automatically update your software and restore your backup.

Solution 3. Update iTunes to the Latest Version

The old version of iTunes can cause many problems, such as “iTunes could not restore the iPhone because an error occurred”. So just update your iTunes to the latest version:

Click Help on the menu bar on Windows or click iTunes on Mac > Select Check for Updates.

Solution 4. Choose Another Backup or Make a New One

The iPhone cannot restore backup problem may occur due to the error related to the backup you want to restore. iCloud maintains 3 kinds of backups for different times and you may choose another two backups to restore. Or if the old backup does not contain the data you need, you can try to delete the previous backup and make a new complete backup.

Solution 5. Free up Storage Space

If the message says that “iTunes could not restore the iPhone because not enough space is available on the iPhone”, you may need to go to check your iPhone storage space.

It requires enough storage space to download the backup, otherwise, the backup will fail. You can delete old messages, photos, songs, apps and more to free up space. To check the available space, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.

Solution 6. Check the Internet Connection

The poor Internet connection can also cause the iPhone cannot restore from backup error. The restoration requires a stable Wi-Fi connection, therefore, please make sure the Wi-Fi connection is well and then you can easily solve the problem about how to fix your iPhone cannot be backed up.

Solution 7. Try Another Tool to Transfer Data to New iPhone

If you failed to restore backup to new iPhone, you can try another third party tool to help you make it. AOMEI FoneBackup, a free iPhone backup & transfer tool, can help you directly transfer all iPhone data including all apps and settings or selectively transfer contacts, messages, photos, videos, and songs from old iPhone to new iPhone.

AOMEI FoneBackup supports all iPhone models including the newest iPhone. Get the tool and see how to transfer data to new iPhone.

Two steps the complete the transfer: ① Backup data on old iPhone > ② Restore the backup files to new iPhone.

Backup Data on Old iPhone

1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup and plug in your old iPhone > Enter the passcode on iPhone screen so the software can access your iPhone.

2. Click Phone Backup > Go to Selective Backup to select the data you want to backup. Or you can choose Full Backup to back up all iPhone data on Windows.

You can click each icon to select the items you want to transfer.

3. Choose the storage path > Click Start Backup.

Transfer Data to New iPhone

1. Unplug your old iPhone and connect your new iPhone > Go to My Backups > Click the three-dots icon and choose Restore.

2. Click the icon to select the files you want to restore. If everything is OK, click Start Restore to transfer them to your new iPhone.

Conclusion

That’s all for how to fix the iPhone cannot restore backup error. For how to fix cannot restore backup on new iPad issue, you can also try the 7 solutions above to fix it. Besides AOMEI FoneBackup is a powerful iPhone transfer/backup tool worth trying. You can use it to fully or selectively transfer data from old iPhone to new iPhone

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