[Full Guide] Restore iPhone from Computer Backup

Can you restore iPhone from computer backup?

Many users routinely back up their iPhones to computer for safeguard important data. However, you might be unsure about how to restore iPhone from computer backup. Don't fret! This guide will walk you through the process, regardless of how you backed up your iPhone data to your computer.

Part 1. How to restore iPhone from iTunes backup

iTunes, the official backup and transfer tool, is the choice for most users to back up their iPhone, so let's talk about how to restore your iTunes backup from your computer to your iPhone. If you're a Windows user, go to Method 1, and if you're a Mac user, go to Method 2.

Method 1. Restore iPhone from PC backup with iTunes 

If a complete backup of your iPhone is available on a Windows computer, you can follow the steps to learn how to restore new iPhone from computer backup.

Step 1. Open iTunes and connect iPhone to PC  via a USB cable. (You may need to enter your device passcode or accept Trust This Computer to continue.)

Step 2. Click on the iPhone icon as it appears in iTunes on the screen.

Step 3. On the next screen, tap the Summary tab in the left pane and then click Restore Backup under the Backups menu.

Step 4. Select the iTunes backup located on your computer and then click Restore to restore iPhone from computer backup with iTunes. If the backup files are encrypted, you will need to type the backup password.

Method 2. Restore iPhone from Mac backup with Finder

If you are using a Mac computer, follow the steps below to restore iPhone backup from iTunes.

Step 1. Open Finder in a Mac running macOS Catalina or later and connect your device to the computer using a USB cable.

Step 2. Enter your device passcode and select Trust This Computer, then select your iPhone in the Finder.

Step 3. Select Restore from a previous backup and select the most recent backup date from the list of backups.

Step 4. Click Restore Backup to start the recovery process, and wait for the device to finish syncing with the computer before you can safely disconnect.

Part 2. How to restore iPhone from iCloud computer backup

It is common for iPhone users to back up their data to iCloud. If you are one of them, you can do this by moving the backed up data to your iPhone from iCloud Drive or iCloud.com. Move iPhone files to PC. Let's see how to restore iPhone data from computer via iCloud (without iTunes):

Step 1. Download iCloud for Windows directly; or on your Mac go to the Apple menu select System Preferences > iCloud .

Step 2. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID, drag the data you want to restore to your iPhone into the iCloud Drive folder.

Step 3. Wait for all the data of the iCloud folder to be synced to iCloud on your iPhone automatically.

Part 3. How to restore iPhone backup without erasing

To avoid erasing data and settings on your iPhone when restoring from backup, we recommend using a professional iPhone backup and restore software like AOMEI FoneBackup. It offers flexible backup and restore options, ensuring your iPhone data remains safe and can be easily restored whenever needed.

Now you follow the detailed steps to learn how to backup and restore iPhone without erasing and resttings.

Full Backup and Restore:

The Full Backup feature helps you save all your iPhone data, including photos, contacts, call history, messages, notes, Safari history and bookmarks, apps with data files and preferences, and system settings.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup and connect your iPhone. Click on Phone Backup > choose Full Backup > click Get Started.

Step 2. Enable backup encryption, select a storage path for the backup, and click Start Backup.

Step 3. You can restore your data from the Backup History page when you need to restore backups from computer to iPhone after setup.

Selective Backup and Restore:

If you prefer to selectively backup and restore photos, videos, songs, contacts, and messages, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click on Phone Backup and choose the Selective Backup option.

Step 2. Select the items you want to backup by clicking the respective icons and then click OK to proceed.

Step 3. Choose the storage path and click Start Backup. Wait for the backup to get completed.

Step 4.  When you need to restore the iPhone backup on computer, you can go to Backup History to restore the backup.

What to do if iPhone won't restore from backup?

If iPhone is unable to restore from backup, you can restart both your iPhone and computer and check the USB cable if it is working. Then try the following solutions

Solution 1. Upload the iTunes to the latest version

There will be more bugs in the outdated iTunes version, please upgrade it as follows.

Step 1. On the iTunes, click Help from the top menu. > Click Check for Updates.

Step 2. Then it will tell you if it is the latest iTunes version. If there are any newer iTunes version, you can follow the guide to install the latest one.

Solution 2. Factory reset your iPhone

Factory resetting your iPhone can help you erase all your iPhone data and reset all your iPhone settings to make your iPhone fresh. When your iPhone can't be restored from a computer backup, you can factory reset your iPhone.

Step 1. Go to Settings app on your iPhone > General > Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone  (Reset in iOS 14 and earlier) >

Step 2. And then tap the Erase All Content and Settings button.

Conclusion

The above are all possible ways on how to restore iPhone from computer backup, don't forget to try AOMEI FoneBackup, it is not only a professional iPhone backup & restore software, but also performs well in iPhone transfer, you can easily transfer iPhone to PC, iPhone to iPhone.