Is your iCloud backup procedure taking so long that you sometimes just cancel it? It is a bit frustrating and irritating to wait for a long time for the backup of iDevices. Besides, the question of “how long does iPhone take to backup to iCloud” is quite common on Apple forums, for we often apply iCloud to back up iDevices. If you are wondering why iCloud backup process takes so long and how to make the iCloud faster, this guidance will tell you the answers and tips to get rid of this issue, which might help you out in speeding up your backup with iCloud.

Part 1: About iCloud

iCloud is a cloud storage, which can help you to store data such as documents, photos, and music on remote servers for download to iOS, macOS or Windows devices. It is also accessible for you to share and send data to other users, and to manage your Apple devices in case your devices are lost or stolen. To wirelessly back up iOS devices directly to iCloud is a great feature of iCloud service. I would like to list the data that iCloud will and won’t backup to help you to know iCloud backup features more clearly to terminate your confusion.

iCloud can only back up the files and settings that are saved on your iPhone. The detailed data types are as follows:

√ iCloud will back up:

  • Music, Movies, Books (purchased through iTunes only)
  • Photos, Videos (saved in Camera Roll or Saved Photos only)
  • Mail, Voice Memos, Notes (in default Notes app)
  • Settings (Contacts, Calendars, Wallpaper, HomeKit etc.)
  • Messages (Text messages, iMessages, MMS)
  • Apps and App data; Ringtones

× iCloud won't back up

  • The data that have been uploaded to iCloud Drive will not be contained in the process of iCloud backup.
  • Files that have been deleted from iTunes Store, iBookstore, and App Store, such as Music, iBooks, App will not be backed up iCloud from your iPhone.
  • Certain apps like Notes, Calendars, Contacts have already used iCloud services to store their data will not be included in the iCloud backup process.

Part 2: How Long Does It Take to Backup iPhone to iCloud?

When you use iCloud to back up iPhone data, time seems to stop running, for you do not know when this procedure can come to an end. Sometimes, the whole backup procedure takes so long and the endless time almost drives you crazy. How long does iPhone backup to iCloud take? There is actually no definite answer to this question, since the backgrounds and conditions vary from one user to another. Here I would like to list some factors that affect how long does it take to backup iPhone on iCloud.

 iPhone condition

When your iPhone is quite full and the performance of your iPhone is bad, the iCloud backup will take a long time.

 Too much data for backup

If there is too much data on your iPhone calls for backup, it will take you longer time to complete the iCloud backup task. The more data you need to back up, the longer time it will take.

 Low speed Wi-Fi

Bad and low speed Wi-Fi network condition will lead to longer time to back up your iPhone data to iCloud. The faster the Wi-Fi network is, the shorter time will be.

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The above-mentioned aspects can influence how long to restore iPhone from iCloud backup. You can find methods to speed up the iCloud backup and restore when the process is taking forever.

Part 3: How to Make iCloud Backup Faster?

After you know the conditions that influence iCloud backup speed and the files that can and cannot be backed up by iCloud, now let’s continue on how to make the iCloud backup process much faster. Here I would like to offer you several tips for your reference.

 Clean Up Your iPhone and Make More Space

  1. It is sensible for you to remove the cookies stored in the Safari to clean your iPhone memory and to hinder possible risks to your data.
  2. You can also delete some large files that you do not need to back up to iCloud or some outdated ones like photos, music, and videos, for they can occupy too much space in your iPhone’s internal memory.
  3. Photos occupy too much space on your iPhone and also influence the iCloud backup performance. You’d better select images wisely or transfer pictures from iPhone to computer, or better erase those unimportant photos to speed up your iCloud backup process.
  4. It is also a good idea to clean up duplicate music files with a good third-party tool like Leawo Tunes Cleaner. For music files can also occupy much space on iPhone. Leawo Tunes Cleaner, is effective in cleaning up music libraries in clicks. This professional iTunes cleanup program offers you specified entries for you to do corresponding options with clear-cut interface.
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 Turn Off Large Applications and Files Data Backup

You may be surprised by seeing the big size of your iCloud backup. This situation is caused by large files and apps stored inside that most of them are not needed actually. Your iPhone may be full of all kinds of apps and data after you use it for a period of time. However, some of them are essential for you and most of them are redundant and unnecessary. Therefore, when you desire to back up data from iPhone to iCloud, you can discard some unnecessary files to reduce burden of the iCloud backup process.

In this case, you need to go to click on “Settings> Apple ID > iCloud” to turn off the backup option of it. Be sure to select the ones that are not important to you indeed. For instance, if your Notes app does not include any important data, you can toggle it off in iCloud to avoid this kind of unnecessary backup.

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 Make Sure Your iPhone is Connected to Good Wi-Fi Network

If the Wi-Fi connection of your iPhone is not reliable, the speed of backup will be low. It is sensible for you to avoid performing backup or restoring files if you have the weak Wi-Fi signal. You’d better make sure your wireless connection is reliable or excellent before backing up your iPhone files. If you find the speed is low, you can alter to a better Wi-Fi network or disconnect other devices from the network while you are backing up iPhone data to iCloud.

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 Connect iPhone to Power Source while Backing Up

As you can imagine, if your iPhone powers off, the backup process will be terminated. You need to start once again after you recharge your iPhone, which is very annoying and wastes a lot of time. Therefore, you are recommended to plug in your iPhone to a power source during the backup to avoid any interruptions.

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Part 4: How Long Does It Take to Backup iPhone to Computer with Leawo iTransfer?

Since the answer to the question of “how long does it take to backup iPhone to iCloud” is uncertain, you may feel annoyed to wait for the termination of the low-speed iCloud backup process. Try Leawo iTransfer to assist you to finish the iPhone backup task. This software can help you back up iPhone data to computer as well as transfer data from computer to iPhone directly. It is really a fast and efficient alternative to iCloud. This tool is both available on Windows and Mac computers. You can enjoy the option to selectively backup files, unlike iTunes. It can deal with various data backup issues in no time. Here I would like to take iPhone photos for instance to explain how to use Leawo iTransfer to achieve the backup aim properly with high speed and less time. Thus, there is no need for you to wonder how long to backup iPhone to iCloud anymore.

Step 1. Download Leawo iTransfer

  • itransfer
  • Leawo iTransfer

    - Transfer files among iOS devices, iTunes and PCs with ease.
    - 6x faster than iTunes
    - Transfer up to 14 kinds of data and files without iTunes.
    - Support the latest iOS devices like iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, etc.
    - Play back, view, and delete data and files on iOS devices.
    - Support Windows & Mac OS

Step 2: Connect iPhone to Computer

Kick off Leawo iTransfer on your computer and then insert iPhone into computer with matched USB cord. The program will automatically detect your iPhone info and show the file categories of iPhone in the left part of the window.

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Step 3: Choose Photos to Backup

Click on the iPhone icon and then hit on “LIBRARY> Photos” tab in the left sidebar. You will see all iPhone photos in the right part of the iTransfer interface. Thus, you can choose the pictures that you desire to back up to computer and click on the transfer button at the bottom right corner of the window. Click on “Transfer to > My Computer” in the pop-up panel.

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Step 4: Set Output Folder and Transfer to Computer

A dialogue will appear to ask you to set one proper directory to save the exported iPhone photos. Thus, you need to check the option of “Save to folder” and click on the “Change” button to select one computer location to store the iPhone pictures. Finally, you need to click on the button of “Transfer Now” to fire up the transferring process. In a few seconds, your iPhone selected photos will be available in your computer local folder that you have just set.

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If you want to back up other iPhone files to computer via Leawo iTransfer, you just need to choose to click on the corresponding data categories and select the concrete files you desire to back up to make it. The backup process of Leawo iTransfer is quite faster and accurate. This solution is really worth a try when you need to back up your iPhone.

Part 5: Conclusion

After you read through all contents in this tutorial, you will feel relaxed when you encounter the issue of iCloud backup taking forever. By making use of Leawo iTransfer to back up iPhone data to computer, you do not need to consider how long does it take to backup iPhone on iCloud any longer.