Iphone won’t backup nor update software

Question

Level 1

5 points

Iphone won’t backup nor update software

My iphone storage was full for a while and despite deleting all photos/videos, apps and buying 1T storage on Icloud it keeps saying 230GB full. I have been with Apple support on the phone twice. They advised to backup the phone and restore it. The phone won’t back up, get’s stuck on estimating time for 8/9 hours. I tried to backup on my mac. Same story. They advised then to upgrade the software. It won’t update, it get’s stuck on preparing upgrade for 12/14 hours until I need to use the phone and pauses it.

This is really frustrating and driving me insane as I need the data to be saved before restoring the phone.

[Edited by Moderator]

iPhone 12 Pro Max, iOS 16

Posted on Mar 30, 2024 1:21 AM

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Answer 1

LD150

Level 10

96,507 points

Apr 2, 2024 2:45 AM in response to lilithf

No I was missing your graphs, and in the mean time I answered a comment from keltrin788.

Now I can see that there is no storage reason it will not backup, make sure iPhone, Settings, [tap your name], iCloud, iCloud Backup is on.

Try Backup Now

Make sure you are on wifi and on charge

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Answer 2

LD150

Level 10

96,507 points

Apr 2, 2024 3:01 AM in response to LD150

Another option is to use your computer or Mac to ecpedite an iCloud Backup or a computer backup .

But yes that 200GB of system Other (gray bar) will need to be cleared by restoring.

If you are using iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive, what data would you lose if you just restore now?

You can backup Whatsapp in Whatsapp settings

Don't know about Spotify etc

Calendar, Notes, Reminders, Contacts and mail should be in the cloud.

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Answer 3

lilithf Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 2, 2024 12:32 AM in response to LD150

Hello again!

Thank you for your replies guys but I am afraid you’re missing the point (which I explained above).

Here’s the screenshots, icloud is only 15 GB out of 2TB used and the iphone storage bar is very weird as it says it’s full but the bar does not go all the way to the end and the majority of the space is supposed to be filled with apps. If you try and sum up all the gb/mb of the apps that are supposedly filling the storage you won’t get to 232GB.

it is not a matter of space, icloud has plenty.

Anyone has ever seen this and knows how to fix it?

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Answer 4

LD150

Level 10

96,507 points

Mar 30, 2024 4:21 AM in response to lilithf

iPhone, Settings, [tap your name], iCloud,

Turn on iCloud Photos

Turn on Optimise iphone storage.

Once everything is safely in iCloud Photos library (after a day or two) you can turn off iCloud Photos until they all disappear from the phone, then turn it back on and it will repopulate with small thumbnail versions.

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Answer 5

lilithf Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 30, 2024 9:40 AM in response to LD150

Hello! Thank you for your reply :)

The settings you advised (icloud photos and optimise iphone storage) were already ON by default. Also they are just 3 or 4 GB on the storage so it’s definitely something else causing the issues and not the library.

Would you still recommend what said above?

Also, I am putting the puzzle together and I think my phone did not backup since I had it replaced last year for a mic problem. I start to think the storage bug is something that probably was already on the device when they gave it to me.

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Answer 6

lilithf Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 2, 2024 4:38 AM in response to LD150

I tried multiple times but no, it won’t back up😞

I did try to back up via mac as well but same, it doesn’t even start. I tried multiple times leaving it even all night long and nothing.

In general would be very annoying to restore the phone without a backup because it was never done on this device (i had it changed last year because of a mic problem and it didn’t backup since).

I downloaded all pics/videos but the phone as it is, with all the apps and the passwords for them , the notes I use for learning as well during courses will be all lost.

Thank you very much for your help, I do appreciate. All I can do now is just to bring it to the genius bar and hope they can do some magic to fix it!

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