How to Restore an iPhone from a Mac or PC Backup
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Tested on
- iOS 18.4 - macOS Sequoia - Windows 11
- You will need
- USB-C or Lightning cable, Mac running macOS Catalina or later, PC running Windows 10 or later with Apple Devices app
Step by step
Disable Find My iPhone
Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap your name at the top, select Find My, and toggle off Find My iPhone; you must enter your Apple ID password to confirm this action.
Note: Restoration cannot proceed while Find My is active.Connect the device to your computer
Plug your iPhone into your computer using a compatible USB cable. If prompted on the iPhone, tap Trust and enter your device passcode to authorize the connection.
Launch the management software
On macOS Catalina or later, open Finder and select your iPhone from the sidebar under Locations. On Windows, open the Apple Devices app and select your device from the sidebar.
Locate the restore options
Navigate to the General tab in the Finder window or the General section in the Apple Devices app. Locate the Backups section on the screen.
Initiate the restore process
Click the Restore Backup button. Select the most recent backup file from the dropdown menu and click Restore. If your backup is encrypted, provide the required password when prompted.
Note: Do not disconnect your device until the process completes.Complete the device setup
Wait for the progress bar on your computer to reach completion. Once finished, the iPhone will restart; keep it connected until it appears in Finder or the Apple Devices app again.
Note: Syncing may continue after the initial restart.