Setting time for Automatic iCloud backups for iPhone

You don't need to plug it in on any specific schedule and even if you do, it may not backup everyday. With mine it seems like like it may be influenced by the amount of data that has changed.

Also note that much of your data may be synced rather than backed up. The options at Settings > [username] > iCloud such as iCloud Photos, Contacts, Notes, Reminders, iCloud Drive, etc control which data is synced. Syncing happens dynamically as data changes and is not dependent on Backup.

The closest that you can come to scheduling the backups would be to do a manual backup just before you plug the phone into charge. Then, in theory, the phone should backup again approximately 24 hours later. I have done this a number of times and it is relatively reliable, though not 100%.

I used plug my phone in every night when I got home from work because I rarely use it at home since we also have a landline. I think a pretty good rule of thumb would be to plug it into to charge when you go to bed. If you work shifts or don’t have a set routine for bedtime, obviously that will impact my suggestion.

There are no settings or options. It does it automatically (but only if it is plugged in to charge and is connected to wi-fi).