My iPad isn’t backing up. I have followed Apple’s Guidance. My Back-up size is 529MB and I have 4.4 GB of storage left in the iCloud. I am techphobic, I have followed the steps in the help pages on Apple.com but the back up continues to fail. What do I need to do?
iPad Air, iPadOS 26
The screenshots are indeed helpful.
Your next backup requires in excess of 4.82GB, which in addition to the already used 0.7 GB, exceeds your available 5GB of iCloud storage - preventing your iPad from backing-up to iCloud.
Don't forget, when deleted, files are initially moved to the Recently Deleted folder - from which they remain recoverable. Until these files are removed from the Recently Deleted folder, they will continue to occupy available storage.
The free-of-charge 5GB iCloud storage is generally only adequate for basic synchronisation of essential data and services between your Apple devices. If using iCloud for file storage and backups, it is generally necessary to upgrade to Apple's first "paid" iCloud+ storage tier. In the UK (assumed from your screenshots), the first subscription tier is 50GB - this being £0.99 per month (substantially less than a single cup of coffee from a coffee shop). 50GB is generally adequate for many Users.
As a bonus, iCloud+ provides access to other services, such as Private Relay and Hide My Email.
Buy iCloud+ or upgrade your current storage plan – Apple Support (UK)
iCloud+ plans and pricing – Apple Support (UK)
The screenshots are indeed helpful.
Your next backup requires in excess of 4.82GB, which in addition to the already used 0.7 GB, exceeds your available 5GB of iCloud storage - preventing your iPad from backing-up to iCloud.
Don't forget, when deleted, files are initially moved to the Recently Deleted folder - from which they remain recoverable. Until these files are removed from the Recently Deleted folder, they will continue to occupy available storage.
The free-of-charge 5GB iCloud storage is generally only adequate for basic synchronisation of essential data and services between your Apple devices. If using iCloud for file storage and backups, it is generally necessary to upgrade to Apple's first "paid" iCloud+ storage tier. In the UK (assumed from your screenshots), the first subscription tier is 50GB - this being £0.99 per month (substantially less than a single cup of coffee from a coffee shop). 50GB is generally adequate for many Users.
As a bonus, iCloud+ provides access to other services, such as Private Relay and Hide My Email.
Buy iCloud+ or upgrade your current storage plan – Apple Support (UK)
iCloud+ plans and pricing – Apple Support (UK)
With no information as to an errors that you see, or the specific troubleshooting steps that you might already have tried, it is difficult for contributors here to offer useful help or guidance for your specific situation.
If you can provide more information, in particular any error messages that you see, this may help us to help you. The only information that we have is the specific information that you provide to us.
A screenshot may also be helpful:
Take a screenshot on iPad - Apple Support
You can post your screenshot (suitably redacted if necessary, using markup tools) using the image button found at the bottom of the message editing window:
In the meantime, this support page may prove to be helpful with your troubleshooting:
P_Tur wrote:
But what is on my iPad that’s taking up all this space. How do I find it and then, if appropriate, remove it.
Some deleted iCloud-data will be retained for up to 30-days before it will be automatically deleted
Insofar as is possible to manually delete and clear files from iCloud, from your Files App, open the Recently Deleted folder from the sidebar. Select any files that you see within the folder - and delete them. Be aware that once deleted from this folder, deletion is permanent and unrecoverable.
To reiterate, when deleted, files are initially moved to the Recently Deleted folder - from which they remain recoverable. Until these files are removed from the Recently Deleted folder, they will continue to occupy available storage.
The simple solution is to accept the 99p fee to enable iCloud+. Should you choose to do so at a later date, if you are using less than 5GB of iCloud storage, you can cancel the subscription. That said, 50GB of iCloud storage really is useful.
To reiterate, some deleted iCloud-data will be retained for up to 30-days before it will be automatically deleted. This data cannot otherwise be manually cleared.
If you can't (or won't) subscribe to iCloud+, you are stuck - but look at the bright side... having deleted unwanted/unneeded files from your iPad, there won't be much left that would even benefit from backup.
Seriously, you can save yourself a lot of grief by opting for the 50GB iCloud+ plan. It's just 99p per month - and you'll have the security of effectively backing-up your iPad and having the flexibility to use iCloud to store files as needed. For many users, 50GB of iCloud storage is adequate for most needs.
P_Tur wrote:
inhave deleted some old documents. 4.29GB+529.9MB equal less than 5.0GB but the back-up still fails!
You will never, ever be able to free up enough of the 5GB of iCloud space to do a backup. If you want to back up to iCloud it will cost you 99¢ a month to expand your iCloud storage to 50 GB. If your data isn’t work 99¢ a month there’s no point in backing it up anyway.
You don’t have enough available iCloud space. Whatever is in the current iCloud backup will take it pass the 5GB of space available.
[Edited by Moderator]
I have no idea what extra information you are looking for. I attach three screenshots from settings page.
My next back-up is 4.82 GB in size but I have no idea what is included in the 4.82. I’ve already deleted a lot of stuff.
[Edited by Moderator]
Done that, nothing in recently deleted folder so nothing to permanently delete.
Next back-up is 4.04GB adding the 529.9 MB back up size gives total of 4.57 GB. If storage space is 5.00GB why does back up still fail?
[Edited by Moderator]
inhave deleted some old documents. 4.29GB+529.9MB equal less than 5.0GB but the back-up still fails!
[Edited by Moderator]
But what is on my iPad that’s taking up all this space. How do I find it and then, if appropriate, remove it.
Why won’t my iPad back-up
