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iOS 9.2 iCloud backup still not fixed!!!

So I've been plagued with the Backup could not be completed problem and I've been waiting for Apple to release a fix and I was happy to see this problem mentioned as one of the bugs dealt with in iOS 9.2, BUT it was not actually fixed!


Now my phone is not backed up at all after all Apple geniuses advised that I delete older backups from iCould and try again, my MacBook storage is too small to carry my 128gb iPhone backup and now if my phone dies for some reason all my life is gone with it, well most of it!


Tried backing up my iPhone to external storage but Apple won't let you do that cause we are freaking slaves and not free to do what we want, so now I hope they would finally listen and address this issue that has been mentioned many times before!!!!

iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 9.2, 128 GB

Posted on Dec 13, 2015 9:14 PM

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Posted on Dec 15, 2015 4:25 AM

I have been going through the exact same thing. Have tried resetting network settings, signing out and back into iCloud, soft reset, changing what is being backed up, and recently before 9.2 deleting the old backup off iCloud. Now I'm in same situation have iPhone 6 Plus 9.2 128 GB with no icloud back up saying could not complete and last backup never! I did manage to get a backup to my iMac but really really don't want to do a factory reset and restore unless I'm for sure it will fix the problem.


Apple please help. You have acknowledged the problem but apparently the attempt to correct it with 9.2 did not work.

199 replies

Dec 24, 2015 10:07 PM in response to Rez_uk

I got my "back up to iCloud working", yay! Accidentally, but I'll explain what I did. I still don't trust it though so I'm going to continue backing up to my computers. I have an IPhone 6 Plus, 64g, last back up October 7, 2015. Today I went to my home desktop, updated iTunes, and then ICloud popped up. I deleted Notes from my back up listed in iCloud, what a screwup, then spent the rest of the day trying to recover my notes from my back ups on my laptop and my desktop. I ended up finding my encrypted backup password for my desktop, which I had done earlier today before I deleted the notes, so I had a very fresh full back up . I Ended up restoring my phone three different times because every time I did it it would immediately erase all my notes because it was syncing with my iCloud which I had previously deleted my notes. So the last time I restored, as it was coming to life, I immediately turned off cellular data and Wi-Fi, so my phone couldn't sync with iCloud. Then I had access to my notes, which I copied each note file over to MS WORD on my iPhone, one at a time. Then I turned cellular data and Wi-Fi back on and this system synced with iCloud and deleted all my notes again, but at least I recovered them and have them all safe in Microsoft word on my iPhone. Maybe I had a corrupt notes files like someone mentioned. I know that often when I edited one of my notes it would duplicate and create another file with the exact same name, but the new notes would only show up in one, , and it was very confusing and hard to work with. I think I'll use my notes in MS Word from now on. At that point I was not plugged in and only on Wi-Fi, and told my phone to back up to iCloud and it worked. I just did it again to iCloud, with my phone plugged in to my computer, and it said successful. Tomorrow I will get Apple support on the phone to double check my back up files on iCloud, because I don't know if they're highly compressed and can't confirm whether the full file is there because it's only about four gig of my storage used uP., but my phone has 35 gig avail out of 64.

Dec 30, 2015 3:17 PM in response to omarfromcalgary

I'm having this same issue. Have attempted to reset the phone and other steps suggested by support, even did a restore from backup to no avail. Only thing I haven't done was to set it up as a brand new phone and attempt backup that way.


I've gone into the backup and turned off all individual apps, but it still shows the next backup will be 834MB. If I have everything turned on, the backup is 1.0G. I have the 50G plan with 44.2G free.


My iPad was having some issues automatically backing up, but it will complete a manual backup. My iPhone currently hasn't backed up in a couple of months and all iCloud backups were deleted on advice from support. Really needing a solution because continually backing up to my laptop isn't convenient.

Dec 30, 2015 3:24 PM in response to omarfromcalgary

Just going to say this once.


Attempting to backup your phone through iCloud when your phone is like 128gigs is ridiculous.


Ya'll gotta understand that you're attempt to save like 30 gigs worth of data in a backup it will take a LONG TIME, longer than usual cause that aint entirely normal. Plus if you aren't paying for iCloud storage, you would immediately bust though the free 5 gigs available.


The larger your phone, the larger your backups are (provided you're using up all that space.)


iCloud is not a viable option for backing up in this instance and you'll need to use iTunes. It will be far easier for all of yah!

Dec 30, 2015 3:41 PM in response to dklubu

dklubu wrote:


Just going to say this once.


Attempting to backup your phone through iCloud when your phone is like 128gigs is ridiculous.



Just going to say this once.


iCloud backups only back up DATA. They do not back up music. They do not back up apps. They do not back up purchased videos. They do not back up downloaded photos. They back up app data. Period. They also may include mail, contacts, calendars, reminders, notes, and photos taken with the phone, but ONLY if those items are not synced via iCloud. See: About backups in iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support for more details about what is included in a backup.


I have a 128 GB iPhone. it has about 25 GB free, meaning it contains over 100 GB of apps, music and data. My iCloud backup size is 2.6 GB. The backup for my 128 GB iPad is only 916 MB.


iCloud backs are also incremental, meaning only content that has changed since the last backup is transferred. As that's rarely more than a few MB, after the first backup an iCloud backup takes only a couple of minutes.


Backing up a 128 GB iOS device to iCloud is both practical and convenient. It is far from ridiculous.

Dec 30, 2015 4:23 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Once you remove all apps from the backup, what is left that is included? If I choose to backup everything, the backup size shows 1.0G. If I turn off every app, so nothing is selected, then it shows the backup will still be 834M. Even the largest app in the list only shows to be only 80M. All iCloud items are synced, so there really shouldn't be anything left.

Dec 30, 2015 6:34 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Hrrrrrrrrrrm.


HRRRRRRRRRRRM.


Nope. Gotta say I disagree. Sounds like you manage your phone like a beast though, which is rad.


iCloud backups can be VERY large. And they backup a whole lotta stuff. So a phone with a large amount of photos and videos on it that isn't using iCloud Photo Library will lead to a massive backup!


About backups in iCloud and iTunes - Apple Support

Dec 31, 2015 10:01 AM in response to dklubu

Let us all just agree that iCloud backup is not working for a lot of users. Irregardless of the size of the backup. The simple fact is this feature is not working since iOS 9/9.1 and hasn't been resolved with IOS 9.2 either. If we can keep the discussion on topic and directed towards getting a resolution from Apple or work around somehow I think it would help everyone. Also read that there is a 9.2.1 beta out as of December 16 has anyone gotten this and had luck with an iCloud backup fix?


10 Weeks without an iCloud backup!

Jan 2, 2016 10:32 AM in response to omarfromcalgary

Like many others, it appears, my automatic iCloud backups stopped a few weeks ago, and I believe this was about the same time I upgraded to iOS 9.2. I have the same problem with an iPhone 5 and iPad. Maybe I am the only one with this additional issue: there is no longer an option to start a manual backup (for both the iPhone 5 and the iPad).


From reading the other replies, I have decided to wait for the next iOS update and hope that fixes my iCloud backup problems.

Jan 5, 2016 12:24 PM in response to dklubu

So you think all millions of people using iCloud backup are just ignorant enough to upload 30gb every other night?

I have 200gb of iCloud storage and 20Mbps upload speed and still won't work, still iCloud Photo Library works flawlessly, does that tell you anything?


So yeah I'm uploading far bigger amounts of data in photos but a couple gigs backup won't complete, something is wrong with tthe phone OS!


Unlike what you said I think needing to hook up your phone to a computer every couple of days for backup is ridiculous at 2016!

Jan 5, 2016 6:48 PM in response to Sbabb

since last April, I have worked with high level techs for many hours, sent them logs, and nothing has resolved the issue. The problem first occured on an iphone 5s 32gb. When I got a new 6 with 64gb, problem is still there.


Basically, I can't backup to Icloud OR to a MAC or to a PC. The local backups tell me that the phone has disconnected yet continue trudging on to sync and import the camera roll. Icloud just says backup cannot be completed.


I have wiped the phone, gone through upgrades from 8 to 9 all way to 9.2, changed to another Icloud ID, erased my notes database after copying them into other products (gmail), tried multiple cords, multiple machines, used different Wifi networks, signed out of icloud before my local backus, reset the phone and started over from scratch, and after one or successful backups, we are back to square one. And then randomly, it will tell me it backed up to icloud, but I can't ever seem to restore from it. In addition, they have swapped out my Iphone 6 three times since that's the last resort of the Genius Bar. We even did reboots, get a diagnostic file from tech, captured the logs, turned off the diagnostic, then sent the logs to engineers. Multiple times.


I have finally stopped calling or taking it to them, just assume I have all my real data in contacts/calendar/notes in Gmail, dropbox, etc and will have to "bite the bullet" if I ever have to reload the phone, and redo all my apps again. Most of my important apps are cloud connected so I will only lose time, not data.


Something is broken indeed.


Yet, my Ipad (with the same apps and notes etc) backups up just great, as does my husbands. So, go figure.

iOS 9.2 iCloud backup still not fixed!!!

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