There are two ways to create an iPhone backup. You can connect your iPhone to your computer and back up through iTunes, or you can have your iPhone back up wirelessly to iCloud.
When you perform certain actions on your iPhone 13, like doing a factory reset as part of a troubleshooting process, or installing an iOS update, it’s usually a good idea to confirm that you have a recent backup.
You can check for your most recent iCloud backup on an iPhone 13 by going to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
One of the nice things about using your Apple ID to log into your iPhone is that it lets you integrate a number of different services and data sources, including iCloud. This is how you can use services like Find My iPhone, back up your pictures online, and take advantage of cloud storage to back up your phone.
As we will see below, it also handles the backup process with very little management on the iPhone owner’s part, and it can be very useful in a pinch when you run into big problems with the device.
How to Check iCloud Backups on an iPhone 13
- Open Settings.
- Touch your Apple ID.
- Select iCloud.
- Touch the iCloud Backup option.
- View your backup information.
Our guide continues below with additional information on the iPhone 13 iCloud backup, including pictures of these steps.
How to View iCloud Backup Time and Date on an iPhone 13 (Guide with Pictures)
The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 13 in the iOS 15.4.1 operating system.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Step 2: Touch your Apple ID card at the top of the settings menu.
Step 3: Select the iCloud option from this menu.
Step 4: Touch the iCloud Backup item.
Step 5: Check for the line under Back Up Now that says “Last successful backup.”
If you don’t see anything there then check that the iCloud Backup option is enabled. If not, then you should enable it, then tap the Back Up Now button to perform the back up.
There is also a Back Up Over Cellular option here. If you turn that on then your iPhone will perform device backups even when you are on a cellular network. Since these backups can be quite large you may want to keep this turned off so that the backups only happen over a Wi-Fi network.
Our tutorial continues below with additional discussion about iPhone 13 backups to the iCloud cloud storage service.
More Information on Locating Your iPhone 13 iCloud Backup
It’s possible that your entire iPhone backup will fit in the 5 GB of storage that you get for free, but many people are going to exceed that limit very quickly. If your iPhone isn’t able to complete an iCloud backup then it’s usually due to a lack of iCloud storage space.
The distinction between iPhone storage and iCloud storage is a confusing one for many people, especially when they have a lot of storage space available on their phone, but they keep getting notifications that they don’t have enough space for their backup.
The iPhone storage capacity is what is physically on your device, and can be used when you install apps and download files.
Your iCloud storage is not on your iPhone, but stored on servers “in the cloud.” When you save backup files for a device, those files shouldn’t be on the device itself. This is because when you need a backup because the device has become unusable or inaccessible, then you wouldn’t be able to get to the backup file. That’s why you need this separate iCloud storage that is independent of the iPhone itself.
While all of the various apps and services that are involved with your iPhone can be confusing, familiarizing yourself with iCloud is very useful. You have a few GB of storage space that you get from Apple for free, but as you have more and more files and your backup size increases, it is often worthwhile to upgrade to one of the paid tiers to seamlessly back up your files and devices.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing technology how-to articles and tutorials for over a decade. He has extensive experience in information technology both in small business and as a consultant.
His articles have appeared on dozens of websites and been read millions of times.
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