How to restore an iPhone from a backup on Mac
Connect the iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable, select it in Finder, then use General, Restore Backup and choose the saved backup. An encrypted backup requires the password used when it was created. Restoring replaces the phone's data and settings with the backup's, so save anything you need from the target phone before proceeding.
Restore a backup in Finder
Finder is enough if you have a computer backup and want to restore the whole phone. On macOS Catalina 10.15 or later, you use Finder for this job; iTunes instructions apply to older Macs.
Before starting, identify the backup you want and keep any current data you still need. If you need to save the target phone's current state, follow back up an iPhone to Mac first, keeping it separate from the backup you plan to restore.
For an existing iPhone, turn off Find My iPhone before restoring. Open Settings, tap your name, open Find My, then Find My iPhone, and turn it off with your Apple Account password. Apple documents this in its computer restore preparation.
- Connect the target iPhone to the Mac using a USB cable.
- Open Finder and select the iPhone in the sidebar. Complete any Trust This Computer or passcode prompts.
- Open General and click Restore Backup.
- Choose the intended backup from the Backup menu, checking its date and size.
- Enter its encryption password if prompted, then click Restore.
- Leave the cable connected while the iPhone restarts and syncs. Disconnect only after syncing finishes.
These are Apple's backup restoration steps. Restore iPhone is a separate factory-reset operation that erases the device and installs iOS; choose Restore Backup when you want to apply saved data.
Transfer a Mac backup to a new iPhone
On the new iPhone, start at the Hello screen and continue setup to the apps-and-data transfer choices. Choose From Mac or PC to restore from the computer, then connect it to the Mac containing the old phone's backup, following Apple's new-device transfer guide.
Select the new phone in Finder, choose Restore Backup, then select the old phone's backup and supply its password if encrypted. Complete the remaining setup on the iPhone after restoration.
For this setup route, Apple says a new phone that has already been set up must first be erased. Preserve anything added to it before doing that. On iOS 15 or later, the documented path is Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, then Erase All Content and Settings.
Resolve an iOS version mismatch first
A backup made on a newer iOS version cannot be restored to an iPhone running an older version that does not support it. A newly purchased phone may therefore need an update before it can accept the old phone's backup.
If setup reports that the software is too old, Apple provides a set up, update and erase procedure. Choose Don't Transfer Apps & Data, finish temporary setup, update iOS, and wait for the restart. Then use Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Erase All Content and Settings to return to Hello and start the backup restoration again.
That erases the temporary setup, so avoid adding new data during this detour. Updating the Mac alone does not update the iOS version on the target phone.
What restoration puts back
A local backup is a set of files and an index rather than a bootable copy of the iPhone. In the backup format Yado reads, Manifest.db maps file identifiers to their domains and original paths. During restoration, the phone receives the saved files and settings and restarts; treating this as a merge with the target phone's current contents can lose data you meant to keep.
Apple's computer backup coverage excludes App Store content, Apple Pay information, Face ID or Touch ID settings, and data already synced and stored in iCloud. Expect apps to download again, add your payment cards again, and set up biometric authentication on the target phone.
Encryption affects the data available to restore. Saved passwords, Wi-Fi settings and Health data can be included in an encrypted local backup, but encryption still does not include Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode. Turning encryption on after the old backup was made does not add those missing records to that saved copy.
Photos or messages already stored through iCloud sync come back through that separate service. Keep the restored phone connected to Wi-Fi and power while downloads continue; a completed computer restore does not mean every app and photo has finished arriving.
Restore a backup already managed in Yado
For backups you manage in Yado, open Overview and click Manage on the Backup card. Under Existing Backups, check the device and date, then move the pointer over the relevant row. Restore applies a backup from the same iPhone, while Move Here applies another iPhone's backup to the connected phone.
The target is the iPhone currently connected to Yado. Read the confirmation before accepting it, especially when moving another phone's backup, because the target's contents will be replaced. For an encrypted backup, enter its password in the confirmation.
Yado requires a cable for restoration because the iPhone restarts and drops its Wi-Fi connection. It also blocks an unfinished backup, a backup from a newer iOS version than the target, or a target with Find My enabled. Encryption itself is supported; a password that fails to unlock the backup stops the process before the restore engine starts.
Before sending the backup to the phone, Yado opens its index and validates the listed file payloads and recorded sizes. You can also choose More, then Check Backup on a row to run the check separately. It checks structure and sizes, including the encrypted-file size rules, but does not test a complete restoration or prove every file's contents are correct.
If you only need a contact, note or conversation, use Browse Contents instead. Viewing an iPhone backup on Mac explains that route without replacing the phone's data.
When restoration cannot finish
The error says there is not enough space
Read which device the message identifies. For an iPhone-space warning, inspect Settings, General, iPhone Storage on a phone you can still access, and review what is taking up space. Apple explains the storage controls; iPhone storage full covers the cleanup choices.
Moving the backup folder to a larger Mac drive cannot increase the iPhone's capacity. Avoid deleting the only recovery backup while investigating. If the old phone is available, preserve needed data before changing its contents or making a different backup.
The encrypted-backup password is forgotten
You need that backup's password to restore it. Apple's password-reset procedure allows a new encrypted backup of current data, but does not unlock the old one. Resetting settings on a replacement phone cannot recover the password for the old phone's backup.
If the old phone still contains the data, read the reset consequences and make a fresh backup through Apple's documented route. Otherwise, look for another usable backup, including an iCloud backup. Switching restore tools does not remove the password requirement.
The cable disconnected or an error interrupted restoration
Keep the backup and the exact error message. Once the failed operation has stopped, Apple's troubleshooting sequence starts with an updated Mac, a USB connection and restarting the devices, trying again after each step. A corrupt or incompatible backup may require another backup or an iCloud backup if it still cannot be restored.
After a successful retry, check the phone itself. Open a known contact and conversation, inspect important app data after its app downloads, and check Health if the backup was encrypted. Apple also calls for checking contacts and calendars and adding Apple Pay cards after a transfer. Keep the old phone and backup until the data you rely on is present and usable.