How to take advantage of temporary iCloud space to switch from old to new iPhone? Since iOS 15, Apple has provided temporary storage on iCloud for data transfer from an old iPhone or iPad to a new model. When we buy a new device we can use iCloud Backup to transfer our data to the new one, even if we don’t have enough cloud storage space.
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Apple explains that iCloud guarantees for three weeks all the space needed to complete a temporary backup, at no additional cost. In this way we will be able to automatically find all our apps, data and settings on the new device.
To take advantage of the temporary iCloud space, you need to have iOS 15 or a newer version installed on your current device. Once the device has been updated, go to Settings> General where we will find the new section “Transfer or initialize iPhone”. By choosing “Start” the system explains that an automatic backup of apps and data will be performed and will be kept up to date until the new device is configured. Once the configuration is done, we will be able to choose whether to update the iCloud space to keep all data or return to the previous storage plan.
The function in question is interesting and allows you to have a backup for 21 days that we could restore from iCloud to the new device when it arrives. If we need a few more days we can open the settings and choose “Keep the backup longer”.
How to restore new iPhone or iPad from temporary backup
- Turn on the new iPhone or iPad and follow the procedure displayed on the screen to start the configuration.
- On the Apps & Data screen, tap “Restore from iCloud Backup”.
- Log into your iCloud account with your Apple ID and password.
- Choose the most recent iCloud backup.
- Wait for the reset to complete.
What happens to temporary iCloud storage after the backup is restored
After restoring the temporary backup to the new iPhone or iPad, it remains available for 7 days before being permanently deleted. If we want to continue using iCloud to back up the device, we can eventually switch to use iCloud +.
