How to Access iCloud Backup [iPhone/PC/Mac]

I recently backed up my iPhone to iCloud. I can see that there is data backed up but cannot access this data from my computer. Is there any way to access the iCloud backup from my PC? Thank you!

iCloud is a good service that Apple developed for iOS users to back up and restore content. But for most users, it is easy to back up their iOS device with iCloud, but a little bit difficult to view iCloud backup files on the computer. In most cases, to view these files in the iCloud backup, users would choose to do a full restore of their devices. But with this method, all the existing data on the iPhone will be erased and replaced with the files in the iCloud backup.

Then how to access iCloud backup without erasing the device? To solve this problem for people, in the following guide, we will not only show you the detailed steps on how to check iCloud backup on your computer and iPhone but also share with you another direct way to view iCloud backup without erasing anything.

Here is another tip about iOS problems: How to Transfer Contacts from Apple ID to Another Apple ID > 

How to Access iCloud Backup with iCloud Extractor?

How do I see what is backed up on iCloud? When accessing iCloud backups on your computer, you can only see the whole backup files. In other words, you can’t check every single picture or contact, you don’t know what exactly you have backed up. Then, how do I access things stored in iCloud? Luckily, some third-party tools enable you to both access and check iCloud backup to get what you want. Here we highly recommend PhoneRescue for iOS, which is the most comprehensive iOS data extract and recovery solution you may ever find. Here are some main features you may be interested in:

• It can help you extract more than 12 iOS contents from the iCloud backup, like Photos, Videos, Voice Memos, WhatsApp, Text Messages, Contacts, Call History, Notes, Reminders, etc.
• It allows you to check the iCloud backup files before retrieving and you can selectively recover the files you prefer in your iCloud backup.
• No need to erase anything before recovering, no blindly full restore.
• More than anything, it guarantees you high safety for your personal data, without any malicious software.

What’s more, PhoneRescue can also extract iOS data from your broken device directly, help you recover iTunes backups, and even fix some common iOS system issues.

Now, free download PhoneRescue for iOS to your computer and then let’s see how to check iCloud backup by using this tool.

Step 1. Choose Recover from iCloud

Launch PhoneRescue for iOS on your computer > Connect iOS device to computer with the USB cable (Optionally) > Select “Recover from iCloud” mode.

Step 2. View iCloud Backup Files Directly

Now you will see there are lots of data you have backed up on iCloud. Choose whatever you want to view like contacts, notes, photos, and calendar as you want.

Step 3. Access iCloud Backup

Choose the iCloud backup file you want and recover them to your computer easily. We take Contacts as an example. Select the Contacts you want to recover and tap on the Computer button to save it from iCloud backup.

How to Access iCloud Backup on Your Mac or PC?

How do I view my iCloud backup data? Most people would first think of using their computer to see iCloud backups, but they don’t know the detailed steps. Therefore, here are two different ways as well as their steps for Mac and Windows users to solve how to check iCloud backup. Just keep reading.

If you are a Mac user:

If you are using a Mac computer, then it is a little simple for you to solve how to view icloud backups and here is the guide.

System Preferences > click Apple ID> choose iCloud > Manage…

If you are a Windows user who has downloaded iCloud Control Center:

The steps on how to see iCloud backup files on a Windows computer are a little bit different according to the system versions. So please check the system version of your computer, and follow the corresponding guide below.

• Window 10: Choose Start menu > All Programs. Click iCloud > iCloud.
• Windows 8.1: Go to the Start screen > Click the down arrow in the lower-left corner > Click iCloud app > Manage.
• Windows 8: Go to the Start screen > Click the iCloud > Manage.
• Windows 7: Choose Start menu > All Programs > iCloud > Manage.

How to Access iCloud Backup Online?

If you do not download the iCloud Control Center on Windows, you can also view iCloud backups in browser. To check iCloud backup online, all you need to do is log in to your iCloud account at iCoud.com. But it is worth mentioning that only a few types of data can be viewed via this method. You have no access to the data like app data, call history, voice memos, MMS messages, text messages, iMessages, etc. Then, here is how to check iCloud backup with this method.

Step 1: Open a browser and enter iCloud.com > Sign in to your iCloud account with Apple ID and password.

Step 2: A list of all the data in the iCloud account will be displayed, just click on the type of data you would like to view.

How to Access iCloud Backup iPhone/iPad?

As the above three methods all require a computer, many people may wonder how to see iCloud backups on their iPhone or iPad directly. Of course, there is a way to help you view iCloud backups on your device. But before we talk about how to access iCloud backup on your device, you should first note that this way will not allow you to check what you have backed up in iCloud, and you can only decide whether to delete these backups or not on your iPhone/iPad. Now let’s see how to view iCloud backup on your device directly.

For iOS 10.3.2 or later:

Open Settings on your device> Click on Your Name]> Choose iCloud option > Then tap on iCloud Storage > And you can click Manage Storage to manage your iCloud backups.

For iOS 10.2 or earlier:

Open Settings > Tap on iCloud option > Select Storage > And then choose Manage Storage.

Bonus Tip. How to Backup iPhone/iPad/iPod Automatically?

Making an iPhone/iPad/iPod touch backup manually could be a time-consuming yet labor-consuming task. But backing up content on your device regularly is quite necessary to protect you from data loss. However, iCloud only offers limited storage for you to back up, and it is not convenient to check what you have stored in it. Therefore, here we strongly recommend you try AnyTrans – iPhone Data Manager. It provides you with a more flexible iPhone backup solution, allowing you to back up selectively or wholly and to freely check what you stored and manage them. So if you are interested in AnyTrans, why not download it to explore more?

Here is an iTunes backup tip. Please check: iTunes Backup Not Enough Space Is Available on Computer > 

Frequently Asked Questions

Now you may have know how to access iCloud backup or how to check iCloud backup. And we will also answer some other related questions below. If you are interested, keep reading.

Can you retrieve old iCloud Backups?

Yes, of course. You can directly restore your iCloud backups in Settings on your device. But this method will erase the original data on your device. If you want to keep your data intact, you can read the guide: How to Retrieve Data from iCloud (Backup) for iPhone iPad >

How to check last iCloud backup without phone?

If you don’t want to use your phone to check iCloud backups, iCloud website and PhoneRescue are good ways for you to complete this task. And in PhoneRescue, you can even choose your iCloud backups according to the time, so you can find your last iCloud backup quickly.

The Bottom Line

That’s all about how to check iCloud backup. And, PhoneRescue for iOS can help you check and view iCloud backup data wholly and selectively with ease, why not get it and have a try now? If you will have other problems while viewing iCloud backup files, feel free to leave them in the comment section and we will reply to you soon.