How to Download an iCloud Backup to Your PC in 3 Ways

Part 1: Why Do You Need to Download iCloud Backup to Computer

iCloud is a service developed by Apple Inc. that allows users to store and share data through cloud storage. With iCloud, you can wirelessly back up all the content on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod, or share information such as photos, calendars, and locations among your Apple devices.

iCloud is one of the most common methods to back up an iPhone, iPad, or iPod, and there are several reasons why users might need to download an iCloud backup to their PC:

Reason 1: Selectively restore files from an iCloud backup

If you have iCloud Backup enabled on your iPhone, you can only restore everything in the backup to an iOS device. If you want to selectively restore files from an iCloud backup, you'll need to download the iCloud backup to your computer.

Reason 2: Save iCloud Storage Space

As mentioned above, Apple provides only 5 GB of free storage, which is not enough to keep all your important files on the device. To free up some iCloud space, it's wise to download the iCloud backup to your computer, which takes up a large amount of iCloud storage, and then delete the iCloud backup to gain more available space.

Reason 3: Recover data after losing an iOS device

When you lose your iOS device and want to retrieve your data, you can download an iCloud backup to your computer, provided you had enabled this option previously. You can even restore an iCloud backup to your computer without the device, to retrieve your precious files.

Part 2: Steps to Download iCloud Backup to PC with 3 Methods

So, how to download iCloud backup to PC? Depending on the type of content you want to download from iCloud to your computer, there are three viable methods:

Method 1: Use the iCloud Backup Extractor tool to download iCloud photos to your computer

If you have the option to back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to iCloud and now want to download such backups from iCloud to your PC, you'll need the help of third-party software, such as MobiSaver – a reliable iPhone Data Recovery tool.

Not only can it function as an iOS data recovery tool to retrieve lost files from your iDevice, it can also help you extract data from an iCloud backup to your PC or Mac.

Download an iCloud backup to your PC:

Step 1: Choose "Restore from iCloud Backup"

Connect your iPhone to the computer and launch the MobiSaver tool. Tap on the “Recover from iCloud Backup” button and click “Start.”

Step 2: Turn off “Find My iPhone.”

Please turn off “Find My iPhone” on your iPhone/iPad/iPod to continue.

Step 3: Enter the code in the confirmation box

Type "123456" in the confirmation box, then click on the "Continue" button.

Note: This will delete all data and reset all settings. Make sure to back up important information beforehand.

Step 4: Reset your iPhone

Go through the iPhone setup process until you get to the Reset screen. On your phone, select “Restore from iCloud Backup.” Enter the Apple ID and password for the account with the backup you want to restore. Then click “Next” on your computer.

Step 5: Select the file

Select the type of data you want to recover. If you want to retrieve all files, just click on “Select All” at the bottom.

Step 6: Analyze the iPhone

The software will analyze your device, which may take a few minutes. Please do not disconnect or use your device during this time.

Step 7: Scan for and recover lost data

MobiSaver will scan your iCloud backup file automatically to find the lost data. This process may take a few minutes. Please wait patiently. Then, choose the data you want to recover and click the "Recover" button.

Method 2: Download an iCloud Backup to Your Computer Selectively via icloud.com

If you previously backed up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iCloud by choosing the appropriate option, you can go to iCloud.com and download certain categories, such as photos and contacts, to your computer from iCloud.

Download iCloud Photos to PC:

1. On your computer, open a web browser and go to iCloud.com.

Step 2. Sign in with the Apple ID that you use on your iOS device.

Step 3: Click on “Photos,” and select the items you want to download to your computer.

Step 4: Click the "Download" icon to save the iCloud photos to your computer.

If you're looking to download your iCloud contacts, refer to this guide: How to Download Contacts from iCloud to PC.

Method 3: Download an iCloud Backup to PC with iCloud for Windows

You can also install iCloud for Windows to automatically download iCloud data to your computer. Like with iCloud.com, you can only download certain types of data, like photos and videos.

Download iCloud Photos to your PC with iCloud for Windows:

Step 1: Download and install iCloud for Windows on your computer.

Step 2: Open the iCloud Control Panel and log in.

Step 3: Tap Options next to Photos, then turn on iCloud Photos > Done > Apply.

Step 4. Any new photos and videos will then download automatically to your computer.

Part 3: How to Backup iPhone to Computer Directly

iCloud offers limited free storage and keeps your iPhone data in the cloud, making it inaccessible when you need it. In this case, you may want to back up your iPhone to PC directly. If so, you can use an iPhone data transfer and backup tool – MobiMover.

Once installed on your PC, this tool lets you back up your iPhone to the computer in its entirety or selectively. It also lets you transfer data between your iDevice and computer or between two iOS devices.

Directly back up your iPhone to PC:

Step 1: Connect your iPhone/iPad to the computer with a USB cable and tap "Trust" on the device. Then launch MobiMover and click Backup Manager > Backup.

Step 2. Check the types of files you want to back up. Then, tap the “Backup Now” button to start backing up your iPhone or iPad.

Step 3: The amount of time it takes to back up your content will vary depending on its size. Wait for the backup to complete.

Bottom line

The method for downloading an iCloud backup to your PC depends on how the backup was made. In short, if you used the "iCloud Backup" feature, you'll need an iPhone backup extractor tool like MobiSaver. If you backed up your iPhone content by category, you can download it from iCloud.com or use iCloud for Windows.