How to Restore an iPhone from iTunes on PC or Mac

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Written by Gonzalo Martinez | Edited by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: April 22, 2024 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to restore your iPhone from a backup using iTunes for Windows or macOS.

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   1
   Open iTunes on your computer. It’s in the All Apps section of the Start menu in Windows, and in the Applications folder in macOS.
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   2
   Connect your iPhone to the computer. Use the USB cable that came with your iPhone or one that is compatible. Once iTunes recognizes that your iPhone is connected, a small iPhone icon will appear at the app’s top-left corner.
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   3
   Click the iPhone icon. This opens the Summary screen.
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   4
   Click Restore iPhone…. It’s near the top-right corner of the right panel.
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   5
   Select a backup and click Restore. Your iPhone will now restore from the selected backup.

   • Once the restore is complete, your iPhone will restart and resync with iTunes on the computer.
   • Do not unplug your iPhone from the computer until you see the iPhone icon once again appear in the top-left corner of iTunes.
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