How to Restore iPhone XR from Backup when iTunes Backup is Corrupt or not compatible

How to Restore iPhone from Backup when iTunes Backup is Corrupt or not compatible

Summary: Are you receiving the error, ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or not compatible’ while trying to restore iPhone? iPhone recovery is not possible from a corrupt backup file. This post shares how you can resolve corrupt iTunes backup file issue and restore iPhone’s lost data.

‘I dropped my iPhone and broke it. I got it repaired and formatted to factory settings to fix the various issues caused due to the fall. Since I had a backup in iTunes, so was not worried about my data. But had least idea that my iTunes backup file was corrupted! As I tried to restore iPhone from iTunes, a message appeared –: ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible.’ Now I don’t know how to restore my iPhone. Please help.’ – Simon, UK

It’s not new when users get bowled over by iTunes when trying to restore their iPhone. iTunes sometimes shows a message that it could not restore iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone that was being restored.

It may be because iTunes does incremental backup by updating the previous backup. It’s possible that some old backup data was corrupt, which results in the error message.

Whatsoever, it’s a fact that there’s no recovery possible from a corrupt backup file.

So how to fix such corrupt iPhone backup in iTunes and restore iPhone in such cases?

Here we share the best ways to fix corrupt iTunes backup file and efficient methods to restore iPhone’s lost data.

You can apply these methods on all iPhone models including series of iPhone 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, XS, XS Max, XR, X, 8 Plus, 8, 7 Plus, 7, 6S Plus, 6S, 6 Plus, 6, 5S, 5c, 5, 4S and 4 with latest iOS 16.x.

What you can do to fix ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible’

Since you can’t repair or recover from a corrupt or incompatible iTunes backup file, it is best to delete such corrupt files and next try to create a new backup in iTunes.

How to delete your corrupt iPhone backup file in iTunes

Launch iTunes on your PC or Mac
Windows users click Edit > Preferences (on Windows PC). Mac users click iTunes Menu > Preferences
Select Find your iPhone backups
Select the corrupt or incompatible backup. Click Delete Backup
Close the iTunes Preferences window

How to delete the old iTunes backup files manually

If you don’t see the old backup in iTunes, then delete the backup manually.

In iTunes, under Summary click on Serial Number. You will see the iPhone’s UDID. Note it down.
Navigate to the iTunes backups folder on your computer.

On Mac follow: Finder > Option> Go menu> Library> Application Support >MobileSync> Backup

On Windows 11/10/8 follow: In Search box type %appdata%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. Press Enter key

If you installed iTunes from the Microsoft Store, follow: In Search box type %userprofile%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup. Press Enter key.

You will see the backup folders named by your device UDID
Select the folders with your device UDID and delete them
Next go to iTunes and take the backup again

How to backup iPhone in iTunes again

Connect your iPhone to computer via lightning cable
Launch iTunes
Click on Back Up Now The backup process begins.

| Did you get a message — iTunes can’t back up your iPhone because an error occurred? Here’s what you should do…
• Update your iOS to the latest version
• Update your iTunes to the latest version
• Disable antivirus software on your computer
• Now create backup in iTunes

|
| — |

How to restore iPhone when iTunes backup file is corrupt

Method 1: Restore iPhone from iCloud backup

Method 2: Recover from iCloud backup without erasing existing data

Method 3: Restore lost data directly from iPhone/ iPad

Method 1: Recover from iCloud backup

Instead of iTunes, you can restore iPhone by using the alternative backup solution, iCloud.

Steps to restore iPhone with iCloud

Click to follow Settings > General > Reset> Erase all Contents and Settings

A dialog box pops up, choose Erase Now
Follow the instructions until you get on to the Apps & Data screen
Tap Restore from iCloud Backup

Sign in to your iCloud account
Choose the recent backup and click Restore

Method 2: Recover specific files from iCloud without losing existing iPhone data

In case you want to restore specific data from backup, instead of complete backup, use an iPhone recovery software.

Steps to restore specific files from iCloud:

Download and launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone on your computer.
Select Recover from iCloud Backup on main screen of software.

Select what you want to recover. Click Next
Enter the Apple ID and password
Select the relevant iCloud backup and click Scan

Select the data in the iCloud backup files list on left and preview

Click Save
In the dialog box select computer or iPhone to save the recovered data. To save directly onto your iPhone, connect your iPhone to the computer.

Method 3: Recover data from iPhone

If iTunes could not restore iPhone or iPad because the backup was corrupt and neither iCloud is able to restore backup, recover data from the device directly. You can easily restore lost photos, videos, messages, calendar, voice memos, Safari bookmarks, etc., with this method. It works in cases of broken/ water-damaged iPhone, factory reset, iOS crash etc.

Steps to recover lost data from iPhone/ iPad

Connect your iPhone to computer
_Launch Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone _
On the home screen select Recover from iPhone

Select the data you want to restore
Click Next

Preview the data and click Save. You can save the recovered data on computer or iPhone

Conclusion

You cannot repair or recover data from corrupt iTunes backup file that gives — ‘iTunes backup was corrupt or Not compatible’ message.

However, the situation can be tackled by deleting the corrupt backup file and creating a fresh new backup in iTunes.

To restore iPhone, you may use either the new iTunes backup or bypass iTunes by using alternative recovery methods. Other than iTunes, iCloud or Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone are the effective ways to restore lost data on your iPhone. Among these too, if you wish to restore specific data like photos, videos, voice memos, or contacts etc., Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone would be the best solution.

How to Restore Contacts on iPhone (4 Methods)

Summary: Many of the users have been wondering about the ways to restore deleted contacts. In this post, we shared the best methods to restore deleted contacts from your iPhone series 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, XS, XS Max, XR, X, 8, 7, 6, and 5.

Losing contact names and numbers from the device all of a sudden is not new for iPhone users. Sometimes contact names are missing with only the random numbers visible, or the contact list is altogether empty. Mostly, the incidents occur after updating to a newer version of iOS, a bug in the device, accidental deletion, or else formatting of the iPhone.

You can always restore from iCloud or iTunes backup, but sometimes even those attempts might fail to recover deleted contacts. This can be because of wrong user names, passcodes, or device settings.

In such cases, the best way to restore only the missing contacts is to use iPhone Data Recovery Software by Stellar**.** Read on to know the four solutions to recover deleted contact on iPhone below.

If you have synced your iPhone to iCloud backup, restore missing contact names and numbers with this method.

Go to your iPhone Settings > iCloud > Contacts (iOS 16 & 15 users follow: Settings > User Name > iCloud)

Toggle OFF and turn ON Contacts again

It asks what you would like to do with the previously synced iCloud contacts on your iPhone. Select Delete from My iPhone.

You will get back lost contacts on the iPhone. Those accounts are also displayed in your group lists if you have different Cloud accounts like Gmail linked to your device. You can check and uncheck the group to view or hide, respectively.

This works only when you have backed up your iPhone to iTunes.

Connect your iPhone to the PC
Launch iTunes
Select your device from the Device list and pick the most recent backup entry date of your iPhone from the Summary page

Click Restore Backup

You can get back the lost or deleted contacts from your iTunes backup. But the drawback of this method is that with iTunes, you do not have a choice to restore only the lost contacts on your iPhone selectively. This means that complete data from iTunes will be restored on your device, replacing existing iPhone data.

All current media photos, videos, messages, etc., on your iPhone will also be replaced by the iOS backup files. If you want to restore only contacts from iTunes backup, use a safe third-party iPhone data recovery application.

The best way to overcome the iTunes drawback and selectively restore only the missing contacts is to use iPhone Contact Recovery Software by Stellar.

This secure & do-it-yourself software recovers lost or accidentally deleted iPhone contacts, call history, etc., regardless of the cause of the loss.Experience the Free Trial version NOW!

The free demo version of Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone allows you to scan and preview files from iPhone, iCloud, and iTunes backup, and to save them, you need to register the software.

Stellar Data Recovery offers three ways to recover iPhone contacts missing on your device:

1. Recover from iPhone

There is a possibility that your device has all the contacts, but they are not showing up—select Recovery from iPhone to view the hidden iPhone contacts in this case.

Connect your iPhone to the computer and launch and launch the software
On the home screen, choose “Recover from iPhone”, select “Contacts and Call Logs,” and click “Next.”

It will show you the iOS devices connected to your system. Select your device and click Scan

After scanning, select Contacts on your left pane; all the contacts will be displayed in the right pane.
Then, Select All or particular items by clicking on the associated checkbox.
Click on Save and browse the desired location to save the recovered contacts.

2. Restore from iCloud Backup

Recovery from iCloud Backup allows you to selectively recover deleted contacts from your iPhone rather than restoring everything from photos and videos to messages. Follow the below steps:

Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable
Launch Stellar Data Recovery from iPhone
Choose Recover from iCloud Backup, Select Contacts and Call Logs and click Next

Enter the Apple ID and Password to get the list of available backup files.

Select the backup file and click Scan

After scanning, select “Contacts” on your left pane, all the contacts in the selected backup file will be displayed in the right pane.

Then, Select All or selective items by clicking on the associated checkbox.

Click on Save and browse the desired location to save the recovered contacts.

3. Restore from iTunes Backup

If your iPhone contacts are synced with iTunes backup, use Recovery from iTunes backup to recover missing iPhone contacts.

Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch the software
On the home screen, choose Recover from iTunes, select Contacts and Call Logs, and click Next

The software analyzes your system and lists all the available iTunes backup files, as shown below. If you cannot find the desired backup file, you can click on Add Backup to manually add the backup file from the system. Now, select the file and click Scan

After scanning, select “Contacts” on your left pane, all the contacts in the selected backup file will be displayed in the right pane.
Then, Select All or particular items by clicking on the associated checkbox.
Click on Save and browse the desired location to save the recovered contacts.

Minor changes in the iPhone Settings can also help restore deleted contacts. Try the below Setting changes and check if they work for you:

Change Contacts’ Groups Settings
Reset the Network Connections
Change Default Account in Settings back to iCloud (works for iPhone 8/7/6s)

1: Change Contacts’ Groups Settings

Go to your Contacts, tap into Groups
Uncheck All iCloud
Select All on iPhone

Click on Done (top right)
Check if you got back all your contacts

2: Reset the Network Connections

Under Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings

Enter your passcode
Choose Reset Network Settings to continue ignoring the message that this action will delete all your network settings.

This action will clear your current saved networks and Wi-Fi passwords, but you can always re-enter your network passwords later. So give this a try to retrieve lost contacts.

3: Change Default Account in Settings back to iCloud (works for iPhone 14, 13, 12, 11, X, 8, 7, 6)

Go to your iPhone Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Contacts
Click Default Account
Select iCloud instead of On my iPhone
Check if your phone’s missing contacts recovered

To Wrap-up

Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone intelligently restores your missing or accidentally deleted contacts without causing loss of iPhone’s existing data, unlike iTunes or iCloud Backup recovery methods. Changing the iPhone settings can also help you get back missing contacts. So now no need to worry about the contacts list loss. Instead, try the above methods and recover deleted contacts on your iPhone.

Have you ever used any of the above methods for restoring missing iPhone contacts? Then, do share your experience in the comments below.

Apple will delete your photos in July. Here’s what you should do

Apple has recently announced that it will permanently delete photos from its users’ ‘My Photo Stream’ this month. This news has come as a surprise to the Apple community, as users struggle to understand the implications of this announcement and what necessary precautions can be taken. In this blog post, we will get into the details of this new move by Apple, explore the reasons behind it, and provide tips on how iPhone/iPad/Mac users can safeguard their precious photos.

The Announcement

_”_My Photo Stream is scheduled to be shut down on July 26, 2023. As part of this transition, new photo uploads to My Photo Stream from your devices will stop one month before, on June 26, 2023.

The photos in My Photo Stream are already stored on at least one of your devices, so as long as you have the device with your originals, you won’t lose any photos as part of this process. If a photo you want isn’t already in your Library on a particular iPhone, iPad, or Mac, make sure that you save it to your Library on that device…” Read more

What is Apple’s My Photo Stream?

My Photo Stream, launched in 2011, was designed to sync photos across multiple Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

This feature automatically stores your most recent pictures (up to 1000) for approx. 30 days so you can view and download them easily from other Apple devices. After this period, photos are removed from My Photo Stream but remain in your device’s Photos app. However, this only shows photos and not your live images or videos.

How to Protect Your ‘My Photo Stream’ Pictures?

Apple, known for its commitment to user privacy and data security, has recommended several preventive measures to mitigate the risk of losing any important photo due to this update.

1. Move My Photo Stream images to your Library

Even if the pictures in My Photo Stream are already there on at least one of your Apple devices, you must save these pictures to your Photo Library to avoid losing them**.** Here’s how to copy My Photo Stream pictures to your Photo Library:

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch:

Open the Photos app and tap Albums.
Tap on My Photo Stream > Select.
Select all the photos you want to save, then tap the Share button > Save Image.

On your Mac:

Open the Photos app and then open the My Photo Stream
Select the photos you want to save which aren’t currently in your photo library.
Drag and drop them from the My Photo Stream album into your Library.

2. Move to iCloud Photos

To preserve your My Photo Stream images in their original and high-resolution version, you can transfer them to iCloud Photos.

If you already have an iCloud account, just enable iCloud Photos to automatically upload & sync every photo and video you capture on the device, making them accessible from anywhere.

To use the iCloud Photos service, you will require the following:

iPhone running iOS 8.3 or later version.
iPad with iPadOS 8.3 or later version.
Mac running OS X Yosemite or later version.

How to set up iCloud Photos on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch?

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings.
Next, click on [Your Name] > iCloud.
Tap on Photos and do the following:

For iOS 16, iPadOS 16, or later versions: Toggle on the ‘Sync this [device]‘ option.

For iOS 15, iPadOS 15, or earlier versions: Turn on the iCloud Photos

How to set up iCloud Photos on your Mac?

On your Mac, go to Apple Menu and click on System Preferences.
Click Apple ID and then select iCloud in the sidebar.
Now, select Photos and turn on the switch next to Sync this Mac.

**

Don’t want to use iCloud Photos?

While iCloud Photos is a convenient option for many Apple users, it’s important to acknowledge that it is not the best fit for everyone. Limited free storage of 5GB or lack of cross-platform compatibility can compel Apple users to look for other alternatives.

Storage options, such as Google Photos, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, external hard drives, etc., are available to ensure your iPhone Photos are safe and easily accessible.

The Bottom Line

Apple’s announcement of the potential discontinuation of My Photo Stream has understandably caused worry among its users. While a specific reason for this action remains undisclosed, they are actively addressing the issue to prevent data loss. In the meantime, iPhone users must take precautionary measures to safeguard their photos. They can simply move the My Photo Stream images to the Photo Library, iCloud Photos, or other backup folders.

How to find lost iPhone Backup files on Windows PC?

Summary: You have to restore iPhone data. But you cannot find backup files saved on your Windows PC or the backup files are unreadable. This post guides you to find iPhone backup on Windows PC and methods to restore it on your device.

You may get into a terrible iPhone data loss situation after a factory reset, stolen iPhone, jailbreak or physical damage to your device, etc. Backup is your only resort. But another shocker is waiting for you. You cannot find iPhone backup files once saved on your Windows PC.

Your backup files are not readable, and you have no clue how to access them.

In such a situation, keep calm and do not worry. If you have ever saved your iPhone backup on a Windows computer and are now unable to locate or access it, this post guides you to find an iPhone backup on a PC and how to restore it on your device.

Where are iPhone backups stored on Windows PC?

iPhone backups are safe copies of your complete device information. iTunes saves iPhone backup in the Users folder on a Windows computer. These backup files are not in a readable format. You can copy them but should never try to move files to a different drive, edit, rename or extract content. All such activities can ruin the backup files. However, you can make copies of your backup or delete backup that you do not require anymore.

Steps to find iPhone backup files on Windows PC:

In the Search bar, enter %appdata% or %USERPROFILE% (if you downloaded iTunes from the Microsoft Store)
Press Return
Double-click these folders: Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup

You can also locate iPhone backup in Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11 by following Users > (username) > AppData > Roaming > Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup.

Cannot locate iPhone backup on Windows PC? Find and Restore data with iPhone data recovery software.

If you cannot find your iPhone backup data on your PC or cannot access the backup files, take refuge in third-party software – Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone.

How can Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone help you?

You can find, access, and restore lost iPhone backup files with Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone. It is a secure tool that efficiently scans the computer to find your iPhone backup. The recovered iPhone backup files are in readable form, and you can either save them on your PC or iPhone.

When you can use the Stellar iPhone data recovery solution

You are unable to locate your iPhone backup files
Your backup files are either lost or deleted.
You cannot access iPhone backup files on Windows PC
Not able to restore backup on your old/new iPhone

How can Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone recover lost backup files from PC?

The iPhone Data Recovery Tool by Stellar is a do-it-yourself software that quickly recovers complete iPhone data in a readable form from your Windows PC.

You can recover all your lost photos, videos, contacts, messages, Safari bookmarks, Call history, Reminders, Voice memos, Notes, WhatsApp, Kik, WeChat, Viber messages, etc.

It also offers a Deep Scan if your desired iPhone information is not recovered after the first scan. A deep scan does a comprehensive scan of the selected device or backup to recover every bit of lost or deleted backup information.

Benefits of Stellar iPhone Data Recovery

Recovery of deleted or lost backup files
Recovers data in a readable format
Option to restore only that data from backup which you want to be in your iPhone
Allows to save recovered backup on computer or iPhone

Step-by-step recovery of lost iPhone backup on Windows PC with Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone

Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch the software.

Step 2: On the home screen, select Recover from iPhone. The scanning process begins.

Step 3: After scanning, all the files on your iPhone are listed.

If you do not see the required files in the list, choose Deep Scan. It will scan for the backup stored on your computer system.

Step 4: Select and save the recovered iPhone data at your desired location. You can save it on your iPhone if you want to restore backup data on your device or save it on your computer.

Wrapping Up

Losing iPhone data after factory reset, jailbreak, being stuck in a boot loop or physical damage, etc., can get messier when you cannot find or retrieve information from iPhone backup files saved on your computer. Stellar Data Recovery for iPhone significantly relieves such data loss situations.

This iPhone utility not only finds the lost iPhone backup files on Windows PC, but it also makes them readable and allows you to save/restore them to your iPhone or computer. Moreover, it lets you selectively transfer iPhone data on your iPhone rather than complete a backup.

You can download the free trial version to evaluate its performance. It is undoubtedly not going to disappoint you.

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How to Restore iPhone XR from Backup when iTunes Backup is Corrupt or not compatible | Stellar