Some iPhone Users Complain of iCloud Backup Issues After Updating to iOS 16.3

iOS 16.3 appears to be impacting the iCloud Backup feature for some people who have upgraded to the new software, based on complaints on the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support communities.

iCloud General Feature
Impacted users have seen automatic ‌iCloud‌ Backup disabled, and attempting to turn on automatic backups results in the following message: "An unknown error occurred. Please try again later." With the error message, the "Back Up This iPhone" toggle under Settings > Apple ID > ‌iCloud‌ remains deactivated.

‌iPhone‌ owners who are experiencing this problem seem to still be able to manually activate an ‌iCloud‌ backup, but an iOS 16.3 bug appears to be preventing the setting from functioning as expected.

Some users were able to fix the problem by turning on two-factor authentication, leading to speculation that Apple is attempting to force people into using the extra authentication layer, but that does not seem to be the case. Two-factor authentication has not solved the problem for all users, and some people with two-factor authentication initially enabled have also had the same error. From one impacted user on the Apple Support Communities:

Same problem for me - iOS 16.3 on an iPhone and iPad - 2factor is turned on and have tried logging out and in of Apple ID and rebooting.

MacRumors reader GBstoic also complained that ‌iCloud‌ backup was not initially working after installing iOS 16.3, but that two devices were ultimately able to automatically backup even with the backup toggle turned off and no two-factor authentication enabled, suggesting an underlying error.

Two of my iOS 16.3 devices automatically backed up to iCloud when being charged today. This is despite the back up to iCloud option being turned off and me being unable to turn it on. Not sure that 2FA is the problem after all.

Multiple reports have indicated that some devices are continuing to back up even with the error message, but that is not the case for all users, so there could be multiple issues that are impacting ‌iCloud‌. While most reports are from ‌iPhone‌ owners, this is also a problem that is affecting the iPad as well, and all of the devices that are experiencing issues are running iOS 16.3 and iPadOS 16.3.

Despite speculation that Apple is attempting to force people into using two-factor authentication, there does not appear to be actual evidence that this is the case. The error message is vaguely worded, and if Apple was requiring two-factor authentication for ‌iCloud‌ Backup functionality, there would likely be a much more specific message providing an explanation.

It appears that this is an iOS 16.3 bug that will be addressed in a future update. For now, those impacted can do manual backups to keep their data safe.

Apple is working on an iOS 16.3.1 update that could include a fix for the ‌iCloud‌ issues, but there is no word yet on when that software update might be released.

Tag: iCloud

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...

Top Rated Comments

madmin Avatar
31 months ago
iOS 16.?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AbSoluTc Avatar
31 months ago
Apple once coveted for their software and attention to detail has fallen.

Still, notifications on my lock screen from wake, have squared off corners for a second before rounding off like they should have been from the start.

Siri is a steaming pile of ?

HomeKit - OG homepods, you get to repeat yourself twice!

Keyboard click noise bug - you all know this one. Since the beginning of time!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
31 months ago
Just ask Siri to do a backup for you.

Me: Hey, Siri. Back up my iPhone.

Siri: I'm not sure I understand.

?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redbeard331 Avatar
31 months ago
Thankfully iOS 16.4 beta was pushed out in January to fix these issues. ?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TVreporter Avatar
31 months ago
It just works… on iOS 15.7 - still not updating!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghanwani Avatar
31 months ago
ChatGPT, can you please fix all iOS 16.3 bugs and push out an update? Thanks.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)