By Michael | Last Updated
Q: " I set my iPhone 13 to sync messages to iCloud, but it says "uploading to iCloud paused, please plug in your device and connect to WIFI." I have plugged in and connected to Wifi, but this message still keeps showing up, how do I stop it?"
iCloud is a service provided by Apple to synchronize and back up all apps and media information on your iOS device to the cloud at any time. But lately, it seems that many users have been getting the "Upload to iCloud paused" message on their devices, and even plugging in and connecting to WIFI can't make it go away, especially the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. How to get rid of it? In this article, we will discuss the cause and fix for "Uploading to iCloud Paused".
Generally, it means that your iPhone, iPad or Mac is currently unable to synchronize information with iCloud, and that the backup of your local iOS device's data on iCloud's cloud storage has been suspended. Moreover, if you find that the synchronization is still continuing, your iPhone may be having a glitch and the message is an error alert.
Apple's Support reports that the process of uploading to iCloud automatically pauses when the network connection is poor or the battery is too low. However, as we mentioned at the beginning, the uploading to iCloud paused error persists after the user plugs in and connects to the network as instructed in the message, so we need to discuss the solution further here.
The backup of iCloud can only upload data to the server under a stable network condition, when iPhone says uploading to iCloud is paused, the first thing we need to check is the condition of the connected WIFI on the device. When the network becomes laggy, you can easily fix it by restarting your phone or connecting to another wireless LAN.
Note: iCloud can't upload backups over cellular network, and when WIFI is disconnected, the process of synchronization will stop immediately.
When iPhone is in Low Power Mode, some features on the device will be forced to be disabled to minimize background app refreshes, such as iCloud data upload, app updates and downloads, and more. Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > "Low Power Mode" to check if it is turned on by mistake. Also, uploading data to iCloud will be done more smoothly when the iPhone is fully charged (at least 50%).
If you can't sync data from your iOS or iPadOS device to iCloud, besides internet connection and battery level, one more place you should check is iCloud storage space, when space is full or insufficient, uploading to iCloud will be suspended.
Go to "Settings" > "Your Name" > "iCloud", then you can check the iCloud space usage at the top.
How to save space when iCloud is running out of space?Here are some tips.
1.Delete extra photos, videos and messages on your iOS device to reduce the backup size.
2. Turn off the backup of large capacity apps.
3. Clean up and manage duplicate files in iCloud cloud storage.
Sometimes, it's software errors on the iPhone that are the culprit for uploading to iCloud paused. If you don't have enough time to troubleshoot your device, then iSunshare iOS repair genius is a useful tool to quickly eliminate unlocated errors on your device, it's compatible with almost all iOS devices, whether it's an iPhone, iPod, or iPad.
Step 1: Download and install iSunshare iOS Repair Genius on your computer.
Step 2: Run the software, then select "iOS Repair" > "Standard Mode" and click "Start".
Connect your iPhone to the computer with a USB cable and click "Next".
Step 3: You will come to the page to download the firmware package, which is the key step to fix iOS failure, click "Download" to get the firmware package.
Step 4: Finally, click "Repair" button, the software will start to fix the iPhone upload to iCloud pause error, pay attention to not disconnect the device during the repair process until you see "Repair Successfully" message.
Some users on Reddit shared their proven trick, they said that after logging out of iCloud and logging back in, they turn off "iCloud Backup" and turn it back on again. After that, the "uploading to iCloud paused, please plug in your device and connect to WIFI" message disappears, so maybe you can try this magic method too.
If you've forgotten your iCloud password, here's a guide on how to sign out of iCloud without password.
The glitch seems to occur more frequently on devices running outdated iOS, so if you've turned off automatic updates on your iPhone, you can go to "Software Update" to see if there's any available iOS software, and then tap "Download and install" to get it. The latest iOS software will fix a number of known system vulnerabilities, which may include pauses in uploads to iCloud.
If the issue is caused by a software crash on your iPhone, then you can easily fix it by hard resetting your iPhone, which works in most cases. A forced restart can fix minor malfunctions that occur on the iPhone such as iPhone stuck on emergency SOS, iPhone randomly restarting itself, iCloud errors, etc.
iPhone 8/X/11 or newer: Press the Volume Up button and release it quickly. Press the Volume Down button and quickly release it. Next, press and hold the power button (side button) until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.
iPhone 7/7 Plus: Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time, then your device will restart with the Apple logo.
iPhone 6/6S or earlier: Press and hold the Power (top) and Home buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds, then you will see the Apple logo on the screen.
1. Why is syncing with iCloud paused?
iCloud uploads/syncing can pause for many reasons, such as weak Wi-Fi, insufficient iCloud storage, outdated software, iCloud errors or low battery on iPhone.
2. How can I resume iCloud upload on iPhone?
You can resume the uploading process to reset the syncing process: Access Settings, tap Your Apple ID, then choose the iCloud option. After that, go to the iCloud Drive section and toggle it off. Seconds later, toggle it back to resume uploads.
3. iCloud message sync keeps pausing, what to do?
Syncing issues with messages on iPhone can be caused by the network problems. You can check whether the Wi-Fi network works normally or not. Or you can connect the iPhone to another Wi-Fi network.
The “Uploading to iCloud Paused” issue can be frustrating, but with the right troubleshooting steps, you can quickly resolve it. From checking your Wi-Fi connection to ensuring enough iCloud storage, these simple fixes will help you get back to syncing your photos, videos, and documents to the cloud.
