I'm seeking some advice here. I have an iPhone 15 with 128GB storage, but I'm almost out of space (only about 3GB left). To use my Apple Watch and fix a bug that's making Maps occupy 11GB, I need to update to iOS 26, which requires 17GB of space. Apple Support suggested I back up my data to a temporary iCloud backup and then erase all content and settings to set up the phone with iOS 26. Can someone confirm that my data will be safe on that temporary iCloud backup even after erasing everything? Also, will I be able to download iOS 26 without enough storage on my device after the reset? Thanks for your help!
2 Answers
Before you proceed, make sure you back up your data and double-check that it's all there. Just hitting 'backup to iCloud' isn't enough—go into your settings to verify the backup status. If you can, try also backing up to a computer, although be cautious with that if there's software corruption. And if you're using eSIM, be ready to set that up again after the reset. Erase your iPhone completely, set it up as new without signing into iCloud, and update the OS first. Afterward, you can restore from your backup. This could take a while, so keep your phone plugged in and connected to WiFi during the process!
If you're having trouble updating via a computer, just erasing everything is a valid solution, especially since you're dealing with a firmware error. After you back up (and verify), erase the phone and set it up from scratch. Don't sign into iCloud until the update is complete. Once iOS 26 is installed, you can restore from your iCloud backup. Make sure your phone remains charged during the entire process! It's crucial to confirm that everything is back after restoring, too.
That sounds risky—are you sure that everything will come back from the backup? I’d hate to lose my data if something goes wrong!
I just spoke to Apple Support as well, and they confirmed my backup is good too. If iCloud shows just 5GB used, it might be temporary, so don’t worry too much. Just make sure you have your important files ready to restore after the update. Also, yes, you can delete the backed-up photos from your laptop afterwards. Just ensure everything is restored before doing that!