Restoring an iPad from iCloud Backup gets confusing because the iCloud option only appears during setup, not after the Home Screen is already loaded. Once the iPad is new, erased, unlocked through reset, or restored with a computer, you can bring back apps, settings, and data from the backup picker. Start with the setup path, then use the reset or recovery option that matches the state of your iPad.
Start From the Hello Screen
The most common reason people cannot restore an iPad from iCloud Backup is that the iPad is already set up.
Turn on the iPad and begin from the Hello screen.
Follow setup until you reach Transfer Your Apps & Data, then choose From iCloud Backup.
Sign in with your Apple Account.
Choose the backup you want to use.
Keep the iPad connected to Wi-Fi and power while the restore completes.
If the iPad already shows the Home Screen or App Library, erase it first, then return to this setup flow.
Erase an iPad That Is Already Set Up
Open Settings, go to General, then tap Transfer or Reset iPad. Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
Tap Continue and follow the prompts. Enter the device passcode, then enter your Apple Account password when asked.
If your iPad asks what to do with an eSIM, choose whether to keep or delete it based on whether you are keeping the iPad or passing it on. Wait for the erase to finish.
When the Hello screen appears, go through setup until Transfer Your Apps & Data, then tap From iCloud Backup.
Choose the Backup That Has Your Data
During setup, sign in with the Apple Account that was used for the iCloud backup.
On the Choose a Backup screen, pick the backup that matches the iPad data you want to restore.
Keep the iPad plugged into power and connected to Wi-Fi until the restore finishes. Apple does not support restoring an iCloud backup over a cellular internet connection.
If the backup you want is missing, tap Show All Backups on the Choose a Backup screen. If the restore fails, try another Wi-Fi network or select another available backup.
Use Quick Start With Another Apple Device
This method applies when you have another iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch nearby and the new or erased iPad is ready for setup. The source device needs iOS 11, iPadOS 13, or later.
Turn on the new or erased iPad.
Place the other device close to it.
Follow the Quick Start instructions that appear on screen.
When setup reaches the data transfer stage, restore the rest of your data and content from your iCloud Backup.
Direct device-to-device transfer is also available on supported devices, but that is separate from restoring an iCloud backup.
Back Up Before You Erase
The most common restore regret is erasing an iPad before making a current iCloud backup.
Before you reset an accessible iPad, open Settings.
Tap [your name], then go to iCloud.
Open iCloud Backup and turn on Back Up This iPad.
Tap Back Up Now and let the backup finish before erasing the device.
For automatic backups, keep the iPad connected to power, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi.
To control app data before restoring later, go to Settings, tap [your name], open iCloud, choose iCloud Backup, tap your iPad under This iPad, then turn off apps you do not want included. Turning an app off removes that app's existing backup data from iCloud.
Restore After a Forgotten Passcode
This applies when you cannot unlock the iPad and need to erase it before restoring from iCloud Backup. On iPadOS 17 or later, the on-device reset path requires Find My to have been enabled, an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection, and your Apple Account password.
If the passcode was changed within the last 72 hours, try Passcode Reset first.
After five incorrect passcode attempts, tap Forgot Passcode?.
Choose Enter Previous Passcode.
Enter the old passcode, then follow the onscreen instructions to set a new one.
If you cannot use the previous passcode, enter passcodes until iPad Unavailable appears.
Tap Forgot Passcode?, then tap Start iPad Reset on Security Lockout.
Enter your Apple Account password and tap Erase iPad.
After the iPad restarts, follow setup and restore your data and settings from an iCloud Backup.
Use a Computer When the iPad Is Stuck
A Mac or Windows PC helps when the iPad cannot update or restore normally, gets stuck, or repeatedly starts Recovery Assistant. On Windows, use the official Apple Devices app.
Connect the iPad to the computer with USB and open Finder on Mac or Apple Devices on PC.
For an iPad without a Home button, press and quickly release the volume button closest to the top button, then press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
Hold the top button until the recovery mode screen appears.
For an iPad with a Home button, press and hold the Home button and the top button, release the top button when the iPad turns off, and keep holding Home until the recovery mode screen appears.
Locate the iPad on the computer and choose Restore when prompted.
After the restore completes and Hello appears, set up the iPad and choose From iCloud Backup. Resetting a forgotten passcode with a Mac or PC uses this same recovery mode procedure: turn off the iPad, connect it by USB, repeat the button sequence for your model until the computer-and-cable image appears, then choose Restore in Finder or Apple Devices. If the passcode screen appears instead, turn the iPad off and start again. If you cannot get the iPad into recovery mode at all, or you have no computer and cannot borrow one, contact Apple Support or go to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for help.
Erase a Lost iPad Before Restoring
Open the Find My app on another Apple device.
Tap Devices.
Select the lost iPad.
Scroll down and choose Erase or Erase This Device.
Complete the onscreen steps to erase the iPad.
When you recover the iPad or replace it, start setup and choose From iCloud Backup.
You can also erase from iCloud.com/find by signing in with your Apple Account, selecting the device, and choosing Erase This Device.
Once a remote erase actually runs, it cannot be undone. If the iPad is offline, the erase waits and starts the next time the iPad comes online, so you can still call it off if you find the iPad first: on iCloud.com/find, select the iPad and choose Stop Erase Request, or in the Find My app select the iPad and choose Cancel Erase, then enter your Apple Account password. Either way, Activation Lock stays on so your Apple Account credentials are required to reactivate the iPad.
Ignore Older Computer Restore Advice
This fixes confusion from older guides that make Finder, iTunes, Apple Devices, or Apple Configurator sound like direct iCloud-backup restore tools.
Use Finder on Mac or Apple Devices on Windows to erase or restore an iPad when a computer is needed.
Wait for the iPad to reach the Hello screen.
Continue setup until Transfer Your Apps & Data.
Choose From iCloud Backup on the iPad itself.
For a school or work-managed iPad, ask the organization whether iCloud Backup is allowed before erasing or restoring.
Managed devices can have iCloud Backup restricted, and organization setup can control whether settings from a backup are used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I restore an iPad from iCloud Backup without erasing it?
No. The iCloud Backup restore option appears during setup on a new or erased iPad, so an already set-up iPad must be erased first.
Can I restore an iCloud backup from Finder, iTunes, or Apple Devices?
No. Those apps can erase a device or restore local computer backups, but the iCloud Backup choice is made on the iPad during setup.
Why is my iCloud backup not showing up?
Tap Show All Backups on the Choose a Backup screen. Also make sure you signed in with the Apple Account that created the backup.
Can I restore an iCloud backup using cellular data?
No. Keep the iPad connected to Wi-Fi and power while restoring from iCloud Backup.