iCloud syncing pauses when Low Power Mode is on, the battery is low, you have poor connectivity, or iCloud storage is full. Turn off Low Power Mode and check your storage.
Why it pauses
- Low Power Mode is on.
- Low battery.
- Weak Wi-Fi or cellular.
- iCloud storage is full.
- Low Data Mode.
Fixes
- Turn off Low Power Mode.
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Check iCloud storage in Settings, tap your name, iCloud.
- Restart your iPhone.
- Sign out and in again.
Note
It resumes when the issue is cleared.
Reasons for pauses in numbers
The message “Syncing with iCloud paused” appears when iCloud cannot sync photos, notes or other data. Common triggers are Low Power Mode, low battery, poor Wi-Fi, no cellular data permission, low iCloud storage and iOS updates. iCloud provides 5 GB free storage per Apple Account, and plans go to 12 TB.
- Photos sync pauses when battery is below roughly 20 percent in some situations, or when the device is hot.
- Low Power Mode pauses background sync until it is turned off.
- Large libraries can take days to upload on slow connections.
Fixes
Plug the device in, connect to Wi-Fi, turn off Low Power Mode, and check Settings, your name, iCloud for storage. Under Photos, check that Cellular Data is enabled if needed. Sign out and in as a last resort, but make a backup first. Check Apple’s System Status page for outages. Make sure the device runs the latest iOS or iPadOS version.
Reasons for pauses
iCloud sync can pause because of low battery mode, poor network, full storage, or an Apple ID issue. The free plan includes 5 GB. Paid plans start at about 0.99 USD per month for 50 GB.
Fixes
Check Settings, iCloud storage, turn off low power mode, connect to Wi-Fi, sign out and in, and update iOS. Check Apple System Status.
Typical triggers
iCloud sync pauses when the device is in Low Power Mode, has poor connectivity, is low on iCloud storage (5 GB free), has iCloud Photos set to optimize, has paused sync after hardware changes, or when the Apple ID needs reverification. Syncing a large library of 50,000 photos can take days.
Steps to resume
Plug in the device, connect to Wi-Fi, turn off Low Power Mode, go to Settings, Photos and scroll to the bottom to see the Resume option, and keep the phone unlocked. Upgrade iCloud storage if full: 50 GB costs 0.99 USD, 200 GB costs 2.99 USD and 2 TB costs 9.99 USD per month in the US. Restart if it stalls.
Based on data from Apple Support
