iPhone 6(S)/Plus iPhone 6S - Restoring from Backup Stuck at Time Reamaining: estimating...

[Captain_Edwin_C_Runch]

My phone is still restoring, so I'm reserving any excited disbelief until it's finally done. BUT, here's what I can say, especially to those whose phones are not being receptive to the "magic."

I was having the same problem everyone else was having, with it being stuck on "Estimating time remaining." I found this thread, started reading through it, got to page 3 (there are 16 total -- holy freaking crap I do not want to read through 16 pages of comments), it was still stuck on "Estimating time remaining" so I got impatient and unplugged my phone from the computer.

So, before I posted this, I had been backing up directly to my computer through iTunes, not via iCloud. I was also trying to restore my backup via iTunes and the manual backup that's saved on my computer. This wasn't working, and everyone on this thread was saying they were doing it from iCloud, so I thought, "maybe the magic only works for iCloud users." So after I unplugged from the restore (which restarts your phone automatically), I waited for my phone to start back up and then I plugged it in again to my laptop and changed my backup preferences to iCloud. Backed up via iCloud, then started restoring from that backup, came back to this thread, and it started restoring!! It was at "Estimating time remaining" only for a little while, and then it jumped to an hour, then 38 minutes, and at that point I got so excited I thought I should create an account here to post my disbelief. So I navigated away from this thread to create my account, and no joke, the time remaining on my restore immediately jumped UP to "about an hour." What the hell. So I quickly made my account, confirmed it, then came back to this thread and started reading again.

I'm on page 4 of the comments now, and as I was typing this comment the blue bar was moving, though the time remaining still said "about an hour." It literally just now jumped to 58 mins, then 52, then 53, then 54, now 51.

I am afraid to navigate away from this page. I'm posting this now and will update if/when it finishes.

But for those of you who are still struggling to get the restore to work, maybe try changing the way you're backing up your phone. That seemed to make a difference for me, at least.
[doublepost=1504470364][/doublepost]

My phone is still restoring, so I'm reserving any excited disbelief until it's finally done. BUT, here's what I can say, especially to those whose phones are not being receptive to the "magic."

I was having the same problem everyone else was having, with it being stuck on "Estimating time remaining." I found this thread, started reading through it, got to page 3 (there are 16 total -- holy freaking crap I do not want to read through 16 pages of comments), it was still stuck on "Estimating time remaining" so I got impatient and unplugged my phone from the computer.

So, before I posted this, I had been backing up directly to my computer through iTunes, not via iCloud. I was also trying to restore my backup via iTunes and the manual backup that's saved on my computer. This wasn't working, and everyone on this thread was saying they were doing it from iCloud, so I thought, "maybe the magic only works for iCloud users." So after I unplugged from the restore (which restarts your phone automatically), I waited for my phone to start back up and then I plugged it in again to my laptop and changed my backup preferences to iCloud. Backed up via iCloud, then started restoring from that backup, came back to this thread, and it started restoring!! It was at "Estimating time remaining" only for a little while, and then it jumped to an hour, then 38 minutes, and at that point I got so excited I thought I should create an account here to post my disbelief. So I navigated away from this thread to create my account, and no joke, the time remaining on my restore immediately jumped UP to "about an hour." What the hell. So I quickly made my account, confirmed it, then came back to this thread and started reading again.

I'm on page 4 of the comments now, and as I was typing this comment the blue bar was moving, though the time remaining still said "about an hour." It literally just now jumped to 58 mins, then 52, then 53, then 54, now 51.

I am afraid to navigate away from this page. I'm posting this now and will update if/when it finishes.

But for those of you who are still struggling to get the restore to work, maybe try changing the way you're backing up your phone. That seemed to make a difference for me, at least.

Update: Well, that was annoying. Good news is, the "restore" finished after 41 minutes. The bad news is, when it completed, I got a pop up message on the laptop saying that the phone couldn't restore because I don't have enough space on it. What a pain. Going to reset the whole thing and try restoring again. Will update again.

 

[Captain_Edwin_C_Runch]

My phone is still restoring, so I'm reserving any excited disbelief until it's finally done. BUT, here's what I can say, especially to those whose phones are not being receptive to the "magic."

I was having the same problem everyone else was having, with it being stuck on "Estimating time remaining." I found this thread, started reading through it, got to page 3 (there are 16 total -- holy freaking crap I do not want to read through 16 pages of comments), it was still stuck on "Estimating time remaining" so I got impatient and unplugged my phone from the computer.

So, before I posted this, I had been backing up directly to my computer through iTunes, not via iCloud. I was also trying to restore my backup via iTunes and the manual backup that's saved on my computer. This wasn't working, and everyone on this thread was saying they were doing it from iCloud, so I thought, "maybe the magic only works for iCloud users." So after I unplugged from the restore (which restarts your phone automatically), I waited for my phone to start back up and then I plugged it in again to my laptop and changed my backup preferences to iCloud. Backed up via iCloud, then started restoring from that backup, came back to this thread, and it started restoring!! It was at "Estimating time remaining" only for a little while, and then it jumped to an hour, then 38 minutes, and at that point I got so excited I thought I should create an account here to post my disbelief. So I navigated away from this thread to create my account, and no joke, the time remaining on my restore immediately jumped UP to "about an hour." What the hell. So I quickly made my account, confirmed it, then came back to this thread and started reading again.

I'm on page 4 of the comments now, and as I was typing this comment the blue bar was moving, though the time remaining still said "about an hour." It literally just now jumped to 58 mins, then 52, then 53, then 54, now 51.

I am afraid to navigate away from this page. I'm posting this now and will update if/when it finishes.

But for those of you who are still struggling to get the restore to work, maybe try changing the way you're backing up your phone. That seemed to make a difference for me, at least.
[doublepost=1504470364][/doublepost]

Update: Well, that was annoying. Good news is, the "restore" finished after 41 minutes. The bad news is, when it completed, I got a pop up message on the laptop saying that the phone couldn't restore because I don't have enough space on it. What a pain. Going to reset the whole thing and try restoring again. Will update again.

Update #2: Success! I don't think I'm going to attribute the successful restoration 100% to this thread, but I won't say it didn't help, either. And sorry to all the newcomers for extending this thread to its 17th page!

 

[Barb9068]

I had an unresponsive iPhone and restored/updating is now doing nothing. Help!!

 

[HurricaneIrma]

Duuuuuude, the magic ain't happening for me! I thought it was, but then, nah, nothing. It did progress from Time Remaining: Estimating to 1 hour and I broke into a giddy laugh. Now it's at 3 hours!! I created an account just to comment and no magic there. I've read 8 of 17 frikken pages of comments and can't do no more. Jeez Louise, I'm effed. Gonna wait for this damn hurricane to blow my ass outta the state.

 

[UrMomsNThem]

Please buddha of iPhone recovery make phone finish

 

[sibastad]

just to echo most of the previous comments, I was stuck on the "estimating" screen with no time, now its on 16 mins!!!
May the force be with you.......!!!!
UPDATE: almost 2 hours later its still on 9 mins!!??! PLEEEASE RESTORE!!

 

[MCStan]

Let me pray

 

[MCStan]

Need magic again....

 

[johnny5cinco]

Ok, so this is insane... Just got my new iPhone 8+, restoring from an iCloud backup, it was stuck at "1 Minute Remaining" for about 15 minutes. Found this thread, read to the bottom, and voila! The phone rebooted. WOW.

 

[mannjasman35]

I. do. not. believe. it.

I was erasing and restoring my phone after having it unlocked with my provider, and I have been having problems for FOUR frustrating hours. Multiple times it had an error pop up telling me it could not restore from iCloud backup, the verification codes would not send to my phone, and I was about ready to throw it through a window. I googled what to do as my final try, and I came upon this thread. Against my better judgement, because I usually do not believe this stuff, and I had nothing better to do, I read every single word of the thread. Not expecting to see anything, I looked down, and no word of a lie, it says 43 minutes. 43 minutes is better than it being stuck at "estimating" forever. Say a little prayer for my phone to the Apple Gods.

I AM ABSOLUTELY SHOOK. I SWEAR I THOUGHT THIS WHOLE MAGICAL THREAD THING WAS BS BUT AFTER I FINISHED READING IT I LOOKED DOWN AND MY PHONE SAID 3 MINUTES REMAINING. MADE AN ACCOUNT JUST TO SAY THIS. MAGIC IS REAL?!?!?!?!

 

[Seduisant]

My new DryPhone 8 restoration started relatively fast until getting to the 1 minute remaining point at which time I was very excited. It's now been an hour and it finely moved but in the wrong direction, 2 minutes remaining. I hope by sharing my experience, some of the magic will be cast upon me. Of course I had the same hope yesterday when I used the Find My iPhone app to locate my WetPhone 6 which is residing at the bottom of Lake Pontchartrain somewhere after the start and before this finish of a 40 mile sailboat race.

 

[normal person]

Ok people. I hope my comment will be the last. Cause honestly if this magic is to “read through every word”, then we really don’t want more than 17 darn pages to read do we. So many words. So little patience. Might as well go watch tv and wait the 5 hours. Takes way less effort. I’ve had no such success with the “magic” so far. I really do think it’s just down to doing stuff on the internet. Might bump it a bit to go faster, pull it’s socks up and whatnot. I’m just trying to backup my phone with iCloud cause I got a new iPad and I want my stuff on it. But the universe won’t have it. Anyhoo, magic or not, just go watch tv. ✌

 

[Drruchi]

Lol guys, this makes no sense at all. I was honestly just joking around with myself reading the article, I have been waiting for two hours on the estimating time remaining and as soon as I read through the thread, I went back up only to discover it jumped to 1hr, 50mins, 39mins and now 28mins within 2 minutes.

This is hilarious

I don’t understand this process . I am trying to solve this issue of freezing of restore process since last 3 hours .
[doublepost=1507566592][/doublepost]This can’t be a magic . If magic happens , why it’s not clicking on me . Trying to restore , sometime it shows disk space is not sufficient and another time after creating disk space , it’s stuck with near one hour remaining and then at 35 minutes . Oh my lord plz shower some blessings on me too

 

[otoz]

I literally made an account to say this actually worked for me after 4 hours of trying restore it and waiting at remaining time: estimating, for a good hour and a half. I just read a few posts starting from the first one and looked down shortly to see it move and say 2 hours, then dropped down to 1 hr, then 17 mins then 2 mins. It got stuck at 2 mins again so i opened this page again and it just completed the minute the page opened, and now it's all done with all my pics and same wallpaper and apps redownloading. thank you thread starter lol

 

[gav_el]

Really need some magic after the trouble my iPhone has caused me lately

A little backstory

My iPhone got smashed so I sent it to the phone repair company associated with my provider
they sent me my 5s replacement and I was able to restore from my iTunes back up with a minimum of effort. Less than a week later my charging cable stops working so while trying to figure out if the issue was the charger or the phone I discover my nice shiny refurbished iPhone had had water damage done to it (black stuff growing in the charging dock) I immediately called the repair company and they agreed to replace the device at no extra charge to me.

I've had that replacement now for less than a day and the restore refuses to complete. the progress bar freezes and the time increase exponentially, at one point yesterday it said it would take 30 hours to restore. suffice it to say I canceled that attempt but as I type this my time has gone from 1 hour to 4 and rising. I'm hoping posting here will help in some fashion.

 

[gav_el]

I literally made an account to say this actually worked for me after 4 hours of trying restore it and waiting at remaining time: estimating, for a good hour and a half. I just read a few posts starting from the first one and looked down shortly to see it move and say 2 hours, then dropped down to 1 hr, then 17 mins then 2 mins. It got stuck at 2 mins again so i opened this page again and it just completed the minute the page opened, and now it's all done with all my pics and same wallpaper and apps redownloading. thank you thread starter lol

I'm 2 hours in and currently waiting at 28 hours to go. 4 hours is now my new benchmark to see if anything happens

UPDATE its been 5 hours now and I'm on 63 hours remaining so I'm calling it quits

have I mentioned how much I despise the windoze OS

 

[akrehl]

SOS! Hoping posting works for me too...

 

[Olivia929]

Got mine down to 25 minutes and now it's going back up. It's at 29 now, so I'm hoping some of the magic will be restored after I post this.

 

[ColoArtist]

I think the magic comes from reading *any* threads on the MacRumors boards. ;^)

I did a restore on an iPhone 6 a few days ago. The time estimating indicated it would just take a few minutes to restore from iTunes. It seemed to stall out, but I thought I'd let it run and to kill some time started reading about iPhones and their accessories on the board.

When I did the restore started up again, but seemed to stall. I read some more messages and the restore bumped down a couple minutes more, finally finishing just as I was going though all the "which is bigger, the X or the Plus" threads.

Actually I think the time estimate is way, way off. The restoration taking much longer than the predicted time. Although that doesn't explain the ones where the process has stalled for hours. Maybe there really is magic in this thread. ;^)

 

[starvingwizard]

maybe it's because reading this whole thing takes like 5 hrs?

 

[temptemporary]

......

 

[heyylow]

Literally just made an account to attest to the magic. What is this wonderous place I have stumbled on?!!?!!?! My 6S Plus was completely frozen bc apparently I'd never backed up my phone to the cloud before. All I had was "estimating time remaining" for 45 minutes. Read pages 1-3 of this thread, then the last page, and looked down. 34 minutes left. Bless you, MacRumors.

 

[prabackar]

I use this page even for iOS updates which gets struck in the middle endlessly and it works!

 

[temptemporary]

......

 

[ccritchie05]

OK, this is weird. I'm an IT administrator, and I'd have to say that I'm not prone to "voodoo magic" tech solutions, but after I read through the whole first page of the thread the icloud update completed. I also had tried several other times. It's a bit of a Twilight Zone solution, but it worked for me. READ THE THREADS!