iPhone 8/Plus iCloud backup

[joeblow7777]

Out of curiousity, why does the device have to be locked in order for automatic backups to initiate?

I understand why it must be plugged in (to ensure it doesn’t die during the backup process, and I suppose also to not unknowingly drain your battery while you think your phone is idle), and I understand why it has to be connected to wifi (so as not to use up mobile data), but why does it matter if the phone is locked or in use?

 

[revmacian]

Out of curiousity, why does the device have to be locked in order for automatic backups to initiate?

I understand why it must be plugged in (to ensure it doesn’t die during the backup process, and I suppose also to not unknowingly drain your battery while you think your phone is idle), and I understand why it has to be connected to wifi (so as not to use up mobile data), but why does it matter if the phone is locked or in use?

I wonder if it has to do with Apple not wanting the device to appear a little laggy if you're in the middle of a task. If you're manually initiating a backup then I would think the user would expect the device to be working on something in the background. But, this is just a guess.

Oh, and I feel the wifi requirement should be an option because some mobile carriers do offer unlimited data.

 

[akash.nu]

I wonder if it has to do with Apple not wanting the device to appear a little laggy if you're in the middle of a task. If you're manually initiating a backup then I would think the user would expect the device to be working on something in the background. But, this is just a guess.

Yes this. UI takes a hit if a heavy operation like backing up is going on in the background. Also, Apple wants to avoid the - read/write during backup - issue by letting people use the device.

Oh, and I feel the wifi requirement should be an option because some mobile carriers do offer unlimited data.

Mobile data is not a good stable option that might create unwanted complications & a corrupted backup.

 

[joeblow7777]

I wonder if it has to do with Apple not wanting the device to appear a little laggy if you're in the middle of a task. If you're manually initiating a backup then I would think the user would expect the device to be working on something in the background. But, this is just a guess.

Yes this. UI takes a hit if a heavy operation like backing up is going on in the background. Also, Apple wants to avoid the - read/write during backup - issue by letting people use the device.

I suppose that might be it, though I've often manually initiated backups while using my phone and not noticed any decrease in performance. Then again, I have an 8 Plus, so maybe older devices would take a more noticeable performance hit.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

I suppose that might be it, though I've often manually initiated backups while using my phone and not noticed any decrease in performance. Then again, I have an 8 Plus, so maybe older devices would take a more noticeable performance hit.

I’ve initiated a backup manually on my 6S and X with no noticeable performance loss either.

 

[akash.nu]

I suppose that might be it, though I've often manually initiated backups while using my phone and not noticed any decrease in performance. Then again, I have an 8 Plus, so maybe older devices would take a more noticeable performance hit.

I’ve initiated a backup manually on my 6S and X with no noticeable performance loss either.

I’ve actually noticed this on my 6 and 8 Plus. Haven’t tried on the Xs max though, but then the backups are generally delta updates & all of my devices gets backed up every night anyway.

 

[now i see it]

It's probably a design choice to trigger an automatic backup by having the screen locked. It's a way of ensuring that the phone is idle before the auto backup begins. Not happening during a phone call etc. It certainly didn't have to be like that, but someone over at headquarters thought it was a good idea so they stuck with it.