How to Fix iTunes Can’t Restore iPhone 12/11/XR/X
Jerry Cook
- Updated on 2020-10-26 to  Fix iPhone
“I couldn't restore backup from iPhone 6 to iPhone X using iTunes. All devices are using the same iOS. It says "iTunes could not restore the iPhone because the backup was corrupt or not compatible with the iPhone that is being restore.”
-Apple Discussion
Before you start to restore iPhone X, you need to check:
- 1. Make sure you are running the latest version of iTunes.
- 2. If iDevice is well connected via a lighting cable
- Part 1. iTunes Cannot Restore Backup to iPhone X/8
- Part 2. iPhone X Restore Failure Due to iPhone Stuck/System Crash
Part 1. iTunes Cannot Restore Backup to iPhone 12/11/XR/XS/X
iTunes is a general tool when talking about restoring iPhone. Here are some common problems when restoring with iTunes and fixes.
1. iTunes Backup Is Corrupt or Incompatible
If you are unable to restore iPhone/iPad from iTunes backup with a pop-up message saying that "the backup was corrupt or not incompatible", you can try to resolve it by deleting the broken iTunes backup. Follow the steps:
- Locate the iTunes backup file on your computer
On Windows: Type %appdata% in the search bar and press Return then click Apple Computer > MobileSync > Backup
On Mac: Type ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ in the menu bar or press Option button and click Go to open the library. - Copy backup files to Desktop
- Run iTunes and click Edit>Preference>Device
- Select all the backup files listed and click Delete Backup
- Copy and paste the backup files from the Desktop to the Backup folde
- Retry to restore your iDevice.

If iPhone X cannot restore from iTunes backup after all these steps proceed, you can create a new iPhone 6/6s backup with UltFone iOS Data Manager, which will enable you to restore iPhone X from backup without iTunes.

2. Forgot iTunes Backup Passcode
One situation you may get into is that iTunes cannot restore iPhone because password is incorrect/locked passcode. If you have encrypted backup files and accidently forgotten the backup password, you can use UltFone iPhone Backup Unlocker to remove the passcode first and restore iPhone X/8/7 from iPhone 6/6s backup later.

Part 2. iPhone X Won’t Restore Due to iPhone Stuck/System Crash and Fixes
If you can’t restore backup on iPhone X, another cause is iPhone stuck or corrupt iOS system. Here are some general symptoms:
- iPhone X stuck in screen of death
- iPhone X won’t restore after update
- iPhone X not recognized by iTunes
An iOS system recovery tool, UltFone iOS System Repair can fix them. It can fix all iOS stuck without losing data, such as iPhone stuck in recovery mode/DFU mode/Apple logo/black screen/blue screen etc. It will upgrade your iPhone/iPad to the latest iOS system.
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Step 1 Choose Repair Operating System feaure from the main interface, and connect your iPhone to computer with Apple original cable.Click Fix Now to start.
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Step 2 Before repairing iOS, you need to download or import the iOS firmware package. Please note that this software will update the iOS to the latest version after repairing. Therefore, we recommend that you download the firwmare package online to ensure it is up to date.
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Step 3 With the firwmare package, you can click Start Repair to start fixing iOS system. This process takes a few minutes.
Bottom Line
That’s all for the causes and fixes of iPhone X not restoring from backup. Hope you can find the solutions provided above to resolve “cannot restore backup from iPhone 6/6s to iPhone X” issue accordingly. If you have any other problems, please leave us a message.