My iPhone stuck on updating iCloud settings - How do I fix it?

Yesterday, I was trying to update the iOS software on my iPad. All went well. I went to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install. The download and then installation process started automatically. My device rebooted and I was following the setup wizard instructions. I was asked to enter my Apple ID and password to sign in.

Then my screen started showing Updating iCloud Settings and was stuck there for over an hour. This short article explains how I solved this problem.

You may experience this issue when you try to set up, restore, or update your iPhone or iPad.

Please note that if your device has a lot of photos, videos, documents, etc., this iCloud setup process may take a while.

FIXES: iCloud settings update

Here are some solutions you can try if this process is taking a long time.

Restart

The first thing you need to do is restart your device. To do this, press and hold the Power (Sleep/Wake) button until you see the slide to power off. Slide the slider and wait a few seconds. Now press and hold the power button until the Apple logo appears.

If your device got stuck again, this time skip the iCloud setup process. When prompted to set up iCloud, tap Skip. After the update is complete, go to Settings > iCloud and enter your Apple ID to turn on iCloud.

resume force

You can try to force restart your device. Don’t worry, you won’t lose anything. Here is how:

iPhone 7: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake (Power) and Volume Down buttons until the Apple logo appears.
Other iOS devices: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake (On/Off) and Home buttons simultaneously until you see the Apple logo.

Apple servers

Apple servers may be busy or down. If this is the case, you will have problems. But it’s not you. These problems are temporary and Apple fixes them.

Internet connection

Make sure you have an internet connection.

Make sure your router is turned on and you are not too far away from it.

Use iTunes to update

This requires a computer, Mac or Windows. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed on your computer. If not, update iTunes (iTunes > Help > Check for Updates). This is how you can update your device software: