Configure and observe automatic backups

Goal and requirements

Configure automatic backup for one device and observe an eligible job from start to finish. Automatic backup is Core functionality. Complete a first USB backup before enabling a schedule. If jobs will use Wi-Fi, also complete Wi-Fi validation.

A schedule controls when the application tries to start a job. It does not guarantee completion at a particular minute. When a backup wakes the phone, iOS may display a white passcode screen. Enter the device passcode when prompted; there is no need to unlock the phone in advance or keep its screen on. Automatic backup does not remove that authorization step.

Before you begin

Make sure the target device is online, no operation is running, the backup location has enough space, and you can respond to phone prompts during the window. Note the last successful backup time: a recent manual backup also delays the earliest eligible automatic backup.

These are the defaults for a new device. For an existing device, use the values saved in its settings.

Setting	Default	Meaning
Automatic backup	Off	After you enable and save this setting, the app checks the schedule and starts eligible backups
Backup window	18:00 to 06:00	Beijing time, across midnight; includes 18:00, excludes 06:00
Backup interval	24 hours	At least 24 hours since the last successful backup
Minimum battery	20%	A backup should not start below this level
Only back up while charging	On	The device must report that it is charging

Windows use Beijing time (UTC+8), regardless of your browser’s timezone. For example, 18:00 in the interface is 10:00 in a UTC+0 location. The window controls when new jobs start; a running job is not stopped merely because the window ends. Set different start and end times to avoid configuring the wrong backup window.

Battery and charging conditions also apply to “Back up now.” Turning automatic backup off does not bypass them.

Set an overnight schedule

1. In the Web UI , find the target device and open Backup settings . Check its name and connection type so that you do not change another device.
2. Set Backup window to 18:00–06:00 and Backup interval to Every 24 hours . This is an overnight example; adjust the window to a time when you can respond to phone authorization prompts.
3. Set Minimum battery to 20% and leave Only back up while charging on. On the phone , connect power, then check the charging state reported on its device card.
4. Keep Save location at the container path you have already validated, such as the default /backups. Do not move the backup directory as part of this schedule change.
5. Turn Automatic backup on and select Save settings . Wait for Settings saved ; the settings are saved only after the Unsaved changes indicator clears.
6. When no job is running, reopen the page and confirm that the window, interval, and switches retain their new values.

Observe the first automatic run

1. In the Web UI , check the last successful backup time. If a manual backup just finished and the interval is 24 hours, another backup will not start immediately even inside the window. Do not delete backups or edit historical timestamps to force a run.
2. At the next eligible window and interval, keep the device online and powered, and watch for authorization prompts. The app checks the conditions every 30 seconds by default, so jobs do not start at an exact second.
3. Wait for the device card to enter a backup state and authorize the operation on the phone if asked. To confirm the trigger, run docker compose logs --tail=200 iosbackup in the deployment directory and look for 自动备份触发 at the matching time. Remove device identifiers, addresses, and private paths before sharing logs.
4. Wait for an explicit Backup completed or failure state. On success, check the updated backup time and then inspect the read-only information under View backups.

If it does not start, fails, or needs to be paused

Symptom	Check and next action
No job at the expected time	Check the Beijing-time window, last success, interval, and whether the enabled switch was saved
Device is offline or removed	Reconnect it; removed devices are not scheduled. See Device management
Charging or battery conditions fail	Connect power and wait for the reported state to update; “Back up now” does not bypass these settings
Another operation is running	The default permits one backup job at a time. This check can be skipped and a later check can try again if eligible; there is no guaranteed queue order
Authorization wait ends in failure	Check the phone and State reference, address the cause, then retry when the device is available
Repeated failures	Turn automatic backup off and save, preserve the evidence, and follow Troubleshooting. Failure does not replace the last successful backup timestamp

To pause future automatic jobs, open Backup settings , turn Automatic backup off, select Save settings , and confirm the save. This does not cancel a running job or a job already undergoing its startup check. The current version has no backup cancel button; closing the browser does not stop the backup. Wait for the job to end before maintaining the device.

Re-adding a removed device preserves its settings. If automatic backup was on, a later scheduler check can start another job. To keep it disabled, turn it off and save before removing the device.

Next steps

Configure notifications for real success and failure events, and regularly protect the deployment instance. See Configuration reference for field ranges, concurrency limits, and the startup setting for the scheduler interval.