How to Delete Old Backups on iCloud

Here's how to delete old backups on iCloud: go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage (or Manage Account Storage) > Backups, select the device, then tap Delete Backup. On a Mac, use System Settings > iCloud > Manage > Backups instead.

What Happens When You Delete an iCloud Backup

Deleting a backup isn't just a storage cleanup — it also turns off iCloud Backup for that device. If you want future backups again, you'll need to turn the feature back on manually. One thing worth knowing upfront: a backup that's currently being used to restore a device can't be deleted while that restore is in progress. Apple blocks it outright. Every iCloud account starts with 5 GB of free storage shared across backups, photos, and files — according to Wikipedia, that starting allowance can be upgraded through several paid tiers.

Is It Safe to Delete an Old iCloud Backup?

This depends almost entirely on whether the device is still in your hands. If deleting backups feels riskier than it's worth, upgrading storage is the other option — Apple has expanded its iCloud+ plans over time, as reported by TechCrunch, to include tiers as large as 6TB and 12TB for people who'd rather keep everything than sort through it.

Backups for Devices You No Longer Own or Use

If the backup belongs to a phone you sold, traded in, or replaced years ago, deleting it is generally low-risk. In practice, most people never go back to restore from a backup of a device they no longer own — it's dead weight sitting in storage.

Backups for a Device You Currently Use

This is where people hesitate, and reasonably so. Deleting the backup for your current phone removes your most recent safety net if something goes wrong before the next backup runs. What's often overlooked here is timing — if you delete an active device's backup right before an update or a reset, you're briefly without a fallback. Waiting until a fresh backup completes first is the more cautious move.

How to Delete Old Backups on iCloud From an iPhone or iPad

The steps differ slightly depending on the device and how current the software is. Here's a quick reference before the full walkthrough.

Device	Menu Path	Final Action
iPhone or iPad (current software)	Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage or Manage Account Storage > Backups	Tap the device name, then Delete Backup
iPhone or iPad (older software)	Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups	Tap the device name, then Delete Backup
Mac	System Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage > Backups	Select the backup, then click the remove button

Newer iOS and iPadOS Versions

Open Settings, tap your name, then tap iCloud. Tap Storage or Manage Account Storage, then tap Backups. Tap the device with the backup you want gone, then tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud, and confirm.

Older iOS and iPadOS Versions

The path is nearly identical, just under a slightly different label. Open Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, then tap Manage Storage instead of Storage. From there it's the same: tap Backups, select the device, and delete.

How to Delete Old Backups on iCloud From a Mac

From the Apple menu, choose System Settings. Click your name, then click iCloud. Click Manage, then select Backups. Pick the backup you want gone and click the remove button. If you're asked whether to turn off backups entirely for that device, confirming removes all of its backup data from iCloud — not just the one snapshot.

How Long Deleted iCloud Backups Are Recoverable

Once you stop or disable backing up a device, that backup stays available for 180 days before it's gone for good. After that window closes, there's no getting it back. Worth remembering if you're on the fence about deleting something.

Turning Off Backup for a Specific App vs. Deleting the Entire Device Backup

These get confused a lot, and they're not the same thing at all.

Stopping an App from Backing Up

If one app is quietly eating storage — a messaging app with years of media, for instance — you can turn off backup for just that app without touching the rest of the device's backup. Go to Backups, tap the device, then switch off the app in question. Its existing data gets removed from iCloud, but everything else stays intact.

Deleting the Whole Device Backup

This removes the entire snapshot for that device — every app, every setting — not just one piece of it. It's the option to use when the backup itself is outdated or the device is retired.

How to Tell Which iCloud Backup Is Old or Outdated

When a Backups list shows several entries, the device name alone often doesn't tell you much — especially if you've owned two or three phones with similar names. Tapping into a backup usually shows the last backup date and its size, which is the clearest signal of relevance. A backup dated over a year ago, paired with a device you can't immediately place, is typically the one worth removing first.

Troubleshooting: Backup Won't Delete or Storage Doesn't Decrease

Two issues come up often enough to cover separately.

"This Backup Cannot Be Deleted at This Time"

Known Cause — Backup In Active Use for Restore

This message generally means the backup is currently being used to restore a device. Apple blocks deletion until that process finishes. Waiting and trying again afterward usually resolves it.

Storage Total Not Updating After Deletion

Confirmed vs. Unconfirmed Explanations

Apple hasn't published a specific explanation for why storage totals sometimes lag after a deletion. What's commonly reported by users is that the number updates within a short delay rather than instantly — but this is based on user reports, not confirmed technical documentation, so treat it as a general pattern rather than a guarantee.

Conclusion

Deleting old iCloud backups comes down to a short menu path on any device, but the details matter — what gets removed, how long you can undo it, and which backups are actually safe to let go of.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting an iCloud backup delete data from my phone?

No. It only removes the backup copy stored in iCloud. The data on your device itself stays exactly where it is.

Can I recover a deleted iCloud backup?

Only within the 180-day window after backup is disabled for that device. After that, it's permanently gone.

Why does my iCloud storage still show as full after deleting a backup?

This is usually a brief display delay rather than a failed deletion. If it persists well beyond that, the backup may not have fully deleted.

What's the difference between "Delete Backup" and "Turn Off and Delete"?

They're functionally the same action — both remove the backup and stop future backups for that device until you turn it back on.

Do I need to back up my data elsewhere before deleting an iCloud backup?

Not strictly, since your device's current data isn't affected. It's only worth doing if you specifically want an offline copy of that backup snapshot.