How to Delete Old Backups on iCloud (iPhone, iPad, Mac & iCloud.com)

Running out of iCloud storage? Old backups are usually the biggest culprit. To delete old backups on iCloud, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups, select the backup you want to remove, and tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud.

Quick Answer: Delete an Old iCloud Backup in 3 Steps

You don't always need to read an entire article. If you just need to get it done:

Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name, then tap iCloud
Tap Manage Account Storage, then tap Backups
Select the backup you want to remove, tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud, then confirm

That's it. The backup is gone and storage is freed up immediately — though iCloud may take a few minutes to reflect the updated number.

What an iCloud Backup Actually Contains — and Why Old Ones Pile Up

What's Inside an iCloud Backup

An iCloud backup isn't just one file. As noted on the iCloud Wikipedia page, iCloud enables users to store and sync data across devices including settings, backups, and files — and the backup component specifically captures device settings, app data, messages, home screen layout, and your photo library if you're not using iCloud Photos separately. Think of it as a snapshot of your entire device at a specific point in time.

What's often overlooked is the difference between a device-level backup and app-level backup toggles. A device backup captures nearly everything on your phone. App-level toggles, on the other hand, let you control which individual apps contribute data to that backup. These are two separate things — and confusing them leads to a lot of unnecessary storage anxiety.

Why Multiple Old Backups Build Up

Every device connected to your Apple ID can create its own backup. When you upgrade to a new iPhone, the old phone's backup doesn't disappear automatically. It just sits there. Same with an iPad you stopped using two years ago, or a device you gave to a family member.

On top of that, iCloud retains backups for 180 days after you stop using or disable iCloud Backup on a device. So even devices you've long forgotten about may still have active backups consuming your storage.

In practice, most people discover they have three to five old backups when they first check — and at least two of them are from devices they no longer own.

Backup Source	Typical Size	Safe to Delete?
Old iPhone (no longer in use)	2–5 GB	Yes
iPad you stopped using	1–4 GB	Yes
Device you sold or gave away	1–5 GB	Yes — recommended for privacy
Current iPhone (most recent)	2–6 GB	No — keep this one
Device currently being restored	Varies	No — cannot be deleted

Before You Delete — Four Things to Check

Deleting a backup is permanent. There's no recovery option once it's gone. So before you tap confirm, run through these quickly.

Check 1: Look at the backup size. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups. Each backup listed shows its size. Know what you're deleting.

Check 2: Match the backup to a device. The backup list shows device names and the date of the last backup. If a backup is labeled "iPhone X" and your current phone is an iPhone 15, that old backup is almost certainly safe to remove.

Check 3: Confirm your current device has a recent backup. Before deleting anything, make sure your active phone's backup is current. You don't want to accidentally remove the only copy of something you still need.

Check 4: Understand what deletion does. Deleting an old iCloud backup removes that backup file from iCloud storage permanently. It also turns off iCloud Backup for that specific device going forward. It does not delete any data currently on your physical device.

One more thing worth knowing: if a backup is currently being used to restore a device, you won't be able to delete it. The option will be unavailable until the restore is complete.

How to Delete Old iCloud Backups on iPhone or iPad

Step-by-Step Instructions

Open the Settings app
Tap your name at the top
Tap iCloud
Tap Manage Account Storage (or Storage on older iOS versions)
Tap Backups
Tap the name of the device whose backup you want to delete
Tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud
Tap Turn Off and Delete again to confirm

The backup is removed from iCloud and iCloud Backup is disabled for that device.

What "Turn Off and Delete" Actually Means

This label trips people up. It doesn't mean your current data is deleted. What it does:

Removes the selected backup file from iCloud
Turns off iCloud Backup for that specific device
Leaves the data on your physical device completely untouched

If you later want to resume backups for your current device, go back to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and turn it back on.

Deleting Backups from Devices You No Longer Own

Follow the same steps above — just select a different device from the Backups list. If you sold or gave away a device, deleting its backup is worth doing not just for storage reasons, but for privacy.

As reported by TechCrunch, iCloud backups store the majority of a person's device data, including messages, photos, and app data — which means an old backup tied to a device you no longer own is a data footprint worth cleaning up.

How to Delete Old iCloud Backups on Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner
Select System Settings
Click your name, then click iCloud
Click Manage
Select Backups from the left sidebar
Click the backup you want to remove
Click the remove button (–) and confirm when prompted

The confirmation dialog will ask if you want to delete the backup and turn off iCloud Backup for that device. Confirm to proceed.

How to Delete Old iCloud Backups via iCloud.com

This method is useful if you're managing storage from a browser or don't have your device handy.

Go to icloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID
Click your account name or profile icon in the top-right corner
Select iCloud Settings or Manage Storage
Click Backups
Select the backup you want to delete
Click Delete and confirm

Changes reflect across all your devices once the deletion is processed.

Use "Recommended for You" to Spot Backups Worth Deleting (iOS 17 and Later)

If you're on iOS 17 or later and your storage is running low, Apple surfaces a feature called Recommended for You directly in iCloud settings. It identifies old or oversized backups — and other storage hogs — so you don't have to hunt manually.

Path: Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Recommended for You

Worth knowing: this section only appears when your storage is close to full. If you're not seeing it, your storage may not have hit the threshold yet — use the manual Backups path instead.

Reduce Backup Size Without Deleting the Entire Backup

Sometimes you don't want to wipe a full backup — you just want to trim it. You can do that by turning off backup for specific apps.

Turn Off App-Level Backups

Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups
Tap your current device name
You'll see a list of apps contributing to the backup with their sizes
Toggle off any app you don't need backed up

One important detail: when you toggle off an app, its existing backup data is removed from iCloud immediately. It doesn't wait until the next backup cycle.

Games, streaming apps, and apps that store data on their own servers are usually safe candidates to turn off.

Full Backup Deletion vs. App-Level Toggle — What's the Difference?

Action	What Gets Removed	Storage Recovered	Reversible?	Best Used When
Delete entire backup	Full device backup file	High	No — backup must be recreated	Old/unused device
Toggle off app backup	That app's backup data only	Moderate	Yes — toggle back on anytime	Current device, specific apps

When You Can't Delete an iCloud Backup

A few scenarios where deletion won't work as expected:

Backup is greyed out or unselectable: The device is currently in the middle of a restore. Wait until the process finishes.

"Turn Off and Delete" option isn't appearing: You may be signed into a different Apple ID than the one associated with that backup. Confirm you're signed into the correct account.

Storage number isn't updating after deletion: This is normal. iCloud storage figures can take a few minutes — sometimes longer — to refresh after a backup is deleted. Force-close Settings and reopen if it's been more than five minutes.

After Deleting — Three Things to Do

Confirm iCloud Backup is still active on your current device. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and check that it's toggled on.
Run a manual backup. Tap Back Up Now to create a fresh backup of your current device.
Check your updated storage. Go to Manage Account Storage to confirm the space has been recovered.

How Often Should You Review iCloud Backups?

Every three to six months is a reasonable cadence for most people. The clearest trigger events are: upgrading to a new phone, selling an old device, or getting a storage-full notification.

iCloud Plan	Storage	Monthly Cost (approx.)	Good For
Free	5 GB	$0	Light users, single device
iCloud+ 50 GB	50 GB	$0.99	Most iPhone users
iCloud+ 200 GB	200 GB	$2.99	Families or heavy photo users
iCloud+ 2 TB	2 TB	$9.99	Power users, large libraries

If you find yourself cleaning up storage every month just to stay under the free 5 GB limit, upgrading to the 50 GB plan for under a dollar a month is often more practical than the ongoing manual effort.

Conclusion

Deleting old iCloud backups is straightforward once you know what you're looking at. The key habit: check your backup list after any device upgrade, remove what you no longer need, and verify your current backup is still active. Ten minutes of cleanup every few months keeps storage from becoming a recurring problem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Will deleting an old iCloud backup delete data on my current iPhone?

No. Deleting an old backup only removes that backup file from iCloud. Data on your physical device is not affected in any way.

Q2: Can I recover a backup after deleting it from iCloud?

No. Once deleted, an iCloud backup cannot be recovered. Make sure you've confirmed your current device is backed up before removing anything.

Q3: What's the difference between deleting a backup and turning off iCloud Backup?

Turning off iCloud Backup stops future backups but leaves existing ones in iCloud. Deleting a backup removes the stored file permanently and also turns off backup for that device.

Q4: Can I delete a backup for a phone I no longer own?

Yes, and it's recommended. Go to Settings > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups, select the old device, and delete. This also protects your privacy.

Q5: How do I know which iCloud backup is the most recent?

In the Backups list under Manage Account Storage, each backup shows the device name and the date it was last created. The most recent date is your current backup.