How to Delete Old Backups on iCloud(iPhone, Mac & Web)

If your iCloud storage is running low, chances are old device backups are quietly taking up most of it.

This guide covers how to delete old backups on iCloud from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or a browser plus what you actually need to know before you start deleting anything.

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How to Delete Old Backups on iCloud (Quick Steps)

On an iPhone or iPad, the fastest way is Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups > select the device > Turn Off & Delete. That's it, for the most part.

But the "for the most part" is where people usually get stuck, because the same task looks a little different depending on which device you're sitting in front of.

How to Delete Old Backups on iCloud: iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings and tap your name at the top.
2. Tap iCloud, then tap Manage Account Storage (or just Storage, depending on your iOS version).
3. Tap Backups.
4. Tap the device whose backup you want gone.
5. Tap Turn Off & Delete from iCloud, then confirm.

This is the method most people land on first, since it's the device they're already holding when storage warnings appear.

Once confirmed, that device stops backing up to iCloud entirely not just the old backup, future ones too until you turn it back on.

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Delete Old iCloud Backups on Mac

1. Click the Apple menu, then System Settings.
2. Click your name, then iCloud.
3. Click Manage, then Backups.
4. Select the backup you want to remove and click the minus or remove button.
5. Confirm the deletion when asked.

Mac users sometimes assume this list only shows the current Mac's backup it doesn't. It pulls in backups from any iPhone or iPad tied to the same Apple Account, useful if you're clearing out several old devices at once.

Delete Old iCloud Backups on iCloud.com

1. Sign in at iCloud.com from any browser.
2. Open Account Settings (usually found under your name or a settings icon).
3. Scroll to the storage section and select Backups.
4. Choose the device backup to remove and delete it.

This route gets overlooked constantly, mostly because people don't think to check a browser when the problem is happening on their phone.

It's worth knowing about if your device itself is low on storage and you'd rather not open Settings on it at all.

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How to Tell Which Backup Is Actually Old

The backups list usually shows a device name and, next to it, roughly how large that backup is.

iCloud, according to Wikipedia, automatically backs up device data daily whenever the device is locked, charging, and connected to Wi-Fi, which is why the list can include several backups you didn't manually trigger.

What it doesn't always make obvious is the last backup date you may need to tap into the device entry to see it. As a general rule, anything tied to a phone or tablet you no longer own is safe to remove.

For a device you're still using, "old" usually just means outdated: it's been replaced by a more recent backup automatically, so the older one is redundant rather than useful.

What to Know Before You Delete a Backup

• It's permanent. Once deleted, that specific backup snapshot cannot be recovered. There's no Recently Deleted folder for this the way there is for photos.
• You can't delete a backup mid-restore. If a backup is actively being used to set up or restore a device, it's locked until that process finishes.
• There's a grace window, but it's narrow. A backup can remain accessible for up to 180 days after you turn off iCloud Backup for that device — but that isn't an undo option, and it isn't guaranteed to still be there when you check.

How Much Storage You Can Expect to Recover

This varies quite a bit, and any exact number is a guess. A backup loaded with photos and years of app data can run several gigabytes.

A lightly used device might only free up a few hundred megabytes. There's no way to know until you check the size listed next to that specific backup.

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Other Ways to Free Up iCloud Storage

If deleting old backups doesn't get you enough space, a few other levers exist:

• Turn off backup for specific apps you don't need preserved (Settings > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups > device > toggle apps off).
• Delete unused photos, videos, or large files stored separately in iCloud.
• Clear out old email or message attachments.
• Upgrade to iCloud+ if you'd rather add space than keep deleting things as reported by TechCrunch, plans now scale well beyond the original tiers, up to 6TB and 12TB for heavier storage needs.

Comparing the Three Deletion Methods

Conclusion

Deleting old iCloud backups is quick once you know where to look, whether that's your iPhone, a Mac, or iCloud.com. Just confirm the device and backup date first, since the deletion itself can't be undone.

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Is it safe to delete old iCloud backups?

Generally, yes especially for devices you no longer own or backups that have been replaced by newer ones. It's not safe if that backup is currently mid-restore.

Does deleting a backup delete data from my device?

No. Deleting an iCloud backup only removes the stored copy in iCloud. Everything currently on your phone or Mac stays exactly where it is.

Can I delete a backup from a device I no longer have?

Yes. As long as it's linked to your Apple Account, it will appear in the Backups list on any of your devices or on iCloud.com.

Will I stop getting backups after I delete one?

For that specific device, yes deleting its backup also turns off future backups for it. You can turn iCloud Backup back on afterward if needed.

Can I recover a backup after deleting it?

No. Once deleted, that backup snapshot is gone. There's no recovery folder for backups the way there is for photos.