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If you have an iPhone in your hand right now, chances are very high that you have accumulated a ton of sensitive and private data on it. Whether that's messages, voicemails, contacts, social media accounts, emails, photos and video, app and game data, settings, and everything else — it's a lot of stuff, and a pain if you lose it all when transferring to a new device or updating the operating system. That's why it is imperative to backup everything that is on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. One of the easiest ways to make sure you have a backup on your best iPhone and iPad is by using iCloud, at least, if you have one of the paid plans that offers you more than the measly 5GB that Apple gives for free. But even if you have 2TB of iCloud storage, that's still limited space that you have available, so you may need to do some housekeeping on it every now and then. If you've been using iCloud to backup your devices, especially if you have multiple iPhones and iPads, then those backups are taking up precious space. Here's how to view and delete old iCloud backups on your iPhone and Mac, so you can continue to have space for new backups in the future with less digital clutter. What is an iCloud backup?iCloud automatically backs up all of the data on your iPhone or iPad every day, as long as the device is connected to Wi-Fi, turned on, locked, and connected to a power source. This makes it easy to restore a device if you need to wipe it or set up a brand new iPhone or iPad with your existing data. Here's what gets backed up to iCloud:
All of this information can end up being quite big in size — most definitely more than the 5GB that Apple gives you for free. We definitely recommend taking a look at which iCloud storage plan works best for your needs first, though Apple's prices are pretty reasonable and competitive with other cloud services. Personally, I have used iCloud as my primary backup method for my iPhone for the past few years, and I have had zero issues. I find just having iCloud backup as an option to be well worth the cost, along with plenty of space for my iCloud Photo Library. Why it's good to keep your iCloud backupsHolding onto your iCloud backups means you get to take your data virtually anywhere, with the ability to access and restore your iPhone or iPad's data from just about anywhere as well. It's convenient for folks with multiple devices, especially those who rely on Accessibility settings, since you don't have to set everything up again manually. Why it's OK to delete iCloud backupsWhen someone mentions deleting a backup, you may look at them with a bewildered expression on your face and ask, "but why?!?" Relax, relax. I mean, if you have a backup on your best Mac or PC, then it's okay to delete one iCloud backup. You are backing up in more than one place, right? Get an iTunes backup of your iPhone or iPad going, then you can have a backup of your backup, just in case. And don't forget, if you turn iCloud backup on again, your device will still be backed up when you're connected to Wi-Fi, the device is locked, turned on, and connected to power. How to delete iCloud backups on your iPhone or iPad
How to delete iCloud backups on your Mac
Please backup your Apple devicesAgain, your iPhone has all of your most important data and memories, so we highly recommend making a backup so that everything is safe and sound. iCloud is one of the easiest ways to make sure that everything is automatically backed up every day, and it happens in the background so you don't usually need to worry about it (but you can always check it and do it manually too, just in case you need a very recent backup before updating iOS 16, for example). But remember, your backups will take space! That's why sometimes you'll need to delete older backups that you no longer need because chances are high that they're super out of date anyways. After all, why restore to a backup you made right before getting the latest iPhone, instead of the one you just made five minutes ago? No matter how you do it though, just don't ever be caught without a backup! Updated July 2022: These steps are still up to date with the latest versions of iOS and macOS Monterey. Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible. How do you find all the backups on iCloud?How Do I See What's in My iCloud?
How do I access old iCloud backups?How do I access old iCloud backups? View and manage iCloud backups on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. You see the devices with iCloud Backup turned on. To delete a backup, tap the name of a device, then tap Delete Backup.
How to find out if you have an iCloud backup?
How to initiate an iCloud backup?
How do I see last iPhone backup without phone?No other Apple mobile device? You can check to see if you have iCloud backups on a Mac. Just head to System Preferences —> iCloud —> Manage Storage. You'll be able to see the time and date of your recent backups in iCloud.
How can I tell when my iPhone was last backed up on my computer?Here's how to find your iCloud backups on your iOS or iPadOS device, Mac, or PC. On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch: Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. Tap Manage Storage, then tap Backups.. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.. Click iCloud.. Click Manage.. Select Backups.. How can I see when my last iCloud was?About This Article. Open your iPhone's Settings.. Tap iCloud.. Tap Backup.. Review Last Backup info.. Can you retrieve old iCloud Backups?Restore your device from an iCloud backup
Follow the onscreen setup steps until you reach the Apps & Data screen, then tap Restore from iCloud Backup. Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID. Choose a backup. Look at the date and size of each and pick the most relevant.
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