Short answer: open Settings › [your name] › iCloud, tap Storage (or Manage Account Storage), then Backups. Tap the old device and tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud. You lose only what's in that backup: the device's settings, Home Screen layout and app data, plus messages and photos that weren't syncing to iCloud. iCloud Photos, Messages in iCloud, iCloud Drive and anything else that syncs isn't part of the backup and isn't touched.
Steps
- Open Settings and tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud.
- Tap Storage (on some versions, Manage Account Storage), then tap Backups. Every device with a backup in your account is listed.
- Tap the device you no longer use. Check its name and the date of its latest backup so you pick the right one.
- Tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud, then Turn Off and Delete to confirm.
- Repeat for any other old devices, then go back to Settings › [your name] › iCloud to see the space freed.
- Shortcut on iOS 17 and later: Settings › [your name] › iCloud › Recommended for You can suggest old backups to remove.
What you lose, and what you keep
Apple's rule: an iCloud backup holds "the information and settings stored on your device that don't already sync to iCloud." So what you lose depends on what was syncing on that phone.
| Data | In the backup? | After you delete the backup |
|---|---|---|
| Device settings, Home Screen layout, app organization | yes | gone |
| App data for apps that don't sync elsewhere (games, some chat apps) | yes | gone |
| Apple Watch backup | yes, inside the iPhone backup | gone |
| Purchased ringtones, Visual Voicemail password | yes | gone from the backup |
| Messages | only if Messages in iCloud was off | gone if they weren't syncing |
| Photos and videos | only if iCloud Photos was off | gone if they weren't syncing or saved elsewhere |
| iCloud Photos, Messages in iCloud, iCloud Drive | no, they sync | kept |
| Notes, Contacts, Calendars with iCloud turned on | no, they sync | kept |
| Data that apps store in iCloud Drive | no | kept |
Before you delete: is it the only copy?
If the old phone used iCloud Photos and Messages in iCloud, its backup mostly holds settings and app data you won't miss. Be careful when the phone is lost or wiped and iCloud Photos was off on it: the photos it took may exist only inside that backup. The only way to get them out is to restore the backup to a device, so if you're not sure, leave it. Apple keeps a backup for 180 days after a device stops backing up or backup is turned off, then deletes it.
Delete a backup from a Mac or PC
- Mac: Apple menu › System Settings, click your name, then iCloud. Click Manage, select Backups, select a backup and click the remove button (–), then Delete.
- Windows: open iCloud for Windows, click Storage, click Backups, select a device and click Delete.
Make your current backup smaller instead
You don't have to delete the backup of the iPhone you use every day. In Settings › [your name] › iCloud › Storage › Backups, tap this iPhone and turn off apps you don't need backed up; Apple removes that app's data from the backup when you confirm Turn Off. If iCloud Photos is off, your photo library is part of the backup and is often the biggest item; it's listed as Photo Library on the same screen. Apple's options are to copy the photos to a computer and turn off Photo Library in the backup, or to upgrade your plan.
When backups aren't the problem
For most people, Photos takes far more iCloud space than backups. Deleting photos and videos with iCloud Photos on frees iCloud storage, and Spaceclear's iCloud Space lists your biggest items first and shows which ones are only in iCloud. Spaceclear can't see or delete iCloud backups; no app can, so use the steps above. More ways to make room: iCloud storage full?, iCloud storage plans and iPhone storage vs iCloud storage.
FAQ
Is it safe to delete old iCloud backups?
Yes, for a device you no longer use and whose data you don't need. Everything that syncs to iCloud, such as iCloud Photos and Messages in iCloud, stays in your account. Keep the backup if it's the only copy of photos or messages from a phone you no longer have.
Will deleting an iCloud backup delete my photos?
Not if iCloud Photos is on: those photos aren't in the backup. If iCloud Photos was off on that device, its photos are in the backup and go with it. Photos still on a device you have stay on that device.
Why can't I delete an iCloud backup?
Apple says a backup that's being used to restore a device can't be deleted. Wait for the restore to finish, then try again. If the device isn't listed under Backups, check that you're signed in with the Apple Account it backed up to.
Does deleting the backup turn off iCloud Backup?
Yes, for that device. If you delete the backup of the iPhone you're holding, it stops backing up to iCloud. Turn it back on in Settings › [your name] › iCloud › iCloud Backup.
How long does iCloud keep backups of old phones?
Apple keeps an iCloud backup for 180 days after you turn off iCloud Backup for a device or it stops backing up. After that, it's deleted automatically.
Updated 2026-11-14