What Happens If You Delete An iCloud Backup? Edited Aug 2024

Data is an essential asset, but it needs ample storage space. If your data volume is significant or your storage is limited, you might quickly exhaust your capacity. On iPhones and Macs, you can use iCloud backups to store and access your data later.

However, in terms of making room for more data, what happens when you delete a backup from iCloud? If you are to delete old iCloud backups to create more room, you need to be careful.

This guide explains how to simplify cloud storage. Once done, you will fully understand the contents of an iCloud Backup and know how to prevent accidentally deleting valuable items from your phone’s storage.

Deleting or turning off iCloud backup will cause you the following issues.

• Data Loss: Deleting a backup erases the copy of stored backup data and eliminates any chance of its recovery.

• Loss of Access to Previous Device States: You won’t be able to restore your devices to a previous state using the deleted backup.

You can delete the backups to create additional space for critical data or because you no longer need those files. However, to ensure you do not face any issues in the future, consider the following points before deleting backups on iPhone.

• Recent Backup Availability: To avoid losing important data, store a recent backup elsewhere, like on a computer or another cloud service.

• Backup Contents: Review the backup’s contents, such as photos, contacts, and app data, to ensure you won’t lose anything essential.

• Space Management: Deleting a backup can free up iCloud storage, but what if you upgrade your storage plan instead?

• App-Specific Data: You do not need to back up apps like Facebook, Messenger, or LinkedIn. You can access your data by logging into these apps. Therefore, it is safe to delete backups of such apps.

• Potential Recovery Issues: Remember that once you delete old iPhone backups, they are gone forever. Ensure you won’t need this data for any future restores.

• Device Synchronisation: Consider how deleting the backup might affect synchronisation across your devices, primarily if you rely on iCloud for seamless access on multiple devices.

Deleting an iCloud backup might be necessary in various scenarios. Here are some everyday situations where you might consider doing this:

• Running Out of Storage: When you do not have enough iCloud storage space for additional data storage.

• Security Concerns: Deleting a backup can be a precaution if you suspect someone is compromising your data or you no longer trust its security.

• Data Management: Sometimes, you might want to start fresh with a new backup if you’ve made significant changes to your data or settings and want to ensure that your latest backup reflects these changes.

If you are wondering why are backups taking up space more than expected, then it is time to check the storage size of each app in your iCloud settings.

Many apps, including social media apps, have iCloud backups enabled unnecessarily. Additionally, for photos and videos, you should use external hard drives or a Google account, which offers way more storage space than iCloud, which offers limited storage for free. Consider turning off iCloud backup for such apps to create room.

Now that we know what you must consider before deleting an iCloud backup, let’s see how to do it on different platforms.

For deleting iCloud backup for iPhone, iPad, or iOS devices like iPad, refer to the following.

1. Turn on your iPad, then go to “Settings“, press “AppleID” 

2. Tap on “iCloud“.

3. Tap on “iCloud backup”.

4. Tap on the Device Name whose backup you want to delete.

6. Tap on Delete & Turn Off Backup 

7. Finally Tap on Turn Off.

Doing so will delete your iCloud backup and turn the service off for your mobile device. You can turn it back on later if you so desire by visiting your iCloud settings. Or you can also cancel iCloud storage.

1. Click the Apple menu and go to  System Settings/System Preferences

2. Click on iCloud.

3. Click on Manage.

4. Click on Backups

5. Click on Delete documents & data

6.  Select Delete on prompt message. 

With this, you can delete your iCloud backup successfully using your Mac computer.

Now, let’s learn how to delete data from iCloud from a Windows platform.

1. Open iCloud App on your Windows PC and Click on Storage.

2. Click on Backup.

3. Select any one of the backups you see in the list of backup that you wants to delete.

4. Click on Delete again for confirmation.

With this, you will have deleted your iCloud backup on your Windows PC.

Understand that recovering a deleted iCloud backup is only sometimes feasible. Explore these options:

• No Recovery: Deleted backups may be irretrievable.

• Alternative Backups: Restore from another available backup if possible.

• Third-party Data Recovery Tools: Consider using such tools, but be aware of their limitations and associated risks.

Here are some alternatives to deleting iCloud backups:

• Exclude Specific Apps: Go to iCloud settings and choose which apps to back up. Removing unnecessary apps from the backup will significantly reduce its size.

• Delete Old Device Backups: If you have backups from old devices, consider deleting those instead of your current ones.

• Increase Storage: Upgrade to a higher iCloud storage plan to accommodate more backups without deleting anything.

• Use a Computer or External Drive: Download your iCloud backup and store it on an external hard drive or your computer to free up iCloud space while keeping your data secure.

• Switch to Google Drive or Dropbox: Consider using other cloud services to back up data that can quickly reduce space, like photos and videos. With a free Google account, you get 15 GB of free storage, which you should utilise to create storage capacity for iCloud. Keep iCloud for essential data of a smaller size.

• Local Backups: Use iTunes or Finder to create a device backup on your computer. This way, you can delete the iCloud backup without losing your data.

These alternatives allow you to manage your iCloud storage more effectively.

When you delete backups from iCloud, the possibility of recovering files depends on the data you’ve deleted and what you aim to restore.

When you delete iCloud backup, some files are not recoverable. However, you can recover files, Safari bookmarks, and Calendar after deleting them within 30 days. Additionally, you can also restore Contacts.

• Login into your iCloud account.
• Click on the top right profile icon and select iCloud Settings.
• From there, click the Data Recovery tab.
• Select the data you want to restore.

The iCloud Drive allows you to recover specific files after you delete them.

• Launch your web browser and log into your iCloud account.
• From the Quick Access icon at the top right, click on Drive.
• Click on the Recently Deleted option.
• Select the files you want to recover and proceed.

In summary, managing iCloud backups optimises your storage space while safeguarding essential data. While deleting backups can free up space, weighing the potential data loss and ensuring you have recent backups elsewhere are crucial.

Consider alternatives like optimising backup settings, upgrading your iCloud storage plan, or using other cloud services to manage your data better. By understanding these options and taking careful steps, you can balance storage efficiency and data security.