How to Delete iCloud Backup of iPhone or iPad

Deleting iCloud backups may help you in getting some free cloud space back in your iCloud account. Apple allows you to delete iCloud backup right from your iPhone or iPad, from a Mac or even Windows machine. You can delete old iCloud backups or remove a new iCloud backup for any reason you have.

What is iCloud Backup?

iCloud backup is basically a copy of your data that you have on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch saved on Apple’s cloud storage service. Once you set up iCloud backup on your iOS device, iCloud automatically backs up all your important data, as long as your device is connected to a WiFi network and to a power source.

When you wipe clean your iPhone or iPad, switch or upgrade to another or newer model, an iCloud backup makes it a lot easier to bring your old data and configuration to your new iOS device.

What Does iCloud Back up?

Apple allows you to backup the following data on to your iCloud account:

• Your iPhone or iPad Settings
• Camera Roll Photos & Videos
• Notes created in the Notes app
• Messages, iMessage, and MMS
• Call history
• Purchase history of Applications and Games, Music, TV Shows, Books
• Apps Data
• Home screen and app organization
• Ringtones
• Apple Watch backups
• HomeKit configuration
• Visual Voicemail password (requires the SIM card that was in use during backup)

An iCloud backup does not include the information that is already stored in iCloud such as Contacts, Notes, Calendar, Mail, Bookmarks, Health data, iCloud Photos, Voice Memos, and the files stored in iCloud Drive.

Why Keeping iCloud Backup in a Good Thing?

When you have a backup of your iPhone or iPad data on iCloud, you can virtually take your data anywhere. You can access your iCloud backup from anywhere and restore your iOS device from anywhere using an iCloud backup. An iCloud Backup is particularly helpful for those who have multiple devices or use Accessibility options. iCloud keeps a backup of these settings and after restoring an iCloud backup onto a new device you do not have to manually set everything up again.

Why Delete an iCloud Back up?

Apple offers 5 GB of free iCloud storage. With iCloud keeping an up to date copy of your data in the cloud, the data may consume a considerable portion of your iCloud storage. So, you may need to free up your iCloud storage. Or perhaps you have sold your older iPhone or iPad model and have already restored the backup onto a newer iOS device and thus no longer need that particular iCloud backup. Or you just do not need a particular set of iCloud backups. Whatever the case, your ultimate target would be to delete iCloud backup and get some good amount of free space back in your iCloud account.

Here we are going to show you how to delete iCloud backup and clear some iCloud storage.

How to Delete iCloud Backup from iPhone or iPad

You can delete an iCloud backup right from your iPhone or iPad. Here is how to:

iOS 10.3 or newer versions:

1. Open Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on the [Apple ID] at the top. It should be displaying the name you had used to create your Apple ID.
3. Tap iCloud.
4. iOS 11 or newer: Tap Manage Storage under iCloud > Backups
   iOS 10.3: Tap iCloud Storage > Manage Storage.
   
5. Now select the name of the device whose backup you want to remove.
6. At the bottom, tap on Delete Backup.
7. Tap Turn off & Delete.

iOS 10.2 or earlier:

1. Launch Settings app.
2. Go to General > Storage & iCloud Usage.
3. Tap Manage Storage under iCloud.
4. Select the name of the device whose backup you want to remove.
5. Tap Delete Backup.
6. Tap Turn Off & Delete.
   

Deleting an iCloud backup of a device also turns off iCloud Backup of that iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

How to Delete iCloud Backup Using Mac

You can also remove iCloud backup of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch using your Mac.

1. Click Apple menu at the top-left corner.
2. Click on System Preferences.
   
3. Click iCloud.
   
4. Sing-in if prompted.
5. Click the Manage button at the bottom right corner of the window.
   
6. In the left pane, click Backups.
7. Select the backup you want to delete.
8. Click the Delete button as highlighted in the screenshot.
   
9. Confirm the backup deletion by clicking Delete in the pop-up.
10. Click Done.
    

How to Remove iCloud Backup Using Windows

Apple even allows Windows users to manage their iPhone and iPad backups that they have in the iCloud.

1. Download, install and launch iCloud for Windows:
   • Windows 10: Start Menu > All Apps > iCloud > iCloud app.
   • Windows 8.1: Start screen > Down Arrow (in the lower-left corner) > iCloud app.
   • Windows 8: Start Screen > iCloud Tile
   • Windows 7:  Start menu > All Programs > iCloud > iCloud.
2. Click on Storage.
3. From the listed items, select Backup.
4. Select your iPhone or iPad backup that you want to delete.
5. Click Delete to delete the iCloud backup.
6. Click Delete again to turn off Backup and remove all backups of that iPhone or iPad from iCloud. When you delete a backup, it turns off backup of that device.

The Down Side of iCloud Backup

Unfortunately, Apple currently does not allow you to selectively delete the parts of a backup. You either delete it or don’t! For instance, if you want to keep the text messages but want to delete the health data, iCloud back up does not offer any such option to date. You cannot even view your iCloud back up to see what’s inside. You can either complete delete a backup or use it to restore your iPhone or iPador setup and migrate data to another iOS device.

If you are looking for more space in your iCloud account but do not want to delete any backup or subscribe a paid option, you should consider selectively syncing apps data to iCloud.