Apple stops supporting and deletes iCloud backups on some older iPhone and iPad models

You can no longer use iCloud Backups on older iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 or earlier. Instead, backing up to iCloud now requires your device to be running iOS 9 or later. Apple has notified some customers of this change via email. New backups to iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 or earlier will no longer be supported, and Apple will also delete all existing ‌iCloud‌ backups for those devices.

This plan was scheduled to roll out on December 18, 2024. As a result, some users will find that backups created on their devices running iOS 8 or earlier are no longer available, as Apple has deleted them as part of this change. Don't worry; any app data, settings, and files you've manually uploaded to iCloud will remain intact.

From now on, older devices running iOS 8, such as the iPhone 4S, iPad 2, and iPod touch (fifth generation and earlier), will still work normally, but they can no longer back up and restore from iCloud unless they're updated to iOS 9 or later. If your device doesn't meet the hardware requirements for iOS 9, you can still back up manually to your Mac using the Finder or to your Windows PC using iTunes or the Apple Devices app.

If your device supports iOS 9, you can install the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update and following the instructions. You can also install the latest software for your device using Finder on a Mac or the iTunes or Apple Devices app on Windows.

It's worth noting that iCloud automatically deletes unused device backups. "If you turn off iCloud Backup for a device, any backups stored in iCloud will be retained for 180 days before being deleted," according to the iPhone User Guide.

According to Apple, ‌iCloud‌ backups for older devices are being discontinued to “better align” with Apple’s “published minimum software requirements.” With iOS 9, Apple adopted CloudKit for ‌iCloud‌ backups instead of the previous system, and it appears the company will now be phasing out the old backup system.