This is another well-known iCloud storage desynchronization issue, and what you’re seeing is not normal behavior, even though it’s unfortunately common after device migrations. The iPhone 12 backup was deleted at the user interface level, but the backup container itself was never fully released on Apple’s backend. As a result, iCloud storage still counts the backup space as used, even though the system simultaneously reports that no backups exist.
This usually happens when a backup is deleted while iCloud Backup is being turned off on the old device, or when the deletion process is interrupted or partially completed. From the user’s perspective, the deletion appears successful, but on Apple’s servers the backup metadata remains in a “detached” or orphaned state. This causes iCloud to reserve the space indefinitely, which prevents new backups from being created and blocks other services such as iCloud Photos from syncing.
That’s why your screenshots show contradictory information. One screen reports that there are zero devices backed up, while another still shows a significant portion of storage allocated to backups. iCloud is essentially stuck in an inconsistent state, where the backup index says nothing exists, but the storage ledger still holds the space.
Unfortunately, there is no way to fully remove an orphaned backup from the device side once this happens. Toggling iCloud Backup on and off, restarting devices, or waiting longer will not resolve it, especially since a month has already passed. At that point, the automatic cleanup window has clearly failed.
The only reliable solution is to contact Apple Support and request escalation to iCloud engineering. When you contact them, be very explicit and concise. Explain that an old device backup was deleted successfully, but the storage is still being counted, and that iCloud now shows zero devices backed up while still charging backup storage. Ask specifically for a “server-side removal of an orphaned iCloud backup container” or a “manual iCloud backup storage reconciliation.” Frontline support may not immediately recognize the issue, but iCloud engineering has the tools to remove the stuck backup safely without affecting your data.
Until Apple performs this backend cleanup, your iCloud storage will continue to appear full, and backups, Photos syncing, and other services may remain blocked. The good news is that once Apple clears the orphaned backup on their end, storage is usually restored instantly, and backups and photo syncing resume normally without further action on your part.
