Where are my old iCloud backups for other iPhones and iPads?

What happened to all my backups from other iPhones and iPads that I have backed up to iCloud in the past? I know I didn’t delete them and I have plenty of free space in my storage but I don’t see them listed there



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Where’s my old backups

Posted on Jan 10, 2026 8:09 PM

Reply
4 replies

Jan 10, 2026 9:19 PM in response to DH1GG1NS

"Where are my old iCloud backups for other iPhones and iPads?: What happened to all my backups from other iPhones and iPads that I have backed up to iCloud in the past? I know I didn’t delete them and I have plenty of free space in my storage but I don’t see them listed there"

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iPhone and iPad iCloud Backups Missing:

Did you ever turn off iCloud Backup on these? Has it been more than 180 days since doing so? If both are the case, then that is why they are missing.


  1. Go Here: View and Manage iCloud Device Backups – Apple Support
  2. As it Reads: "Note: If you turn off iCloud Backup for a device, any backups stored in iCloud are kept for 180 days before being deleted. You can also use your computer to back up your device. See the Apple Support article How to back up your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch."


Jan 12, 2026 1:11 PM in response to DH1GG1NS

DH1GG1NS wrote:

For some yes it has been more than 180 days but that’s why I upgraded my storage so that I could keep all my old backups. If I had known they would be deleted by someone else without my permission I would have saved them to my computer. Now I’m missing a lot of old texts that I thought was in a safe place.

If you were syncing texts through iCloud, they were never part of your backup in the first place. But, if you are syncing them through iCloud, you should still have access to them as long as you have retention set to "Forever."


I highly recommend archiving your messages to PDF or text files if they are important to you. I use iMazing. It's not free, but it works well.

Jan 11, 2026 9:18 PM in response to DH1GG1NS

For some yes it has been more than 180 days but that’s why I upgraded my storage so that I could keep all my old backups. If I had known they would be deleted by someone else without my permission I would have saved them to my computer. Now I’m missing a lot of old texts that I thought was in a safe place.

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Recovering Older Messages:

If you had Messages set up in iCloud settings on your iPhone, along with a Mac, then avoid being connected to the Internet when you power on your Mac (power off all routers, and unplug all Ethernet). Then, you can export them as XML or as PDF documents, through use of my User Tip: How to Save or Print a Complete iPhone Messages Thread: - User Tip


Learn From This:

Loss of data is something you would have agreed to, upon owning torn Apple Account (to which the Messages app is part of through iCloud settings).

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Where are my old iCloud backups for other iPhones and iPads?

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