Can I restore iPhone data from Mac backup after deleting iCloud backup?

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Can I restore iPhone data from Mac backup after deleting iCloud backup?

So, if I backup my phone via Mac and then I press “turn off and delete from iCloud” on iCloud backups in my iPhone settings and I erase the backup that’s stored on my phone (not the Mac) when I erase my phone, will I be able to restore the data from the backup I did on the Mac or will pressing turn off and delete also delete the backup that was made on the Mac?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: iPhone backup via Mac

iPhone 17 Pro Max, iOS 26

Posted on Jul 1, 2026 4:28 PM

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Answer 1

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6x6

Level 7

24,845 points

Jul 1, 2026 5:17 PM in response to Sg537

Your iCloud backup and Mac backup are independent. You can delete your iCloud backup without impacting your Mac backup.

I would also recommend that you archive some of your iPhone backups on your Mac. As a default, the Mac overwrites the latest backup. It may come in handy, especially after a major iOS upgrade, to have an archived backup made before the iOS update.

To archive iPhone backups, open Finder, connect your iPhone, click Manage Backups, right-click a backup and choose Archive.

If you use Time Machine to back up your Mac proper, this iPhone backup archiving may be redundant as your Mac-proper backup includes the iPhone backups.

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