Nola3265

Q: How long does an iCloud back up last for in the iCloud?

So i've only been able to find that the back ups are deleted if you haven't updated in atleast 180 days, well what if you have updated in that time frame?

 

I ask this becasue i'm trying to restore a backup from last August, only 8 months ago. (I need text messages that have since been deleted). The iCloud has been updated 5-6 times since August, the last being in late Janurary so its defeinitly within the 180 day time frame the site says.

 

The back up was done on an iPhone 6 and I'm trying to restore it to an iPhone 5 (old phone I had that I could easily erase all data from and be ok with) but the oldest back up its giving me the option for is from October. The iCloud account was updated to 50gb of storage last Spring and shows it has plenty left so I know its not a storage issue.

 

I called Apple on Saturday and asked them this question and they said that the backups last a long time as long as the account has space, whch it does. They were not however able to provide an exact lenght of time but when I told the rep I needed one from August he said that shouldnt be an issue and hes seen backups older then that before.

 

So why can't I find it? Any help will be greatly appricated!

iPhone 6

Posted on Mar 28, 2016 10:21 AM

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Q: How long does an iCloud back up last for in the iCloud?

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  • by javaliga,

    javaliga javaliga Mar 28, 2016 11:25 AM in response to Nola3265
    Level 4 (3,531 points)
    iCloud
    Mar 28, 2016 11:25 AM in response to Nola3265

    I may be wrong, but even though iCloud backups are indeed kept for 180 days, my understanding is that iCloud only keeps the most recent backup per device.  See:

     

    Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

     

    So, if you have multiple devices (i.e., iPhone 42, iPhone 6S, iPad, etc), automatic iCloud backup will only keep one backup for each one of those devices even if you have enough storage for more.  Again, I may be wrong, but that is my understanding.

  • by Nola3265,

    Nola3265 Nola3265 Mar 28, 2016 12:03 PM in response to javaliga
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iCloud
    Mar 28, 2016 12:03 PM in response to javaliga

    I did read that too but I'm not sure what exactly that means. I say that because this appleID is only used for an iPhone 6 and an iPad mini and when I went to restore the phone I had multiple options from both devices. I had a total of 5-6 restore dates available to choose from, just not the one I needed.

  • by Nola3265,

    Nola3265 Nola3265 Apr 4, 2016 8:39 AM in response to Nola3265
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iCloud
    Apr 4, 2016 8:39 AM in response to Nola3265

    Any one else might have an answer to this? Seems like its a simple enough answer that I should be able to find it in the FAQ section or customer support should be able to tell me on the phone.