Apple to delete iCloud backups synced from iPhones based on iOS 8 and prior

To continue using iCloud backup, users must update their iPhone or iPad to iOS 9 or later. Alternatively, manual backups can be taken on a Mac or PC

Apple has announced that starting December 18, iCloud backups will no longer be available for devices running iOS 8 or earlier. According to an update on Apple's support page, users with older devices will be unable to create new iCloud backups, and existing backups for such devices will also be deleted unless they upgrade to a newer iOS version.

 

Apple has clarified that while the data, apps, and content on affected devices will remain intact, users will need to update to iOS 9 or later to continue using iCloud Backup. For those unable to update, Apple recommends taking a manual backup to a Mac or PC using Finder or iTunes.

How to manually backup with Finder in macOS

• Ensure that your Mac is running on macOS Catalina or later.
• Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac with a USB cable.
• On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a window in the Finder.
• Select your device from the list in the sidebar of the window.
• At the top of the Finder window, click General.
• Select “Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.”
• To encrypt your backup data and protect it with a password, select “Encrypt local backup.”
• Click Back Up Now.

How to manually backup with Apple Devices or iTunes in Windows

• Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer with a USB cable.
• On your computer, open Apple Devices or iTunes, then click the Device button.
• Click Summary.
• Click Back Up Now (below Backups).
• To encrypt your backups, select “Encrypt [device] backup," type a password, then click Set Password.