Is your iPhone running out of storage space? Are you getting those annoying "storage full" notifications? One often overlooked culprit might be old iOS backups taking up precious space on your device. In this guide, I'll walk you through the step-by-step process of deleting old backups in iOS 8 on your iPhone or iPad, helping you reclaim valuable storage space.

Why You Should Delete Old iOS 8 Backups

Before we jump into the deletion process, let's understand why managing your backups is important:

• Free up storage space on your device
• Improve device performance
• Remove outdated and unnecessary data
• Prevent storage-related errors and issues
• Make room for new backups of your current data

iOS 8 automatically creates backups of your device, either to iCloud or your computer through iTunes. Over time, these backups can accumulate and consume significant storage space, especially if you've had your device for a while.

Checking Your Current Storage Usage

Before deleting any backups, it's helpful to check how much storage they're actually using:

Checking Storage on Your iPhone/iPad

1. Open the "Settings" app on your iOS 8 device
2. Tap on "General"
3. Select "Usage"
4. Wait for the storage information to load
5. Review the list of apps and data using your storage

This overview will help you understand how your device storage is being used and whether backups are a significant factor.

How to Delete iCloud Backups in iOS 8

If you're using iCloud to back up your device, here's how to delete old backups:

Method 1: Delete iCloud Backups Directly from Your Device

1. Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone or iPad
2. Tap on your Apple ID/iCloud name at the top of the settings menu
3. Select "iCloud"
4. Tap on "Storage" or "Storage & Backup"
5. Select "Manage Storage"
6. Under the "Backups" section, you'll see a list of devices that have backups stored in your iCloud account
7. Tap on the device name whose backup you want to delete
8. Tap "Delete Backup" at the bottom of the screen
9. Confirm by tapping "Turn Off & Delete" when prompted

Remember that once you delete a backup, you can't recover it. Make sure you don't need the backup before deleting it. Consider creating a fresh backup of your current device state before removing old ones.

Method 2: Disable iCloud Backup to Prevent Future Backups

If you want to stop your device from creating new iCloud backups:

1. Open "Settings" on your iOS 8 device
2. Tap on your Apple ID/iCloud name
3. Select "iCloud"
4. Tap on "Storage & Backup" or just "Backup"
5. Toggle off "iCloud Backup"

This will prevent your device from creating automatic backups to iCloud, but won't delete existing ones. You'll need to follow Method 1 to remove those.

How to Delete iTunes Backups in iOS 8

If you back up your device to your computer using iTunes, the process to delete old backups is different:

Deleting iTunes Backups on a Mac

1. Open iTunes on your Mac computer
2. Click on "iTunes" in the menu bar
3. Select "Preferences"
4. Click on the "Devices" tab
5. You'll see a list of all device backups stored on your computer
6. Select the backup you want to delete
7. Click "Delete Backup"
8. Confirm your choice when prompted

Deleting iTunes Backups on a Windows PC

1. Open iTunes on your Windows computer
2. Click on "Edit" in the menu bar
3. Select "Preferences"
4. Click on the "Devices" tab
5. You'll see a list of all device backups
6. Select the backup you want to remove
7. Click "Delete Backup"
8. Confirm your choice when prompted

Finding and Deleting iTunes Backup Files Manually

If you prefer to delete the backup files directly from your computer:

On Mac:

1. Open Finder
2. Hold down the Option key and click "Go" in the menu bar
3. Select "Library"
4. Navigate to Library → Application Support → MobileSync → Backup
5. Each folder represents a device backup
6. Delete the folders for backups you no longer need

On Windows:

1. Press Windows+R to open the Run dialog
2. Type: %appdata%Apple ComputerMobileSyncBackup
3. Press Enter
4. Each folder represents a device backup
5. Delete the folders for backups you no longer need

Be cautious when manually deleting backup files. If you're unsure which backup belongs to which device, it's safer to use the iTunes interface method described earlier.

Managing Multiple Device Backups

If you own multiple iOS devices or have upgraded your iPhone/iPad over the years, you might have several backups stored in iCloud or on your computer. Here's how to identify and manage them:

Identifying Your Backups

In both iCloud and iTunes, backups are labeled with:

• Device name (e.g., "John's iPhone")
• Date and time of the backup
• Size of the backup

This information helps you determine which backups are outdated and can be safely removed.

Prioritizing Which Backups to Keep

Backup Type	When to Keep	When to Delete
Current Device Backup	Always keep the most recent backup	Delete older versions if space is needed
Previous Device Backup	Keep if you might need to restore data from it	Delete if device has been replaced/sold
Very Old Backups	Rarely necessary to keep	Safe to delete in most cases

Creating a Fresh Backup Before Deletion

Before you start deleting old backups, it's a good practice to create a fresh backup of your current device state:

Creating a New iCloud Backup

1. Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network
2. Open "Settings" on your iOS 8 device
3. Tap on your Apple ID/iCloud name
4. Select "iCloud"
5. Tap "Storage & Backup" or "Backup"
6. Make sure "iCloud Backup" is turned on
7. Tap "Back Up Now"
8. Wait for the backup process to complete

Creating a New iTunes Backup

1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer using the USB cable
2. Open iTunes if it doesn't launch automatically
3. Click on the device icon that appears in iTunes
4. Under "Backups" section, select "This computer"
5. Click "Back Up Now"
6. Wait for the backup process to complete

Troubleshooting Backup Deletion Issues

Sometimes you might encounter problems when trying to delete backups. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

Backup Won't Delete from iCloud

If you're having trouble deleting an iCloud backup:

1. Sign out of iCloud on your device
2. Sign back in
3. Try the deletion process again
4. If that doesn't work, restart your device and try again

Can't Find Backups in iTunes

If you can't locate your backups in iTunes:

1. Make sure you're using the same computer where you created the backups
2. Update iTunes to the latest version
3. Check if the backups exist in the file locations mentioned earlier

Backup Files Still Taking Up Space After Deletion

If your storage doesn't seem to free up after deleting backups:

1. Restart your device
2. Check your storage again after a few minutes
3. For iCloud, changes in available storage might take time to reflect

Alternative Backup Solutions for iOS 8

If you're concerned about managing backups, consider these alternative approaches:

Selective iCloud Backup

Instead of backing up everything to iCloud, you can choose which apps and data to include:

1. Go to "Settings" → your Apple ID → "iCloud" → "Storage & Backup" → "Manage Storage"
2. Select your device
3. Under "Backup Options," toggle off apps you don't need to back up

Third-Party Backup Solutions

Several third-party apps and services offer backup solutions for iOS devices, often with more control over what gets backed up and where it's stored. Some popular options include:

• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• OneDrive
• CopyTrans
• iMazing

Maintaining Healthy Backup Habits

To avoid accumulating unnecessary backups in the future, establish good backup practices:

Regular Backup Maintenance Schedule

1. Create a calendar reminder to check your backups monthly
2. Delete unnecessary backups during each check
3. Create fresh backups of your current device state

Backup Best Practices

• Keep at least one recent backup at all times
• Before major iOS updates, create a full backup
• After selling or giving away a device, delete its backups
• Consider keeping backups on both iCloud and your computer for redundancy

Understanding iOS 8 Backup Size Factors

iOS 8 backups can vary greatly in size depending on what's stored on your device. Here's what typically takes up the most space:

Largest Components of iOS 8 Backups

Content Type	Typical Size Impact	Included in Backup?
Photos and Videos	Very High (Several GB)	Yes, unless using iCloud Photo Library
Messages with attachments	High	Yes
App Data	Medium to High	Yes
Music	High	No (if purchased from iTunes)
Settings	Low	Yes

Reducing Backup Sizes

If your backups are too large, consider:

• Deleting unwanted photos and videos before backing up
• Removing large attachments from Messages
• Uninstalling apps you don't use
• Using streaming services instead of storing media files

Comparing iCloud vs. iTunes Backups

Understanding the differences between backup methods can help you choose the right approach:

Feature	iCloud Backup	iTunes Backup
Storage Location	Cloud (remote servers)	Local (your computer)
Storage Limit	5GB free, paid plans available	Limited by your computer's storage
Backup Process	Automatic (when connected to Wi-Fi and power)	Manual (when connected to computer)
Encryption	Always encrypted	Optional encryption
Accessibility	Anywhere with internet	Only from the computer with backups

Impact of iOS 8 Backup Deletion on Your Device

It's important to understand what happens when you delete a backup:

What Deleting Backups DOES Affect:

• Removes the stored copy of your data from iCloud or your computer
• Frees up storage space in your backup location
• Eliminates your ability to restore from that specific backup

What Deleting Backups DOES NOT Affect:

• Does not delete any data from your current device
• Does not affect your ability to create new backups
• Does not impact the performance of your device
• Does not remove your Apple ID or account information

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives. PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. 

Simply download PicBackMan (it's free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are - PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those too. You don't have to ever touch it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will deleting an iOS 8 backup delete the data on my current device?

No, deleting a backup only removes the stored copy from iCloud or your computer. It doesn't affect any data currently on your iPhone or iPad. Your photos, messages, apps, and other content will remain intact on your device.

2. How often should I create new backups of my iOS 8 device?

For optimal protection, create a new backup at least once a week, or before making any significant changes to your device (like updating iOS or installing major apps). If you use your device heavily or regularly add important content, consider backing up more frequently.

3. Can I recover a backup after I've deleted it from iCloud or iTunes?

No, once you delete a backup, it cannot be recovered. That's why it's crucial to ensure you don't need the data in that backup before deleting it. If you're unsure, create a fresh backup of your current device state first.

4. Why does my iPhone still show "Storage Almost Full" after deleting backups?

Deleting backups from iCloud or iTunes frees up space in those locations, not on your device itself. If your iPhone is running out of space, you'll need to delete content directly from the device by removing unused apps, photos, videos, or messages.

5. Is it safe to delete all my old iOS 8 backups?

It's generally safe to delete old backups as long as you keep at least one recent backup of your current device. If you've upgraded from an older device and are certain you won't need to restore any data from it, those backups can be safely removed. Always maintain at least one current backup of your active devices.

Conclusion

Managing and deleting old backups in iOS 8 is a simple yet effective way to free up storage space and keep your backup system organized. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily remove unnecessary backups from both iCloud and iTunes, ensuring that your storage is used efficiently.

Remember to always create a fresh backup before deleting old ones, and establish a regular maintenance routine to prevent backup clutter in the future. With these practices in place, you'll maintain a streamlined backup system that protects your important data without wasting storage space.

Whether you choose to use iCloud, iTunes, or a combination of both for your backups, the key is consistency and regular maintenance. By taking control of your iOS 8 backup management, you'll enjoy better device performance and peace of mind knowing your data is properly protected.