iCloud Backups No Longer Available for iPhones and iPads Running iOS 8 or Earlier

[MacRumors]

Making a device backup over iCloud now requires iOS 9 or later, which means iPhones and iPads that are running iOS 8 or earlier are no longer able to be backed up using iCloud.

Apple announced the change in November, and as of this week, it has gone into effect. Support for iCloud backups on devices that run iOS 8 or older has ended, and Apple has deleted all existing iCloud backups of those devices.

Apps and data stored on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8 or earlier are not affected, and these devices can still be manually backed up to a Mac or a Windows PC. If you have a device on iOS 8 or older, if you can update, you can restore iCloud backup capabilities. Otherwise, all backups will need to be done manually.

Apple says that it discontinued iCloud backups for older devices to "more closely align" with its minimum software requirements. With the iOS 9 update that came out years ago, Apple adopted CloudKit for iCloud backups and stopped using an older system, and it looks like this older system is what's being sunset.

Article Link: iCloud Backups No Longer Available for iPhones and iPads Running iOS 8 or Earlier

 

[nutmac]

In other words, iPhones 4 and earlier, as well as the original iPad, cannot be backed up to iCloud.

 

[gtmead09]

I find it hard to believe that with the changes there is a lot of apps that still work that make this old of device worth while to use.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

I can’t imagine using the iPhone 4 entering 2025 😵‍💫 it was already outdated by 2015.

 

[ksec]

This scared me a bit although when I read "deleting" backup. I know it is a long time ago, but if anyone is still paying for its storage I dont think it should be deleted.

 

[mrfunnypenguin]

Curious, anyone here still use an iPhone 4?

 

[alchemistmuffin]

Apps and data stored on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8 or earlier are not affected, and these devices can still be manually backed up to a Mac or a Windows PC. If you have a device on iOS 8 or older, if you can update, you can restore iCloud backup capabilities. Otherwise, all backups will need to be done manually.

Or you know, better yet, if you don’t have device that can’t run iOS 9…….

TIME TO UPGRADE YOUR DEVICE ASAP!!!!!!!

Your device is obsolete and it’s security disaster waiting to happen.

 

[GMShadow]

I find it hard to believe that with the changes there is a lot of apps that still work that make this old of device worth while to use.

For the first gen iPad, locally synced media is a lot of it, plus iBooks still *kinda* works, as does Podcasts. The App Store and iTunes were fully broken only a month ago though.

 

[Lizzard899]

Maybe one day theyll fix the icloud backup bug in iicloud 18. Mine doubles in storage in ios 18. Its like its backing up more than whats even on the phone. They need to fix this but I am sure they wont for about a yr or so. Thats what apple does. They take a yr or 2 before fixing bugs like this

 

[mcilwraith]

anyone here still running iOS 8? i would be surprised!

 

[t0rqx]

Forced Upgrades. Classic!

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Good thing you can backup your data to your own HD! Cloud just means someone else’s computer.

 

[31 Flavas]

Curious, anyone here still use an iPhone 4?

I’m guessing there are still one or two iOS 6 holdouts because of the pin stripes background and glossy icons. No one in their right minds would use anything else, right? *teasy joke thing*

 

[John_Blackthorne]

I can’t imagine using the iPhone 4 entering 2025 😵‍💫 it was already outdated by 2015.

What if you had an iPhone 4 and a lot of photos and music and things and you switched to the Google life from iPhone 4S and up? Maybe those people have some old stuff they need to retrieve.

But I am with you--I bought a black 4S for nostalgia's sake on eBay a few years ago (and to see if I could still jailbreak it) and it is just a pathetic little device.

I remember is being so cool and looking so good back in 2011.

It's assuredly not that way now.

 

[JamesMay82]

I never have a need to back up my iPhone.. as all notes, mail and photos are already in the cloud so I don’t get what the back up actually does?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

I never have a need to back up my iPhone.. as all notes, mail and photos are already in the cloud so I don’t get what the back up actually does?

App data, health data, call logs, configurations, customization, etc.

 

[davide_eu]

This scared me a bit although when I read "deleting" backup. I know it is a long time ago, but if anyone is still paying for its storage I dont think it should be deleted.

Yep, but they are always looking for new ways to push people to upgrade and squeeze more money. And this is a nice and simple approach to success

 

[davide_eu]

Your device is obsolete and it’s security disaster waiting to happen.

Do you mind if I keep this sentence for a future discussion... I have always understood that "security" was something magic inside os, never expiring, always available due to the fruit on the box... now we discover that security is thanks to updates... nice to know...

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Curious, anyone here still use an iPhone 4?

Still waiting for my free bumper case to arrive. Still on my 3GS for now.

 

[TVreporter]

Apple: We help protect the environment by forcing you to ditch devices we deem obsolete.

PS Buy our new iPhone - not the old 15 model that doesn’t have our amazing Apple Intelligence.

 

[platinumaqua]

The Cloud is someone else's computer. Anyone concerned about having control over their data ought to store everything locally.

(Edit: reworded second sentence for better grammatical flow)

 

[maruyama]

I recently took my iPhone 6 out of storage to use it as a multi-day time-lapse camera.

I've always been a little uncomfortable signing into iCloud on one of my old devices because I'm irrationally worried that an old version of something (Notes, Photos, etc) will get flummoxed by seeing a much newer version of the database and start doing weird things to my data in the cloud.

I decided I was only going to turn on iCloud Drive just in case... and indeed, iOS 12 in 2024 started messing with the modified dates on folders! I quickly turned it off (I ended up using Google Drive for the time-lapse videos I'm shooting on the 6) but now I'm even less trusting of signing into anything iCloud related on an obsolete-status device.

 

[JohnC1959]

oh darn! Now how am I going to backup my totally cool iPhone 3G running the fancy iOS 5.

 

[kagharaht]

Backup your Data on a HD or locally then on the Mac if you want to keep using that phone with iOS 8.

 

[FineWoven]

Forced Upgrades. Classic!

Bruh the last devices to support iOS 8 debuted in 2010-2011... It's been 15 years. Upgrade your janky ass iPad already, Helen.