Do you delete iCloud backups?

[Webcat86]

Hope this is the right place to post this, I couldn't find a better forum area.

I've just been looking in my iCloud storage and 49gb is being used by backups for my phone and iPad. Are these cumulative, so it grows over time, or if I deleted it would it be right back at 49gb as soon as it's done the first backup again?

 

[gigapocket1]

It would be right back. If you want to take less space, go into the backup and choose what apps and data to back up and choose what apps and data to not back up

 

[Webcat86]

It would be right back. If you want to take less space, go into the backup and choose what apps and data to back up and choose what apps and data to not back up

Thanks. I do want everything in there I think, that's what chooses how much restores when getting a new phone isn't it?
It's just interesting to me that the phone is taking up 40gb and the iPad only takes around 2gb

 

[gigapocket1]

Thanks. I do want everything in there I think, that's what chooses how much restores when getting a new phone isn't it?
It's just interesting to me that the phone is taking up 40gb and the iPad only takes around 2gb

There’s an Option in there that gives you unlimited cloud storage for x amount of days just for new phones..

could be messages? If you aren’t using iCloud messages..

 

[Webcat86]

There’s an Option in there that gives you unlimited cloud storage for x amount of days just for new phones..

could be messages? If you aren’t using iCloud messages..

yeah iCloud says messages are about 43gb

 

[gigapocket1]

yeah iCloud says messages are about 43gb

Figured. lol.. mines are about 180gb lol

 

[Webcat86]

Figured. lol.. mines are about 180gb lol

I had a really helpful call with Apple support earlier. My Mac said 23gb and my phone said 2gb, she had me turn off message sync on both, reboot both, then re-enable. That sent my iPhone up to 34gb. Fortunately, the iPhone now has the option to see the media files within messages in Settings, filtered by size, so I’ve cleared out 10gb of videos. It will be interesting to see if this reflects on the Mac and iCloud - iCloud hasn’t budged so far but I don’t know how often it refreshes and if it holds onto anything for a while in case it needs restoring.

But this past week I’ve really learned how much of junk our phones accumulate - I’ve wiped 10gb from WhatsApp too. And what’s eye opening is a lot of it is the same media that’s in Messages. So you take a photo and that’s saved on the device, then you sent it to 3 people so it’s stored 3 more times. Then the cloud backup backs up those messages with those duplicate media files.

Really makes you wonder how much of the need to increase storage size with phone upgrades is actually just people needing to get under the hood and have a clear out. Between WhatsApp and messages I’ve nuked over 20gb with minimal effort

 

[gigapocket1]

I had a really helpful call with Apple support earlier. My Mac said 23gb and my phone said 2gb, she had me turn off message sync on both, reboot both, then re-enable. That sent my iPhone up to 34gb. Fortunately, the iPhone now has the option to see the media files within messages in Settings, filtered by size, so I’ve cleared out 10gb of videos. It will be interesting to see if this reflects on the Mac and iCloud - iCloud hasn’t budged so far but I don’t know how often it refreshes and if it holds onto anything for a while in case it needs restoring.

But this past week I’ve really learned how much of junk our phones accumulate - I’ve wiped 10gb from WhatsApp too. And what’s eye opening is a lot of it is the same media that’s in Messages. So you take a photo and that’s saved on the device, then you sent it to 3 people so it’s stored 3 more times. Then the cloud backup backs up those messages with those duplicate media files.

Really makes you wonder how much of the need to increase storage size with phone upgrades is actually just people needing to get under the hood and have a clear out. Between WhatsApp and messages I’ve nuked over 20gb with minimal effort

It sure does do that with messages. There’s an option to send links to the media files when you texting which will save space with the cloud/backups.

But, your phone kinda only downloads media and messages as needed. There’s an option in the conversation to download all media files from the cloud for that conversation.

 

[Webcat86]

It sure does do that with messages. There’s an option to send links to the media files when you texting which will save space with the cloud/backups.

But, your phone kinda only downloads media and messages as needed. There’s an option in the conversation to download all media files from the cloud for that conversation.

Have you been through this process before? I'm kinda stumped:

- I've been deleting attachments from messages on my phone, clearing around 15gb so far
- My Mac hasn't reflected this, even after forcing a sync. So it's still showing 23gb being used for messages, and the attachments I deleted from my phone are still on the Mac
- The iCloud number hasn't budget at all

Do these just take longer to sync, or do I need to delete the attachments manually on both devices? And when will iCloud show a reduction in space being used by messages?

 

[GuruGuy]

Have you been through this process before? I'm kinda stumped:

- I've been deleting attachments from messages on my phone, clearing around 15gb so far
- My Mac hasn't reflected this, even after forcing a sync. So it's still showing 23gb being used for messages, and the attachments I deleted from my phone are still on the Mac
- The iCloud number hasn't budget at all

Do these just take longer to sync, or do I need to delete the attachments manually on both devices? And when will iCloud show a reduction in space being used by messages?

If you don’t have messages iCloud on for each device, then each one will store individually.

 

[Webcat86]

If you don’t have messages iCloud on for each device, then each one will store individually.

I do have it on for each device. I think I’ve been slowly figuring it out - there seems to be a delay between deleting something and when it actually gets cleared. Like the 30 day recently deleted photo album.

Yesterday I cleared about 3000 attachments from the message thread with my wife. The Mac says they’ll start to be deleted after a day, so I’m waiting to see when it happens and if it brings iCloud’s message storage down.