How to Turn Off iCloud Backup on the iPhone 7

Is your iPhone constantly telling you that you are out of iCloud storage space, but you aren’t sure what is using all of it? In many cases, the majority of your iCloud storage is being used by backups of your iPhone. This is something that occurs automatically, usually when your iPhone is connected to your charger at home, where it is probably also connected to your Wi-Fi network. This functionality ensures that you are constantly backing up your information, which will minimize the amount of lost data in case you switch phones, or if your iPhone is lost or stolen.

But you can also back up your iPhone through iTunes, which can be a preferable option if you want to use your iCloud storage for something else. Our guide below will show you how to disable the iCloud backup of your iPhone 7 if you would prefer to handle your backups manually.

 

How to Disable the iCloud Backup on an iPhone 7

The steps in this article were performed on an iPhone 7 Plus in iOS 10.3.1. Once you have finished this guide, your iPhone will no longer automatically back up to iCloud. If you wish to back up your device, then you will need to do so by connecting it to a computer and performing a backup through iTunes.

If you would like to keep using this automatic iCloud backup feature but space is becoming an issue, then you may prefer to upgrade your iCloud storage. You can see iCloud pricing here.

Step 1: Open the Settings menu.

open the settings menu

 

 

Step 2: Tap your Apple ID card at the top of the menu. If you don’t see this, then your device may be running an older version of iOS. If so, scroll down and select the iCloud option instead.

select your apple id card

 

 

Step 3: Select the iCloud option.

open the icloud menu

 

 

Step 4: Touch the iCloud Backup button.

open the icloud backup screen

 

 

Step 5: Tap the button to the right of iCloud Backup.

how to disable the icloud backup on an iphone 7

 

 

Step 6: Touch the OK button to confirm that you will be turning off the iCloud backup of this iPhone.

how to turn off the icloud backup on an iphone 7

 

 

Unfortunately you don’t have control over the information that is included in the iCloud backup, so there isn’t much you can do to minimize the amount of space that is being used by these backups.

However, if your iCloud storage is almost full and it’s not due to the size of your iCloud backup, then you may want to return to the iCloud menu in step 4 above and turn off a few of the items that are being saved to your iCloud account.

Read our guide on the difference between device storage and iCloud storage on an iPhone to understand how the device is able to use both of those types of storage space.