Apple Dropping Support for iCloud Backups on iPhones and iPads Running iOS 8 and Earlier
Starting next month, making a device backup over iCloud will require iOS 9 or later, Apple has informed some customers via email. New backups for iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 or earlier will no longer be supported, and Apple will delete all existing iCloud backups of those devices as well.
Apps and data stored on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8 or earlier will not be affected, and Apple says that customers can still manually back up their devices to a Mac or a Windows PC.
These iCloud backup changes will be made on December 18, 2024, so customers who have a device running iOS 8 or earlier should update to the latest available version of iOS if possible in order to continue to be able to back up their devices.
According to Apple, iCloud backups for older devices are being discontinued in order to "more closely align" with Apple's "published minimum software requirements." With iOS 9, Apple adopted CloudKit for iCloud backups rather than the prior system, and it seems that the company is now discontinuing the old backup system.
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