Merging iCloud backups

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Level 1

4 points

Merging iCloud backups

I have noticed that I have 2 iCloud backups since having a new phone, even though I restored the phone from iCloud backup.

I am concerned that if I was to have a new phone, I wouldn’t be able to get the contents of both the backups onto the same phone? Is there a way of merging the backups now?

I do not want to lose the photos on the previous backup or on the new backup, as I’ve only just realised there are 2 backups and it’s been since July so I have lots of new photos.

please tell me there is a way to fix this. Thank you

iPhone 16, iOS 18

Posted on Dec 2, 2025 11:47 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Ingo2711

Level 10

80,025 points

Dec 3, 2025 12:12 AM in response to Chloee__

If you are using iCloud Photos, you can transfer the photos from iCloud to your computer:

Archive or make copies of the information you store in iCloud - Apple Support

What does iCloud back up? - Apple Support

If you are not using iCloud Photos, do you still have your old iPhone?

In case you can not access your old iPhone anymore, you will have to restore your new iPhone from the backup of the old one, then transfer the photos to your computer.

After that restore from the backup of the new iPhone, which should put all newer photos back onto your device, then transfer them also to your computer, just to be safe.

After all photos are saved on your computer, you can sync the desired collection back to your new iPhone.

Transfer photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC - Apple Support

Sync your photos manually using the Finder - Apple Support

Sync photos in iTunes on PC with devices - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Dec 3, 2025 7:47 AM in response to Chloee__

By iCloud Backup, do you mean the backup that's turned on at Settings>[name]>iCloud>iCloud Backup? If so, there is no way to retrieve parts of these backups--it's all or nothing. They can only be used by erasing your phone and replacing everything on it with the backup-- a pretty drastic operation! As Ingo2711 suggested, you could use your old phone if you still have it, but I suspect that you woundn't even need the backup in that case. Or, as Ingo2711 also suggested, you would need to save you pictures to a computer, restore the old backup, save those to a computer, and then restore back to the first one.

Did you not start your new phone from the backup of your old phone? That what I've done when I bought a new phone, and everything was then on the new phone. The old backup had already done what it could do.

If you use iCloud Photos, then the iCloud Backup doesn't have your pictures on it, anyway, since they would all be at iCloud Photos at iCloud.com, and iCloud doesn't double up.

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