How to Clear Up iCloud Storage When It’s Almost Full

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Manage your iCloud storage space with these expert tips

Co-authored by Josef Storzi and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: March 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Ways to Clear iCloud Storage
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• Checking iCloud Storage Space
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• Adding iCloud Storage
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• iCloud Storage FAQ
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• Video
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• Tips

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If your iCloud keeps saying that it’s full or close to running out of room, clearing up some space will make sure all of your important data and files continue backing up. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to clear up space or add more storage with just a few clicks. Keep reading for expert advice from phone repair specialists Josef Storzi and Gonzalo Martinez on freeing up storage and managing your iCloud account.

Best Ways to Free Up Space on iCloud

• Delete old text conversations and large attachments.
• Check your iCloud drive for old files you can get rid of.
• Remove old or duplicate pictures from your Photos library.
• Get rid of old device backups that take up space.
• Erase data from apps you don’t use anymore.
• Transfer your files to another device or cloud storage service.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Ways to Clear Up iCloud Storage Space

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1. 
   1
   Get rid of old text messages and attachments. iCloud stores your Messages so you can access them on any Apple device, but they can take up a lot of room in your iCloud, especially if there are picture or video attachments. Josef Storzi, an Apple repair specialist, recommends deleting old messages to help clear storage space.

   • To see how much storage your messages are using, go to Settings and tap on your name. Select iCloud and then click on Messages to see which ones are taking up the most space.
   • Go into your Messages app and delete individual messages, or remove the entire conversation by swiping left. Alternatively, click on Edit and select all the conversations you want to delete to get rid of them in bulk.
   • If you want messages to automatically delete, go into Settings and search for Messages. Select Keep Messages and set them to delete after 30 days or 1 year.
   • You may also tap on a person’s name at the top of a conversation to see all of the attachments that are still saved in iCloud.
2. 
   2
   Clean up old files in your iCloud Drive. Files that you save on your device get backed up on your iCloud Drive, so get rid of any that you don’t need anymore. Any files you delete are sent to the Recently Deleted folder, and permanently disappear after 30 days.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open the Files app and select iCloud Drive under Locations.
     • Tap Select and choose the files and folders you want to delete.
     • Select Delete to remove the files from your iCloud storage.
   • Mac
     • Open Finder and select the iCloud Drive folder in the sidebar.
     • Drag items you want to delete into your Trash or a different folder on your Mac.
   • Browser
     • Log in to icloud.com and choose the files you want to get rid of.
     • Click on the Delete button in the toolbar, which looks like a trash can.
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3. 
   3
   Remove old iCloud backups. iCloud backups are great for transferring all your data to a new device, phone, or computer, but they can take up a lot of space in your iCloud storage. If you have any outdated backups, get rid of them.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open Settings and click on your name.
     • Select iCloud from the list and tap on iCloud Backup.
     • Choose the device backup you want to delete.
     • Tap on Turn Off and Delete from iCloud or Delete & Turn Off Backup.
   • Mac
     • Open System Settings and select your name.
     • Choose iCloud → Manage → Backups.
     • Select the backup you want to remove and click Delete.
4. 
   4
   Empty your iCloud messages in the Mail app. If you’re using an iCloud email address, attachments automatically save to your account. If you have a lot of large photo, video, or file attachments, they may clog up your iCloud storage space. Just be sure to download or backup the attachments somewhere else if you want to save them.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open the Mail app.
     • Swipe left on your email messages to delete them.
     • Tap on the contact name and select Photos to remove large attachments.
     • Delete the emails from your Trash folder to remove them permanently.
   • Mac
     • Open the Mail app and delete the individual conversations.
     • Click on the Info button and scroll to the photos to remove attachments.
     • Select Mailbox → Erase Deleted Items to remove the messages permanently.
   • Browser
     • Log in to icloud.com.
     • Choose Mail and delete the conversations or messages.
     • Navigate to the Trash folder and delete the conversations to permanently remove them.
5. 
   5
   Delete unwanted app data. Apps will backup data, like login information and personal details, so you have the same app experience no matter which device you’re using. However, old apps you don’t use anymore might be taking up some of your iCloud storage space.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open Settings and tap on your name.
     • Select iCloud and then tap on Manage Account Storage.
     • Tap on the app that you want to delete.
     • Select Delete from iCloud to remove the data.
   • Mac
     • Open System Settings and tap on your name.
     • Select iCloud from the menu and click Manage under Account Storage.
     • Click on the app that you want to remove.
     • Select Delete from iCloud to remove the data.
6. 
   6
   Delete old or duplicate photos. Storzi notes that pictures and videos take up a lot of space when they’re synced to your iCloud. If you have iCloud backup on for your photos and videos, he says deleting them in the Photos app will remove them from your iCloud storage as well.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open the Photos app.
     • Select and choose the pictures and videos to delete.
     • Tap Delete to remove them.
     • Go to your Recently Deleted folder and delete the images to permanently get rid of them.
   • Mac
     • Open Photos on your computer.
     • Click on the images and videos you want to delete.
     • Hit the Delete button or key on your keyboard.
     • Empty the Recently Deleted folder.
   • Browser
     • Log in to icloud.com and choose the Photos app.
     • Choose the pictures and videos you want to get rid of.
     • Click Delete to remove them.
     • Empty your Recently Deleted folder.
   EXPERT TIP

   

   Josef Storzi

   Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

   Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.

   

   Josef Storzi
   Apple & Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

   You can delete photos from iCloud and still keep them on your device. Open the Settings app, click on Photos, and simply turn off iCloud Photos. Then, open icloud.com in a browser on your computer and delete any of the photos or videos you would like.
7. 
   7
   Erase voice memos you don’t need. Voice memos back up between all your Apple devices, and large audio files may take up more storage space on your account.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open the Voice Memos app and select All Recordings.
     • Tap on the voice memos you want to remove and tap Delete.
     • Empty the Recently Deleted folder to permanently get rid of the memos.
   • Mac
     • Open Voice Memos.
     • Click on the voice memos you want to get rid of and click Delete.
     • Open Recently Deleted and choose Delete All.
8. 
   8
   Clear your saved FaceTime data. FaceTime stores your login information, voicemails, and audio and video messages on your iCloud account. If you have a lot of messages saved, then they may be taking up extra storage space.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open Settings and tap your name.
     • Select iCloud and tap on Storage.
     • Choose FaceTime and select Delete Data from iCloud.
   • Mac
     • Open System Settings and tap on your name.
     • Choose iCloud and click on Manage under Account Storage.
     • Click on Facetime and select Delete from iCloud.
9. 
   9
   Get rid of old Apple Invites. Apple Invites stores images from RSVPs in your iCloud storage, so they may be taking up space if you host events with a lot of guests.

   • iPhone & iPad
     • Open Apple Invites.
     • Select the event to delete and tap the More button in the upper-right corner.
     • Select Event Settings and tap Delete Event.
10. 
    10
    Check the Recommended for You options. If you’re on an iPhone or iPad, the Recommended for You option scans through your iCloud storage and gives you suggestions for the quickest ways to free up space. If you’re not sure what files to get rid of, the recommended ones are a good place to start.

    • Open Settings, and tap your name.
    • Select iCloud and tap on Recommended for You.
11. 
    11
    Transfer your files to a hard drive or another storage service. If you want to keep the files you have on your iCloud, plug in a flash drive or external hard drive into your device and move the files over that you want to save. Once you have them on a new drive, delete them from your iCloud. Alternatively, join another cloud storage service so you can access files anywhere you go.

    • Some other services that offer free cloud storage include Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
12. 
    12
    Turn off apps that you don’t want to back up. Storzi mentions, “There is a section on iCloud that shows you all of the data that is being synced and backed up. It also gives you the option to turn individual items on or off.” Turning off individual apps prevents them from uploading new data to your iCloud storage.

    • iPhone & iPad
      • Open Settings and tap on your name.
      • Select iCloud and tap on Show All under Apps Using iCloud.
      • Select the apps that you want to turn off backups for.
    • Mac
      • Open System Settings and click on your name.
      • Select iCloud and choose iCloud Drive.
      • Click Options… under Apps Syncing to iCloud Drive.
      • Deselect any apps you don’t want saving to your iCloud.
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Section 2 of 4:

How to Check Your iCloud Storage Space

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1. 
   iCloud shows you what files are taking up space in your drive. Computer and phone repair specialist Gonzalo Martinez says you’ll be able to see your managed storage from the iCloud menu. He mentions, “You'll actually get a nice breakdown of where your data is” and which files are taking up the most space.

   • iPhone or iPad
     • Go to Settings.
     • Click on your Apple ID.
     • Select iCloud.
     • Tap on the chart at the top of the screen.
   • Mac
     • Open System Settings and click on your name.
     • Select iCloud and click Manage for a detailed breakdown.
   • Windows
     • Open iCloud for Windows on your PC.
     • Scroll down until you see a bar graph labeled Storage.
     • Click Manage to see more details.
   • Browser
     • Log in to icloud.com.
     • Look below the bar graph to see the apps using your storage space.

Section 3 of 4:

How to Add More iCloud Storage Space

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1. 
   Upgrade your iCloud plan to get more storage. iCloud gives you 5 gigabytes of free storage when you create an account, but you can always pay a monthly fee to have more storage space. Open your iCloud settings on your device and select Upgrade to iCloud+ from the menu. The monthly cost depends on how much storage you need.

   • 50 gigabytes: $0.99 USD/month
   • 200 gigabytes: $2.99 USD/month
   • 2 terabytes: $9.99 USD/month
   • 6 terabytes: $29.99 USD/month
   • 12 terabytes: $59.99 USD/month
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Section 4 of 4:

iCloud Storage FAQ

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1. 1
   What takes up the most iCloud storage? It depends on the kinds of files you’re storing, but Storzi says, “Usually photos and videos that have been synced over from your other iCloud devices take the most space.”
2. 2
   How do you get rid of the “iCloud storage is full” notification? If you’re seeing a notification on your Settings app that says your iCloud storage is full, click on the notification. A list of upgrade options will appear so you can buy more storage, or you can tap “Not Now” to clear the notification temporarily.

   • The notification will reappear if your device tries to back up files and you haven’t cleared out more space.
   • Alternatively, turn off iCloud backup on your device. Just keep in mind that new photos, messages, files, or anything else on your phone won’t be saved to your iCloud account until you turn it back on. Any backups you have in your iCloud are stored for 180 days.
3. 3
   How do you recover deleted files from iCloud? Check the Recently Deleted tab in your iCloud storage using the Files app or Finder. Look through the files and select the ones that you want to recover. Then, click Restore to bring them back to your drive.

   • After a file has been deleted permanently, there isn’t a way to get it back.
4. 4
   Why is iCloud saying you don’t have enough storage when you do? iCloud may tell you you’re out of storage if you’re trying to upload a backup that’s larger than the amount of space you have left. You may also be encountering a system or network error preventing your files from being backed up.

   • Try freeing up a little more space on your iCloud drive to see if that helps.
   • Alternatively, try restarting your phone and start another backup.
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Tips

• If you accidentally delete something from iCloud, check the Recently Deleted folder within 90 days to restore the file.
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• Make sure you save copies of the files you’re deleting if you don’t want to permanently lose them.
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