My iCloud storage is full. How can I free up some space?
I've hit the limit on my iCloud storage and need to free up some space. How do I clean out my iCloud storage? I feel like my storage fills up a lot faster than it should be filling up, so any tips on how to maximize my space, store things more efficiently, or otherwise keep my storage from filling up so fast would be great. Thanks!
View hidden comment
For a complete guide to this topic, read the wikiHow article How to Clear iCloud Storage on iPhone.
wikiHow forums are moderated for quality. Learn more about our moderation policy here.
Submit Answer
A common mistake that occurs when dealing with iCloud is accidentally deleting things you didn't mean to. iCloud syncs many things such as messages, photos, contacts, and much more. Deleting certain content from one phone may delete it from your other device on the same iCloud account. Make sure to back up all the data you want in iCloud by going to settings, navigating to iCloud and toggling everything you want on, otherwise certain data will be left out.
Usually photos and videos that have been synced over from your other iCloud devices take the most space on your iDevice. You can stop the iPad from syncing photos and videos. If you notice your storage is being taken up by a large section called other this is an issue where appdata, cookies, and cache are taking too much storage and old files are not being cleaned by the operating system properly. In order to fix this you may backup your device to either iCloud or iTunes. Then reset your device completely. Then restore the backup you just made. Contrary to popular belief, iTunes and iCloud backups do not restore all software issues to the device. Many of the critical operating system files are reset while your data is maintained.
View hidden comment
Usually photos and videos that have been synced over from your other iCloud devices take the most space on your iDevice. You can stop the iPad from syncing photos and videos. If you notice your storage is being taken up by a large section called other this is an issue where appdata, cookies, and cache are taking too much storage and old files are not being cleaned by the operating system properly. In order to fix this you may backup your device to either iCloud or iTunes. Then reset your device completely. Then restore the backup you just made. Contrary to popular belief, iTunes and iCloud backups do not restore all software issues to the device. Many of the critical operating system files are reset while your data is maintained.
To check your iCloud storage on iPhone, you go to your settings app, and then you will click on your Apple ID account located on the very top. And then you scroll down to iCloud. And then you'll be able to see Manage Storage there. Under Manage Storage, you'll actually get a nice breakdown of where your data is and you'll be able to delete from there. You can see where all your data is located and get a nice breakdown of how many gigabytes it's taking up.
View hidden comment
All the texts and attachments in the Messages app are backed up onto iCloud and can take up a lot of space. Delete entire conversations, or manually go through and select the texts you want to delete to instantly clear up space.
If you have old backups transferred from an old phone or computer, they can take up a ton of space as well. On your phone, open Settings > iCloud > iCloud Backup and delete any that you don't need anymore.
If you're not sure what's taking up the most space, Apple provides a "Recommended for You" section under your iCloud settings for ways to remove clutter and free up more storage space.
View hidden comment
If you have old backups transferred from an old phone or computer, they can take up a ton of space as well. On your phone, open Settings > iCloud > iCloud Backup and delete any that you don't need anymore.
If you're not sure what's taking up the most space, Apple provides a "Recommended for You" section under your iCloud settings for ways to remove clutter and free up more storage space.
A huge storage issue for me is the non-stop photos and videos that friends and I share in Messages/group chats. Because I back up Messages to iCloud, they take up tons of room there, too. I have to fairly regularly go in and delete them - either manually from the chats or by going to "Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Messages." That will list Top Convos, Photos, Videos, etc, and you can delete from there to save space both on your phone and iCloud.
View hidden comment
I cloud storage is full—delete old backups, large files, photos, and messages to free up space.
View hidden comment
I didn't realize how many of my old texts and text attachments were taking up space. I don't have any use for texts that are years old so I deleted a bunch of them and freed up a good chunk of space.
View hidden comment
If all your Apple devises are backing up to the cloud, I recommend getting yourself a HDD or SSD to back up your files instead. This is what I did after realizing my cloud was basically full because it was synced to all my devises. It'll take up way less space in the cloud but you'll still have copies of everything you do.
View hidden comment
Yes, this is what we do, too - you can hook it up to your home network and the web, so you can still access the files from anywhere. They're just located physically on your drive at home, rather than just in the cloud.
View hidden comment
I like to keep all of my data backed up on a hard drive or another cloud service, like Google Drive or Dropbox. That way, I can clear out old notes and pictures from my phone, but I still have them saved somewhere I can easily access them. Plus, having a couple backups gives me some peace of mind if something goes wrong.
I think all my pictures are taking up the most space on my iCloud, but I'm really not sure. Is there any way to check?
View hidden comment
I think all my pictures are taking up the most space on my iCloud, but I'm really not sure. Is there any way to check?
Yes you can. First, on your device, go to Settings. Click on your Name at the top to enter your Apple ID. Click on iCloud and you will see a bar that represents your storage. Here you can check if the photos are actually taking up the space or if it's something else.
View hidden comment
Thanks! Another couple questions—Is there anything I should be careful about when clearing and deleting things from my iCloud storage? Also, how do I keep my iCloud storage from filling up so quickly?
View hidden comment
Clearing and deleting in iCloud is the final step for deleting data you want GONE. If you delete it from your iCloud, it is deleted forever and should not reside on any devices. So the careful part would be to be SURE you want to delete the items you are deleting.
To keep the storage from filling up, the easiest way is to use Apple's tool to optimize your storage. It will find large video files and other things that may be on your phone. Typical items are downloaded music, photos/videos, and rarely deleted messages. Also, things like downloading videos and saving them on YouTube add up quickly. The optimization page will give you a rundown of where most of your storage is being kept and which software is the largest culprit.
View hidden comment
To keep the storage from filling up, the easiest way is to use Apple's tool to optimize your storage. It will find large video files and other things that may be on your phone. Typical items are downloaded music, photos/videos, and rarely deleted messages. Also, things like downloading videos and saving them on YouTube add up quickly. The optimization page will give you a rundown of where most of your storage is being kept and which software is the largest culprit.
What’s on your mind? Ask anything.
Get advice and feedback from experts and wikiHow readers just like you.
Ask a Question
More Forum Discussions
Related wikiHows
What do other wikiHow readers have to say?
Other wikiHow readers have submitted their own tips on topics similar to this one.
Reader Tips from How to Use iCloud Storage
If your iCloud storage fills up, try deleting older backups from your previous phones or delete old messages that you don't need anymore.
You can share your iCloud with other people if you need to give someone access to important documents or pictures.
You can always upgrade your iCloud storage so you have more space and room to back up your information.
Reader Tips from Easily Access iCloud on iPhone, Mac, PC, Android, & More
When your iCloud storage starts filling up, check your Settings to see what's taking up the most space and delete any old files you don't need anymore.
Use another backup service like Google Drive or Dropbox in addition to iCloud so you have multiple copies of your files.
Reader Tips from 3 Simple Ways to Delete Apps from iCloud
Try using a third-party service like AppCleaner to get rid of any hidden data left behind from an app.
Be sure to unselect the app you're deleting data from in iCloud so it doesn't try to backup again.
