Is your iCloud storage full? Are you worried about how to recover storage space? If you don’t want to pay for more storage, and need useful tips to free up space, we’ll give you that and more in this easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide. Show Key Takeaways:
One of the perks of using iCloud to backup your iPhone or iPad is how seamless and simple it is to select individual apps to backup automatically. For example, if you take a photo, rather than worrying about uploading it to the cloud, you can program iCloud to do it automatically. This is a great feature that alleviates the need to constantly upload your data. Sadly, it has its drawbacks. The 5GB of free iCloud storage is nothing compared to the 15GB given by Google Drive (read our Google Drive review) or 20GB given by MEGA (read our MEGA review). Also, iCloud for desktop isn’t as user-friendly and full featured as some of the best cloud storage services in the space. However, for most Apple users, iCloud is the most accessible option and offers enough of what most people need. So if you’re getting the dreaded “iCloud storage is full” notification, fear not, because we’re here to help you free up iCloud storage space with some short, easy steps. Plus, if you need it, we have a guide on how to delete duplicate photos on iPhone.
Several factors contribute to you running out of storage space. Certain files take up a considerable amount of space without you even knowing. For example, emails with large attachments can quickly take up a good chunk of your storage space. Images and videos take up a lot of space too, especially if you’re uploading high-resolution photos and videos shot in 4K. Attachments sent in the messages app will also be synced to iCloud and begin to eat up your available storage. If you run out of storage space, there are a few ways to fix it. Here are your two options. The first is to increase the amount of storage you have, if you haven’t already. You’ll need to pay for extra storage, which some of you may not want to do. The next option is to manually free up space by deleting photos, videos, and any unwanted files. We will show you how to do both options, breaking down each into smaller steps when necessary. You can do most of the steps below on either your iPhone or iPad; however, some steps can only be performed on a Mac or PC. Getting more iCloud storage space is straightforward and can be done through your iPhone or iPad.
Now let’s dive into the different ways you can clear up some extra iCloud storage space, including:
How to Delete Old BackupsIf you backup your iPhone to iCloud, great — you have the option to recover your files should anything happen to your device. However, if you have made multiple backups, there’s a good chance you don’t need most of them. In this case, it’s a good idea to delete old, unwanted backups.
How to Delete MessagesBacking up your messages is a fantastic way to ensure that you don’t lose any important conversations. The only drawback is that if you send lots of photos and videos through the messages app, they too will be stored on iCloud. If you haven’t set your message app to “low quality image mode” (settings > messages > toggle on “low quality image mode”), then you’ll automatically send high-resolution images to your contacts by default. This means you’ll have larger files taking up space in iCloud. You can free up space by doing the following steps.
How to Clean up the Photos AppThe files in the photos app are likely the biggest contributing factor to running out of iCloud space. We’re sure that if you reviewed your photo library, you would be happy to delete photos you no longer needed. Duplicate photos or images you wish you never took are your first port of call when you want to free up space in your iCloud storage. Unfortunately, you can’t manually delete selected photos on an iOS device when in iCloud. You only have the option to delete all your photos, which we imagine you don’t want to do. To delete selected photos, you will need to visit iCloud on your desktop.
How to Delete iCloud MailIf you backup your emails to iCloud, it’s a good idea to keep on top of them and delete any that you no longer need. Although tedious, deleting emails from iCloud is easy.
How to Delete Files in iCloud DriveAll files added to your iCloud drive contribute to your overall iCloud storage. In your iCloud drive, you may have GarageBand projects, voice memos and any other media files you added. To delete files, you need to log in to iCloud on your computer.
Now that you have manually deleted files on your iCloud, it’s time to do some maintenance for going forward. You can do this by selecting certain files to backup, as well as how to manage files using your system preferences. Select Files for Your iCloud BackupThe steps below will help you select which files you want to store with your iCloud backup.
Manage Files on Your Mac Through System PreferencesYou can control which files are sent to iCloud drive on your Mac computer. Here are the steps to do this. There are many alternatives to iCloud. Below are some of the best options available. Sync.comSync.com leads the way when it comes to our favorite cloud services. It’s the best for privacy and security, with features such as zero-knowledge encryption and 365-day versioning (read our full Sync.com review). pCloudpCloud offers incredibly good file syncing that makes managing files a breeze. Even better than the 5GB of free storage Apple offers, pCloud comes with 10GB of free storage when you open an account. Note that there are some steps you’ll need to complete before you can access all your free storage (read our full pCloud review). The above steps should settle any concerns you may have when your iCloud is full. By trying out each step, you’ll learn that none of them are difficult nor time consuming. Plus, the benefit is that you get to save the files you want and remove the ones you don’t need. You may not even need to purchase more storage space, leaving you with more money left in the bank. Do you find that your iCloud storage fills up quickly? Did you find our step-by-step guide easy to follow? We would love your feedback, so let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading.
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