Running out of iCloud storage? Learn how to free up space easily
Is your iCloud nearly full and slowing you down? It’s time to take control and free up iCloud storage with easy, effective steps. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to delete unnecessary files, manage backups, and optimize settings to make the most of your iCloud space. Whether it’s old photos, large email attachments, or unused app data, clearing them out can give your iCloud a fresh start. Let’s get your storage back under control fast.
Running Out of iCloud Storage? Here’s How to Free Up Space Easily
Are you constantly getting notifications about limited iCloud space? Don’t worry—there are practical and effective ways to free up iCloud storage and keep your device running smoothly. Managing your storage is crucial to prevent sync issues, slowdowns, or potential data loss. To get started, head to Settings on your Apple device, tap your name, then go to iCloud > Manage Storage. Here, you can quickly see which apps and files are taking up the most space.
Consider deleting old device backups, large iMessage attachments, or unused app data. You can also enable “Optimize iPhone Storage” under Photos to store smaller photo versions locally while keeping originals in iCloud. By regularly reviewing and cleaning up your data, you’ll easily free up iCloud storage and make space for the files and memories that matter most.
Tips on how to free up iCloud storage space
One way to clear some space on your iCloud is by deleting unnecessary files and documents. Here are some tips on how to effectively manage your iCloud storage and free up space:
- Delete old backups: Review your iCloud backup settings and delete any outdated or unnecessary backups of your devices.
- Remove unused apps: Identify apps that you no longer use or need, and delete them from your iCloud account.
- Clear out large files: Sort through your files and identify any large attachments or media that can be deleted to free up valuable space.
- Use optimized storage: Enable the "Optimize Storage" feature on your devices, which automatically removes full-resolution photos and videos from iCloud when storage is low.

Delete old messages and attachments
Deleting old messages and attachments can help you create more room in your iCloud. When your iCloud storage is full, cleaning up your iCloud storage becomes crucial. By deleting old messages and attachments, you can free up space in iCloud and avoid reaching the storage limit. To delete old messages on iPhone or iPad, simply open the Messages app and swipe left on a conversation to reveal the “Delete” option.
For attachments, open the conversation, tap on the contact’s name at the top of the screen, then select “Info.” From there, tap on “Attachments” to view and delete them individually. On Mac, launch Messages app, go to Preferences > General > Manage Storage to remove old conversations and their attachments. By regularly deleting these unnecessary files from your iCloud backups, you can ensure that your valuable data always has sufficient space for safekeeping.
Delete iCloud backups
- Open Settings on your device.
- Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
- Select "iCloud" and then "Manage Storage".
- Choose "Backups" and select the backup you want to delete, then tap "Delete Backup".
Remove files from iCloud
You can easily remove files from your iCloud by following these steps. To free up space in your iCloud storage, it’s important to regularly remove unnecessary files from your account. One way to do this is by accessing your iCloud Drive. Simply open the Files app on your iPhone or iPad and tap on “Browse” at the bottom of the screen. From there, select “iCloud Drive” and browse through the folders to find the files you want to delete.
Once you’ve found the file, swipe left on it and tap on the “Delete” button. Another option is to go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups. Here, you can select specific backups and delete them to clear up more space in your iCloud storage. By removing unwanted files and backups, you’ll be able to effectively manage your iCloud storage and ensure that you have enough space for important data.
Delete email attachments
- Open the Mail app on your device.
- Go to the mailbox where you want to delete attachments.
- Find the email with the attachment you want to remove.
- Swipe left on the email and tap on "More" or the trash icon.
Deleting email attachments not only helps clean up iCloud Drive but also saves precious storage space. This is especially important if you have a free iCloud account with limited storage capacity.
By following these simple steps, you can easily delete photos, documents, or any other type of attachment that’s taking up valuable space in your iCloud storage.
Keep in mind that deleting an attachment from an email doesn’t delete it from any other location in your iCloud account, so make sure to double-check before deleting anything important.


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What's using up iCloud space
What’s currently taking up space in your iCloud account? It’s important to know what is using up your iCloud storage so you can effectively manage and free up space. Your iCloud storage is primarily used for backing up your devices, storing photos and videos, and saving documents. All of these files, along with app data, messages, and email attachments, contribute to the overall storage usage.
To check what’s using up your iCloud space on an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage. On a Mac, open System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage… You can then review the apps and their respective data that are taking up the most storage space. By identifying these areas, you can take steps to optimize your iCloud storage and make room for more important files or documents.
Download and delete photos
- Download photos to your device: Transfer the photos from your iCloud storage to your device by selecting the desired pictures and tapping on the download icon. This will allow you to access them offline without taking up any more iCloud space.
- Delete unwanted photos: Review your photo library and remove any unnecessary or duplicate images. Simply select the photos you want to delete and tap on the trash bin icon. This will instantly free up space in your iCloud storage.
- Use optimized storage: Enable this feature in your iPhone settings to automatically store full-resolution versions of recent photos on your device while keeping older, less frequently accessed ones in iCloud.
- Utilize third-party cloud services: If you have limited iCloud storage, consider using alternative cloud services like Google Photos or Dropbox to store and organize your photo collection.
How to clean up iCloud Drive
- Open the Files app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap "Browse" at the bottom of the screen.
- Select "iCloud Drive" from the locations list.
- Browse through your files and identify any unnecessary ones.
- Swipe left on a file to reveal the delete option, then tap "Delete."
- Alternatively, tap "Select" in the top-right corner, choose the files you want to delete, then tap the trash bin icon.
Download and delete photos
- Download photos: Go to the Photos app on your device and select the photos you want to download. Tap on the Share button and choose "Save Image" or "Save to Files" option. This will save the photos locally on your device.
- Delete photos: Open the Photos app again and select the photos you want to delete. Tap on the trash icon or use the "Delete" option in the menu. Confirm your choice to permanently delete them from iCloud.
- Check iCloud storage: To monitor your progress, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage. Here, you can see how much space is being used by your photos.
- Recover storage space: After downloading and deleting unnecessary photos, you should notice an increase in available iCloud storage space.
Delete old messages and attachments
Deleting old messages and attachments can help you create more space in your iCloud Drive storage. When you receive a lot of emails with large attachments, they take up valuable storage on your iCloud account. By regularly deleting these messages and attachments, you can free up iCloud storage and ensure that you have enough space for other important files and documents.
To delete old messages and attachments from your iCloud account, simply open the Mail app on your device. Go to your Inbox or any other folder where you have stored messages. Select the message or attachment that you want to delete by tapping on it. Then, tap on the trash bin icon to remove it permanently.
Delete iCloud backups
Now that you have cleared out old messages and attachments to free up some iCloud storage, let’s move on to another method: deleting iCloud backups. This can help you further optimize your storage and ensure you don’t hit the iCloud storage limit.
Here are four steps to delete iCloud backups:
- Open your device's settings.
- Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
- Select "iCloud" and then "Manage Storage."
- Choose "Backups," and then tap on the device backup you want to delete.

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Remove files from iCloud
- Open the Files app on your device.
- Navigate to the iCloud Drive section.
- Tap "Select" at the top right corner of the screen.
- Choose the files you want to remove by tapping on them.
- Tap the trash can icon at the bottom right corner of the screen.
- Confirm by tapping "Delete".

Delete email attachments
You can easily remove email attachments to clear space in your iCloud account. Deleting these attachments is a simple and effective way to free up iCloud storage when it becomes full. Here are four steps you can follow:
- Open the Mail app on your device.
- Find the email with the attachment you want to delete.
- Swipe left on the email and tap "Delete."
- Empty your Trash folder by going to Mailboxes, selecting "Trash," and tapping "Edit" followed by "Delete All."

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Get some help when iCloud storage is full
If your iCloud storage is full, it’s time to seek assistance. When your iCloud storage reaches its limit, it can be frustrating and limit the functionality of your device. But don’t worry, there are several ways to free up iCloud storage and get more space.
Firstly, you can start by deleting unnecessary files and documents from your iCloud account. This includes photos, videos, and any other large files that you no longer need. Additionally, you can optimize your device settings to automatically store less data in iCloud.
Furthermore, consider using external cloud storage services or physical storage devices to transfer some of your files off of iCloud. This will not only free up a lot of iCloud storage space but also give you the flexibility to access your files from multiple devices.
Lastly, if these methods aren’t enough or you need more than the standard 5GB of free iCloud storage, Apple offers paid plans that allow you to get more iCloud storage according to your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
To manage your iCloud storage, go to Settings on your Apple device, tap on your name, then tap “iCloud” and “Manage Storage”. From there, you can see how much storage you are using and manage your files and backups.
When your iCloud storage is full, you won’t be able to back up your devices, receive new emails in iCloud Mail, or save new files to iCloud Drive. You may also experience syncing issues with your photos and other iCloud-enabled apps.
There are several ways to free up space in your iCloud storage. You can delete old backups, remove photos and videos you no longer need, delete unnecessary files from iCloud Drive, or turn off iCloud backups for certain apps. You can also purchase more storage if needed.
If you delete a file from your iCloud storage, it will be permanently deleted from all your devices. Make sure to back up important files before deleting them.
To delete old iCloud backups, go to Settings on your Apple device, tap on your name, then tap “iCloud” and “Manage Storage”. Under the “Backups” section, select the backup you want to delete and tap “Delete Backup”.
To check how much storage you have in your iCloud account, go to Settings on your Apple device, tap on your name, then tap “iCloud” and “Manage Storage”. The available storage will be displayed at the top of the screen.
Yes, Apple provides 5GB of free iCloud storage for all users. If you need more storage, you can purchase additional storage plans.
To free up space in your iCloud photo library, you can go through your photos and videos and delete the ones you no longer need. You can also enable the “Optimize iPhone Storage” option in your device settings, which will store smaller versions of your photos on your device while keeping the originals in iCloud.
Yes, iCloud storage can be used to back up your iPhone. You can enable iCloud backups in your device settings, and it will automatically back up your device when connected to Wi-Fi and plugged into power.
You cannot turn off iCloud storage entirely, but you can manage what gets backed up to iCloud. To do this, go to Settings on your Apple device, tap on your name, then tap “iCloud” and “Manage Storage“. From there, you can select which apps and data are included in your iCloud backups.
