How to free up iCloud storage when it's full

What happens when iCloud is full

Apple lists the consequences plainly. Your device stops backing up to iCloud, new photos and videos stop uploading to iCloud Photos, and you cannot send or receive email with your iCloud address. iCloud Drive and apps that sync through iCloud stop updating too.

One detail catches people out. If you are over your iCloud limit, Apple says the device removes photos and videos you delete immediately, and they do not go to Recently Deleted. Be extra careful about what you select while the storage warning is showing.

The free iCloud tier is small next to a modern photo library, so most people run into this eventually. The warning usually appears on the phone as a banner in Settings and as a notification, and Apple may email you as well.

See what is using the space

Go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, then tap Storage or Manage Account Storage. The bar and list show which apps and services use the most. On iOS 17 and later, Recommended for You on the iCloud screen points out large files, photos and backups you may not need.

You can also check from a computer at iCloud.com. If you share a family plan, remember that each person's data counts toward the shared total, so the space hog may be on someone else's phone.

Clear space, biggest first

• Backups. In the storage list, tap Backups, then your device, and switch off apps you do not need backed up. Apple notes this removes that app's backup data from iCloud. Old devices you no longer use can be deleted with Turn Off and Delete from iCloud.
• Photos and videos. These are usually the largest. Long videos, screen recordings and duplicates are good first targets. Apple says items in Recently Deleted do not count toward your iCloud storage. If you use a Shared Library, items count toward the storage of the person who created it.
• Messages. Old conversations full of videos take space when Messages in iCloud is on. See deleting large attachments.
• Mail. Messages with attachments take more space than plain text. The Mail app's cleanup recommendations help find them, and emptying the Trash finishes the job.
• iCloud Drive. Open Files, browse iCloud Drive and remove downloads, old installers and duplicates.

Before deleting photos you might want later, copy them to a computer or drive. Our guide on backing up iPhone photos covers how.

When deleting isn't enough

If your library is simply bigger than your plan, you have two honest options: upgrade to an iCloud+ plan, or keep part of your library somewhere else, such as a computer or external drive, and remove it from iCloud. Be wary of emails that say your storage is full and ask you to click a link to pay; our guide to the iCloud storage full email scam explains how to tell.