Is that iCloud storage full email a scam?

How the scam works

The email looks official: an Apple logo, a storage bar in the red, and a warning that your photos, videos and contacts will be removed unless you act. There is a button to upgrade, often with a loyalty offer or a "free" extra amount of storage. The link leads to a fake sign-in page that collects your Apple Account details, or a payment page that collects your card.

The trick is that iCloud really does fill up for many people, so the message feels plausible. The fix is simple: ignore the email and check the real status yourself.

Warning signs

Apple's guidance on phishing lists signs that apply directly here:

• The sender's address does not match the company it claims to be from.
• A link looks right, but the web address does not match the company's site.
• The message asks for personal information, such as a card number or account password.
• It looks noticeably different from messages the company has sent you before.

Add a few iCloud-specific tells: a deadline measured in hours, a claim that your photos will be deleted today, an offer of storage for a strange one-off fee, or a greeting that does not use your name. Apple says it will never ask you to log in to a website from a link in a message, and never asks for your password or verification codes to provide support.

Check your real iCloud storage

Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, then iCloud. The bar at the top shows exactly how much space you have and what is using it. If you are close to full, the device shows it there and in Settings banners. Plan changes happen in the same place, under your account, never through a link.

If your storage really is full, our guide on freeing up iCloud storage shows how to clear space or decide whether you need a bigger plan. For space on the phone itself, see checking iPhone storage.

Report it

Apple asks you to forward suspicious emails that appear to come from Apple to reportphishing@apple.com. For a suspicious text, take a screenshot and email it to the same address. If the email arrived in an iCloud Mail inbox, mark it as junk to improve filtering, then delete it.

If you already clicked

• You entered your Apple Account password. Change it right away from Settings, under your name, in the sign-in and security section, and review the devices signed in to your account. Apple has a dedicated article for when you think your account has been compromised.
• You entered card details. Contact your bank or card issuer, explain what happened, and watch for charges.
• You only opened the email. Delete it. Opening alone is generally not the problem; links and attachments are.

Your photos are not deleted because you ignored a fake email. Real storage limits stop new uploads and backups rather than erasing what is already stored, as Apple's storage article explains. Keeping your own copy of important photos, as covered in backing up iPhone photos, makes threats like these even less effective.