When you first set up your iPhone or iPad, you automatically get 5GB of free iCloud storage. This storage allows you to back up your device, store photos and videos in iCloud Photos, save documents to iCloud Drive, and more.
However, that 5GB tends to fill up pretty quickly nowadays, especially if you take a lot of photos and videos. When your iCloud storage fills up, your device won’t be able to back up properly or save new photos and videos to iCloud Photos.
Fortunately, there are a few different things you can try to free up space or get more iCloud storage:
Table of Contents
Check Which Apps and Services Are Using the Most Space
The first step is to check what’s taking up space in your iCloud storage and see if there’s anything you can delete or optimize.
To check your iCloud storage usage:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
- Tap your Apple ID banner at the top
- Tap
iCloud - Tap
Manage Storage
This will show you a breakdown of which apps and services are using storage. Some common space hogs include:
- Photos and videos – Especially in full resolution. You may be able to optimize these to save space.
- Backups – Old backups can build up over time. You may be able to delete these.
- Documents and data – Large documents and app data stored in iCloud Drive.
Review the list and see if there’s anything you can delete or optimize to free up space.
Optimize Photos and Videos
One of the best ways to save a lot of space is enabling the “Optimize iPhone/iPad Storage” option for photos and videos. This keeps full resolution versions in iCloud but saves smaller versions on your device.
To turn this on:
- Go to
Settings > Photos - Enable
Optimize iPhone/iPad Storage
This will take some time as it uploads full resolution versions to iCloud and downloads optimized versions to your device. But then you’ll have all your photos and videos available at a much smaller size on your device.
Delete Old Backups
Over time, multiple device backups can build up in your iCloud storage and take up a lot of unnecessary space. You can delete old backups to free up room.
To manage backups:
- Go to
Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups - Delete any old backups you no longer need by swiping left and tapping
Delete Backup
Keep your most recent 1-2 backups and delete any older ones. Your phone will continue making new backups automatically as long as you have storage space.
Remove Large Files from iCloud Drive
If you have a lot of documents, spreadsheets, or other files saved in iCloud Drive, they can quickly eat up storage, especially if they are large files.
To remove large files from iCloud Drive:
- On your iPhone/iPad, go to the Files app
- Tap
Browsein the bottom menu - Tap
iCloud Drive - Browse for files you can delete or move out of iCloud Drive to free up space
Upgrade Your iCloud Storage Plan
If deleting content and optimizing photos still isn’t enough to free up space, you can always upgrade your iCloud storage plan for more room.
Upgrading is easy and affordable. Here are the pricing options:
- 50GB: $0.99 per month
- 200GB: $2.99 per month
- 2TB: $9.99 per month
To upgrade, go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Change Storage Plan and choose the plan you want. Then enter your Apple ID password to confirm.
Upgrading your iCloud plan allows you to keep all your photos at full resolution, maintain plenty of backups, and not have to worry about running out of space.
Use Another Cloud Service in Addition to iCloud
While upgrading your iCloud storage is the simplest solution, you can also offload some data to another cloud storage provider to save costs. Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive often offer cheaper storage rates.
For example, you could:
- Store documents in Google Drive or Dropbox instead of iCloud Drive
- Use Google Photos to store some photos and videos beyond what fits in your iCloud storage
- Sync an important folder to OneDrive for backup
This takes more effort to set up and manage, but allows you to get additional affordable storage beyond Apple’s iCloud ecosystem.
Just make sure to leave enough room in iCloud to maintain device backups and some photos.
Check iCloud Storage Regularly
With all your photos, messages, emails, and app data syncing to iCloud, it’s easy to accidentally start filling up your storage again in the future.
To avoid getting back into a full storage situation, make sure to check your iCloud storage usage every month or two. That way you can optimize and delete content before you run out of room.
Keeping tabs on your iCloud storage lets you identify storage hogs early and make adjustments so you always have breathing room.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I see what’s using storage in iCloud?
Go to Settings > Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage to see a breakdown of storage usage by apps and services.
What uses the most iCloud storage?
Photos and videos tend to use the most iCloud storage, followed by device backups, documents in iCloud Drive, and email attachments.
How much does extra iCloud storage cost?
50GB costs $0.99/month, 200GB is $2.99/month, and 2TB is $9.99/month. You can upgrade your storage plan anytime in your iCloud settings.
Can I use iCloud and Google Drive together?
Yes, you can absolutely use both iCloud and Google Drive. For example, you might store documents in Google Drive and use iCloud for device backups and photos. Using multiple cloud services allows you to get more affordable storage.
How often should I check my iCloud storage?
It’s a good idea to check your iCloud storage usage every month or two. This allows you to optimize and delete content before you run out of space, so you can avoid issues with backups and photos failing.
Conclusion
Running out of iCloud storage is a common frustration among iPhone and iPad users. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to reclaim space or add more affordable storage.
Start by reviewing your iCloud usage details and removing content you no longer need. Enable options like Optimized iPhone/iPad Storage for photos. Upgrade your iCloud storage plan if you need more room. And consider using alternate cloud storage in tandem with iCloud to meet all your storage needs.
Staying on top of your iCloud capacity ensures all your devices can back up properly and you always have access to your precious photos and videos. With a storage strategy tailored to your needs, you can make the most of Apple’s cloud ecosystem.
