Your iCloud storage is full, and you need room without losing anything you want to keep. Start with the storage breakdown, then tackle the photos, backups, files, and messages taking up your space. Before deleting synchronized content, save independent copies of anything you still need.
Find out what is filling your iCloud account
Photos, device backups, and saved app data all use your iCloud storage.
On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage, also labeled Manage Account Storage.
Select an app or category to inspect its usage. Start with the largest category in your account.
For Apple's cleanup suggestions on iOS 17 or later and iPadOS 17 or later, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Recommended for You.
Select a recommendation to open its cleanup instructions.
On a Mac, open the Apple menu > System Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage.
On Windows, open iCloud for Windows.
Scroll to the storage graph.
Click Manage to inspect your storage.
For a browser view, sign in at iCloud.com/storage.
Choose Continue on Device when offered to open storage settings on a supported, signed-in Apple device.
Clear unwanted photos and videos
With iCloud Photos enabled, deletion syncs across your devices, so save anything you want to keep first.
- 1.To archive selected items, sign in at iCloud.com/photos, select them, and click Download. Check that the saved copies are outside synchronized iCloud folders and open correctly.
- 2.On your iPhone or iPad, open Photos and tap Select. Choose unwanted photos and videos. Slide your finger across thumbnails to select a batch faster.
- 3.Tap the Delete button and confirm deletion. To delete through a browser instead, select items at iCloud.com/photos, click the Delete button, then choose Delete.
- 4.To merge duplicates on your iPhone or iPad, open Photos > Collections > Utilities > Duplicates. Tap Merge beside a group and confirm. Duplicate merging requires iOS 16 or later or iPadOS 16.1 or later.
Trim app backups and remove old device backups
Open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage > Backups.
Select your current device to inspect the apps included in its backup.
Turn off an app whose backed-up data you no longer need. Some apps cannot be excluded.
Tap Turn Off to confirm.
If iCloud Photos is off and your photo library is included in the backup, preserve the photos you want to keep.
Check the size of Photo Library in that device's backup settings.
Turn off Photos in Backup to exclude the library.
To remove an obsolete device backup, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup.
Select the old device.
Tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud, also labeled Delete & Turn Off Backup. Deleting your current device's backup also disables its automatic iCloud backup.
To replace a cloud backup with a local Mac backup, connect your iPhone or iPad by cable.
Click Allow if requested.
Select your device in Finder.
Complete the Trust prompts on both devices if requested.
Select Encrypt local backup to include sensitive data such as Health information.
Set a password for the encrypted backup.
Click Back Up Now.
Verify that the local backup completed before deleting the unwanted iCloud backup using the steps above.
On Windows, connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer.
Select the device in Apple Devices.
Open General.
Select Encrypt local backup for an encrypted backup.
Click Back Up Now.
Verify completion before removing the cloud backup.
Remember that simply switching iCloud Backup off leaves the existing backup retained for up to 180 days.
Make room in iCloud Drive
Documents, downloads, and app folders stored in iCloud Drive also take up space. Keep wanted files outside iCloud before deleting their cloud originals.
To save a file through a browser, sign in at iCloud.com/iclouddrive.
Select the file you want to keep.
Click Download.
Check that the saved copy opens correctly before removing the original.
On an iPhone, open Files > Browse > Locations > iCloud Drive. On an iPad, open Files > iCloud Drive in the sidebar.
On an iPhone, tap More > Select.
Select the files or folders you no longer need.
Tap Delete. Deleted iCloud Drive files remain recoverable for 30 days, but they do not count toward your storage during that period.
On a Mac, select unwanted items in Finder > iCloud Drive.
Press Command-Delete to delete them.
On Windows, select unwanted items in File Explorer > iCloud Drive.
Press Delete to remove them.
If your Mac uploads its Desktop and Documents folders, open the Apple menu > System Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Drive or iCloud Drive.
Turn off Desktop & Documents Folders to stop those automatic uploads.
Click Done. The toggle leaves existing cloud files intact.
Use Finder to move wanted files from iCloud Drive into the new local Desktop or Documents folders.
If Drive cleanup does not free enough space, check Messages in your iCloud storage breakdown next.
Cut down saved Messages and attachments
Saved conversations and photo attachments use cloud space when Messages in iCloud is enabled.
Open the conversation containing an unwanted attachment in Messages.
Touch and hold the attachment.
Tap More.
Select the items you want to remove.
Tap the Delete button. Deletion affects your synchronized copies, not the recipient's copies.
For a whole conversation you no longer need, swipe left on it.
Tap Delete.
To permanently remove deleted conversations, open Messages > Filter > Recently Deleted.
Select the conversations to erase.
Tap the Delete button.
Confirm deletion.
To limit future history, open Settings > Apps > Messages > Keep Messages.
Choose 30 Days or 1 Year instead of Forever. Shortening retention removes older history, so keep that consequence in mind before choosing.
Give your iCloud mailbox a cleanup
Deleting unwanted iCloud email and attachments frees cloud space. Archiving mail keeps it in iCloud.
Sign in at iCloud.com/mail.
Select unwanted messages.
Click Trash or the Delete button. If the displayed action is Archive, choose More or Move > Trash.
To erase trashed messages permanently, open the Settings button above the Mailboxes list > Empty Trash.
Click Empty Trash again to confirm.
To find larger messages on a Mac, open your iCloud mailbox in Mail.
Choose View > Sort By > Size.
Select unwanted messages.
Press Delete.
Choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items > your iCloud account.
To keep message text while removing attachments, first save any wanted attachments separately on your Mac.
Select the messages containing the attachments.
Choose Message > Remove Attachments. This removes the server attachment copies while keeping the message text.
If mail cleanup still leaves you short on space, return to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage to find another app category to clear.
Check the smaller app categories
Use these options when your storage breakdown points to app data you no longer need.
- 1.For iCloud-enabled Voice Memos on your iPhone, select an unwanted recording and tap Delete. Open Recently Deleted, select the recording, and tap Delete again to erase its recovery copy.
- 2.For iCloud notes, open the iCloud notes list in Notes, swipe left on an unwanted note, and tap Delete. To erase its recovery copy, open Recently Deleted, swipe left on the note, then tap Delete and Delete Note.
- 3.For personal imported books or PDFs stored in iCloud, open Books > Library, tap the item's More button, and choose Remove > Delete Everywhere. Remove Download only removes the downloaded copy.
- 4.To remove synchronized contact photos and posters without deleting your contacts, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage > Contact Images. Tap Delete Data from iCloud. This option applies to iOS and iPadOS 26 or later.
Add space when you need to keep everything
If the remaining files, photos, and backups are all worth keeping, use additional capacity. It increases available space without clearing stored data.
With an eligible shared family iCloud+ plan, open Settings > Family > Subscriptions > iCloud+.
Tap Use Family Storage.
To buy more storage on iOS or iPadOS 27, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
Tap Storage or Almost Full.
Tap Get More Storage.
Choose a plan.
Complete the purchase prompts.
For an existing subscription, open Settings > [your name] > iCloud, then tap Manage Plan under iCloud+ Features to change your plan.
If you bought a new iPhone or iPad and lack enough backup space, Apple's temporary transfer storage covers eligible moves. It normally lasts 21 days and is not permanent storage.
Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone or Transfer or Reset iPad.
Tap Get Started under Prepare for New iPhone or Prepare for New iPad.
Tap Turn On Backup to Transfer if requested.
Tap Continue.
Restore the backup onto your new device within the allowed period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Optimize iPhone Storage free up iCloud space?
No. Optimize iPhone Storage reduces storage used on your iPhone while keeping full-resolution originals in iCloud. Remove Download in Files and Free up space in iCloud for Windows also leave cloud originals intact.
Do I need to empty Recently Deleted in Photos to reclaim iCloud storage?
No. Photos in Recently Deleted do not count toward iCloud storage. Permanently erasing them removes the recovery option without freeing additional cloud space.
Will turning off iCloud Photos delete my cloud photos?
Turning off synchronization on one device leaves your cloud photos in place. The separate account-wide Turn Off and Delete Photos action schedules cloud deletion after 30 days. Preserve your originals first. During that period, Undo Delete or Recover iCloud Photos reverses the scheduled deletion.
Will uninstalling iCloud for Windows clear my account?
No. Signing out or uninstalling removes iCloud information from the PC while retaining information in iCloud and on other devices. Use cloud deletion controls to reclaim space.