iCloud Storage Full? How to See What's Using It and Free Up Space

You see “iCloud Storage Full” (or “Not Enough Storage”), and backups, photos, or iCloud Drive have quietly stopped syncing.

Why: Every free Apple Account gets 5 GB of iCloud storage, shared across device backups, iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive files, and Messages. When that fills up, new uploads pause until you delete something or upgrade. The biggest culprit is almost always old device backups and your photo library, so start there.

Fix 1: See exactly what’s using your storage

You can’t decide what to delete until you can see the breakdown.

• On iPhone or iPad: open Settings > [your name] > iCloud, then tap Storage (or Manage Account Storage). The colored bar shows how much each category — Backups, Photos, Drive, Messages — is using.
• On Mac: open System Settings > [your name] > iCloud, then click Manage next to the storage bar.

Tap the largest category first; that’s where you’ll free up the most space fastest.

Fix 2: Delete old device backups

Backups from a phone you no longer use are dead weight — and they’re usually the single biggest item.

1. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage (or Manage Account Storage) > Backups.
2. Tap the device whose backup you want to remove.
3. Tap Turn Off and Delete from iCloud, then confirm.

While you’re there, you can also shrink your current device’s backup: tap your device, then turn off the toggle next to large apps you don’t need backed up (tap Turn Off to confirm). Photos and big apps are the usual offenders.

Fix 3: Trim photos, files, and Messages

These three categories fill the rest of your 5 GB.

• Photos: open the Photos app, tap Select, choose photos and videos you don’t need, tap the Delete (trash) button, then confirm. Deleted items sit in Recently Deleted for 30 days, so empty that album too if you want the space back immediately.
• iCloud Drive files: open the Files app > Browse > iCloud Drive, tap Select, choose items, and tap Delete. On a Mac, open iCloud Drive in Finder and drag items to the Trash.
• Messages attachments: open a conversation, tap the contact name at the top, find the Photos section, tap See All > Select, choose large attachments, and tap Delete.

Fix 4: Upgrade to iCloud+ if you still need room

If you’ve cleared what you can and 5 GB still isn’t enough, a paid iCloud+ plan adds space.

1. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Storage (or Manage Account Storage).
2. Tap Change Storage Plan (or Upgrade to iCloud+).
3. Pick a plan (50 GB, 200 GB, or 2 TB and up) and confirm with your Apple Account payment method.

FAQ

Will deleting an old backup delete the data on that device? No. Deleting a backup only removes the copy stored in iCloud. The device itself, and its current data, are untouched.

If I delete photos to free iCloud space, do they leave my iPhone? With iCloud Photos turned on, your library is the same everywhere, so deleting a photo removes it from all your devices and iCloud. Back up anything you want to keep first.

Does buying more iPhone storage add iCloud storage? No — they’re separate. On-device storage is the space inside the phone; iCloud storage is in the cloud and is shared across all your devices.

Sources: Apple Support — Manage your iCloud storage on your Apple device