How to Clear iCloud Storage on iPhone

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Co-authored by Gonzalo Martinez and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: December 5, 2024

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This wikiHow teaches you how to free up iCloud space on an iPhone by clearing unneeded photos, videos, and app data.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Clearing Photos and Videos

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It’s the white icon with a multicolored floral symbol inside. You’ll usually find it on the home screen.
It’s at the top of the screen.^{[1]
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This adds a blue and white check mark to the bottom-right corner of each thumbnail.
It’s at the bottom-right corner of the screen. A confirmation message will appear.
The button will actually say something like ″Delete 45 Videos″ or ″Delete 2 Photos.″ This deletes the selected media from your iCloud library, which frees up iCloud storage space.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Unsyncing App Data

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You’ll usually find this app on your home screen.
It’s at the top of the menu.
3
Tap iCloud. It’s at the top of the second section. A list of apps currently syncing to your iCloud account will appear with green switches. Apps that are not syncing have white switches.
- Synced data can take up a lot of space in your iCloud account. If there’s anything you don’t need to sync, it’s best to disable it if space is becoming an issue.
A pop-up will appear.
5
Decide what to do with the existing app data. If you want to keep the data on your iPhone, tap Keep on My iPhone. To free up space on your iPhone as well, select Delete from My iPhone. The app’s data will now be removed from iCloud.
- Need more advice about clearing up space on iCloud? Check out what wikiHow users say on our My iCloud storage is full. How can I free up some space? forum.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Optimizing iPhone Storage

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1
Open your iPhone’s Settings
. You’ll usually find this app on the home screen.
- This method makes more space available on your iPhone, but may use up extra space in iCloud.
It’s at the top of the menu.
It’s at the top of the second section.
It’s the first option under ″APPS USING ICLOUD.″
This adds a blue check mark to the option, which means that full-resolution photos and videos will now be replaced with optimized (smaller) versions, while the full-resolution versions will be saved to iCloud.

Join the Discussion...

My iCloud storage is full. How can I free up some space?

WikiAntelopeWatcher458

I've hit the limit on my iCloud storage and need to free up some space. How do I clean out my iCloud storage? I feel like my storage fills up a l... Read More

WikiLynxJumper245

I like to keep all of my data backed up on a hard drive or another cloud service, like Google Drive or Dropbox. That way, I can clear out old not... Read More

Gonzalo Martinez
Computer & Phone Repair Specialist

To check your iCloud storage on iPhone, you go to your settings app, and then you will click on your Apple ID account located on the very top. An... Read More

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Question

How do I delete photos from the cloud? I understand how to delete photos from my iPhone, but I need to free up space on the cloud.

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Community Answer

To delete photos from the cloud and free up space, open the Photos app or go to iCloud.com, select Photos, and tap the Trash icon. Don't forget to clear the "Recently Deleted" folder. Then go to the Google Photos app or Photos.Google.com, delete photos, and empty the Trash folder to free space. As for other cloud services (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.), access the service app or website, delete photos, and permanently remove them from the Trash bin or Recycle bin. Make sure you're deleting directly from the cloud, not just your device.

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Question

I have 1139 pictures and 149 videos. Why is it saying my iCloud storage is full?

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Community Answer

Your iCloud storage may be full because iCloud also backs up more than just photos and videos. Here are a few possibilities: 1. iCloud stores full device backups, including app data, messages, and settings. Check if large backups are taking up space. 2. Files from apps like Notes, iCloud Drive, or other services may be using space. 3. Deleted photos and videos stay in the "Recently Deleted" folder for 30 days, still using storage. Check your iCloud storage usage in **Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage to see what's using the most space.

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