© Provided by Business Insider You can clear your iCloud storage on your iPhone, iPad and by going to the iCloud website on your Mac. SOPA Images/Getty Images
- You can clear an iCloud account's storage in several ways to free up space and avoid having to pay for extra storage.
- Apple gives you 5 GB of iCloud storage with the purchase of one of its devices, and that can fill up fast.
- Most often, your iCloud storage goes towards backing up your photos, files, voice memos, apps, and text messages.
Unless you pay for an iCloud subscription, Apple gives you 5GB of storage with any device's purchase. That's not a lot of space, and you can quickly find that you don't have enough room for your photos, iCloud Drive files, and other data from your phone or tablet.
Tap your account profile photo or initial Photos settings Free up device storage. You'll see how much space will be freed up. To delete all the items from your phone, tap Free up. Free up space To download more apps and media, or help your phone run better, you can clear space on your phone. Storage is where you keep data, like music and photos. Memory is where you run. How to free up phone Memory space on Android. How to free up internal storage on Android. How to clean phone memory on Android. How to clean unnecessary dat.
You can upgrade your iCloud subscription, but it's cheaper to clear out space in your iCloud account. You can delete files, photos, app backups, voice memos, and more from your iCloud Drive directly on your Apple device or through the iCloud website.
Typically, these things and all their associated data get backed up to iCloud by default. This can be both a blessing and a curse, particularly if the things you want to be backed up take up a lot of storage space. But you can save a substantial amount of space by disabling automatic backups, especially when it comes to your largest apps.
You can also delete text messages and any of the videos or images attached to them. While deleting individual texts won't save much space, you can remove entire conversations and the media associated with them, which can help significantly.
Here's how to clear your iCloud storage and free up more space.
How to clear iCloud storage
Delete photos from iCloud storage
By default, iCloud backs up all your photos and videos to the cloud. Over time, that adds up to a lot of pictures. You can save space by deleting any images you no longer want. It's possible to do this from your iPhone, iPad, or the iCloud website. As long as Google Photos is enabled, any pictures you delete in one location are automatically deleted everywhere. Here's how to delete photos from iCloud.
Delete files and folders from the iCloud website
1. Open iCloud.com in a browser.
2. Log in with your Apple ID.
3. Click 'iCloud Drive.'
4. To delete a folder, select it and then click the Delete icon.
5. To delete files, double-click a folder.
6. Hold down CTRL while clicking each file.
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider You can remove a single or multiple iCloud files using the CTRL-key. Dave Johnson/Business Insider7. Sonicfire pro for mac. Select the Delete icon.
Delete unwanted files in iCloud Drive from your iPad or iPhone
1. On your iPhone or iPad, launch the Files app.
2. Tap 'Browse' at the bottom of the screen.
3. In the Locations section, select 'iCloud Drive.'
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider You can delete files and folders to free up space in iCloud using the Files app on your iPhone or iPad. Dave Johnson/Business Insider4. To delete an entire folder, tap 'Select' in the screen's top right.
5. Then, choose the folder and tap the Delete icon.
6. To delete files, open the folder they're contained in.
7. Use 'Select' to choose files and delete them.
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider Select each file you want to delete and then send them to the trash. Dave Johnson/Business InsiderDelete app backups from iCloud on your iPhone or iPad
1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your account name at the top of the screen.
3. Select 'iCloud.'
4. Choose 'Manage Storage' on the next screen.
5. Tap 'Backups.'
6. A list of your Apple devices being backed up to iCloud will appear. Select the name of the device you are currently using.
7. In the Choose Data to Back Up section, you should now see a list of the five apps that take up the most space on iCloud.
8. Turn off the backup feature for any of these apps by swiping the button to the left.
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider You can save a lot of storage space by not backing up your largest apps. Dave Johnson/Business Insider9. To see more options and disable more apps by tapping 'Show All Apps.'
10. Repeat this process for any of your other Apple devices from that respective device.
Delete voice memos from iCloud on your iPhone or iPad
1. Start the Voice Memos app on your iPad or iPhone
2. Swipe a voice memo to the left.
3. Tap the Delete icon.
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider You can delete any voice memo, but you'll need to remove it from the Recently Deleted section to reclaim the space immediately. Dave Johnson/Business Insider4. Select 'Recently Deleted.'
5. Tap the recording you just deleted.
6. Choose 'Delete' to permanently remove the voice memo, which will be erased on its own after 30 days.
Delete text messages and their large attachments on an iPhone or iPad
1. On your iPhone or iPad, start the Messages app.
2. Locate a conversation that has attachments you want to remove.
3. Select the person's name at the top of the screen.
4. Choose 'Info.'
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider A contact's info can often be found by tapping the 'i' icon. Dave Johnson/Business Insider5. On the Details page, photos should appear in a grid. Scroll and tap the 'See All Photos' link below them.
6. Tap 'Select' at the top of the screen.
7. Select each photo you want to remove.
8. Tap 'Delete.'
9. Go to the iMessage app.
10. Select the text thread you want to delete.
11. Swipe it to the left.
© Dave Johnson/Business Insider This method will delete an entire conversation, including all its photo and video attachments. Dave Johnson/Business Insider12. Tap 'Delete.'
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When you set up iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of storage. You can use that space for your iCloud backups, to keep your photos and videos stored in iCloud Photos, and your documents up to date in iCloud Drive. You can make more space or buy more storage any time.
See how much iCloud storage you're using
Your iCloud storage is different from the storage capacity that comes with your device. Learn the difference between storage on your device and in iCloud.
On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud. To see more detailed information about how apps and services are using your storage, tap iCloud Storage or Manage Storage.
On your Mac
Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud. To see more detailed information about how apps and services are using your storage, click Manage.
On your PC
On the web
On a supported browser, sign in to iCloud.com, then click Account Settings.
Upgrade or downgrade your iCloud storage
You can buy more storage or downgrade your storage at any time. Plans start at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month. If you choose 200GB or 2TB plans, you can share your storage with family. Learn more about plans and prices in your region.
You can also make more space using the steps below.
Make more space available in iCloud
If you run out of iCloud storage, your device won’t back up to iCloud, new photos and videos won't upload to iCloud Photos, and iCloud Drive, other iCloud apps, and text messages won't stay up to date across your devices. And you can't send or receive emails with your iCloud email address.
You can free up storage in iCloud by deleting content that you're not using:
Before you delete anything, you might want to archive or make copies of the information you store in iCloud.
Manage your iCloud Backup
When you back up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iCloud, the most important information on your device is backed up automatically. Backups can include your documents, photos, and videos. Learn more about what iCloud backs up.
Many iOS apps automatically back up to iCloud after you install them. You can decrease the size of your iCloud Backup and free up space in iCloud when you turn off backups for apps that you're not using or delete old iCloud backups.
Choose which apps to back up on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.
- Tap Manage Storage > Backups.
- Tap the name of the device that you're using.
- Under Choose Data to Back Up, turn off any apps that you don't want to back up.
- Choose Turn Off & Delete.
When you confirm that you want to Turn Off & Delete an app, it turns off iCloud Backup for that app and removes all of its information from iCloud.
Some apps are always backed up and you can't turn them off.
Delete backups and turn off iCloud Backup for your device
You can delete old iCloud backups for the device you're currently using, or older devices you may not use anymore. iCloud backups are available for 180 days after you disable or stop using iCloud Backup.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
- Go to Settings > [your name], then tap iCloud.
- Tap Manage Storage > Backups.
- Tap the name of the device whose backup you'd like to delete.
- Tap Delete Backup > Turn Off & Delete.
When you delete a backup, it also turns off iCloud Backup for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
How To Clean Up Iphone Storage Space
Mac
- Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID, then click iCloud.
- Click Manage and select Backups.
- Select one of the device backups, then click Delete. If you want to turn off Backup and remove all backups for that device from iCloud, choose Delete when you're asked to confirm.
When you delete a backup, it also turns off iCloud Backup for your device.
Windows PC
- Open iCloud for Windows.
- Click Storage.
- Select Backup from the items listed.
- Select one of the device backups, then click Delete. If you want to turn off Backup and remove all backups for that device from iCloud, choose Delete when you're asked to confirm.
How To Clean Android Storage
When you delete a backup, it also turns off iCloud Backup for your device.
Reduce the size of your iCloud Photos
iCloud Photos uses your iCloud storage to keep all of your photos and videos up to date across your devices. You can make more space in iCloud when you delete photos and videos that you no longer need from the Photos app on any of your devices.
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Before you delete anything, make sure that you back up the photos and videos that you still want. When you use iCloud Photos and delete a photo or video on one device, it's also deleted on all other devices where you're signed in with the same Apple ID.
Use these steps to delete photos and videos from your iCloud Photos.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
- Open the Photos app, then tap Photos at the bottom of your screen.
- Tap Select, and choose one or more photos or videos that you want to delete.
- Tap Delete , and then tap Delete Photo.
Mac
- Open the Photos app.
- Select the photos and videos that you want to delete.
- Choose Image, then click Delete Photos.
iCloud.com
- From your iPhone, iPad, or computer, sign in to iCloud.com.
- Tap the Photos app.
- Select the photos or videos that you want to delete.
- Tap Delete, then tap Delete.
To select multiple photos or videos, tap Select on iOS or iPadOS, or press and hold Command on a Mac or Control on a PC while you select the items. To select all, press and hold Command-A on macOS or Control-A on Windows, or tap Select All on iOS or iPadOS.
You can recover photos and videos that you delete from your Recently Deleted album for 30 days. If you want to remove content from Recently Deleted album faster, tap Select, then select the items you want to remove. Tap Delete > Delete. If you exceed your iCloud storage limit, your device immediately removes any photos and videos you delete and they won't be available for recovery in your Recently Deleted album.
Reduce the size of your photo library
If you don't use iCloud Photos, your Camera Roll is part of your iCloud Backup. To check how much storage it's using in iCloud Backup, follow these steps.
- Go to Settings > [your name], then tap iCloud.
- Tap Manage Storage.
- Tap Backups.
- Tap the name of the device you're using, then look at Photos.
To reduce the size of your Photos backup, save your photos and videos to your computer, then manually back up your iOS device. If you want to keep your photos and videos on your iOS device, you can turn off Photos in Backup or buy more storage. If there are any photos that you don't want to keep, you can delete them. Open Photos and select the item that you want to delete. Then tap Delete and tap Delete Photo.
Delete folders or files in iCloud Drive
You can manage and delete folders or files you store in iCloud Drive from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. If you're a participant in someone else's shared folder, it does not count towards your iCloud storage. Learn more about folder sharing in iCloud Drive.
With iOS 11 or later, files that you delete from iCloud Drive remain in Recently Deleted for 30 days before they're removed from your device.
iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
- Go to the Files app and tap Browse.
- Under Locations, tap iCloud Drive > Select.
- Choose the folders or files that you want to delete, then tap Delete .
- Go to Locations > Recently Deleted > Select.
- Choose the files that you want to delete.
- Tap Delete.
Mac
You can manage your iCloud Drive files from the iCloud Drive folder in Finder:
- If you need to, turn on iCloud Drive on your Mac:
- Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Apple ID, then click iCloud.
- Sign in with your Apple ID.
- Turn on iCloud Drive. In Options, make sure that you select the apps or folders for the files you want to manage.
- Open Finder and go to the iCloud Drive folder.
- Drag an item to the Trash, or move it to a different folder on your Mac.
- Open Trash, then right-click the files that you want to delete.
- Select Delete Immediately.
Windows
On a PC with Windows 7 or later, you can manage your iCloud Drive files using Windows Explorer. Use these steps to add an iCloud Drive folder to Windows Explorer:
- Download and install iCloud for Windows.
- Sign in with your Apple ID.
- Turn on iCloud Drive.
- Go to the iCloud Drive folder.
- Select the folders or files that you want to delete.
- Click Delete.
iCloud.com
- From your iPad or computer, sign in to iCloud.com.
- Tap the iCloud Drive app.
- Select the files that you want to delete, then tap Delete.
- Open the iCloud Drive folder and tap Recently Deleted.
- Select the folders or files that you want to delete.
- Tap Delete.
Delete texts and attachments in Messages
When you use Messages in iCloud, all of your text messages and the attachments you send and receive use your iCloud storage. You can make more space available when you delete texts and attachments—like photos, videos, and files—that you don't need anymore.
iPhone or iPad
To delete a message or attachment, follow these steps:
- In a message conversation, touch and hold the message bubble or attachment that you want to delete.
- Tap More.
- Tap Delete , then tap Delete Message. If you want to delete all messages in the thread tap Delete All, in the upper-left corner. Then tap Delete Conversation.
To delete multiple attachments from a contact or conversation, follow these steps:
- In a message conversation, tap the contact's name at the top of the screen.
- Tap Info .
- Select See All Photos
- Tap Select, tap the images you'd like to delete.
- Tap Delete, then tap Delete Attachment to confirm.
To delete an entire conversation, follow these steps:
- Swipe left over the conversation that you want to delete.
- Tap Delete.
- Tap Delete again to confirm.
Mac
To delete a message or attachment, follow these steps:
- Open a message conversation.
- Control-click the blank area of a message bubble that you want to delete.
- Choose Delete.
- Click Delete.
To delete an entire conversation, follow these steps:
- Control-click a conversation.
- Choose Delete Conversation.
- Click Delete.
Delete messages and manage Mail
You can free up iCloud space when you delete email messages from your iCloud email account. You can also move email messages from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac or PC, where they no longer count against your iCloud storage.
Use the steps below to delete messages from your account. Downloading software for mac free. Remember that messages with large attachments take up more space than simple text emails.
iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is set up to access iCloud email, you can delete messages from any mailbox, then empty the Trash to free up space:
- Swipe left across any message to delete it.
- Tap your Trash folder.
- Delete messages one at a time, or tap Edit, tap Select All, and then tap Trash to delete all of them.
Mac or Windows PC
If you use iCloud Mail with a desktop email app, such as Mail on your Mac or Microsoft Outlook on your PC, use these steps:
- Mail on your Mac: Delete the messages that you no longer want, then choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items and select your iCloud email account from the menu.
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 through Outlook 2016 (Windows): Delete the messages that you no longer want. Outlook will permanently delete your messages the next time you close and restart the app.
iCloud.com
- From your iPad or computer, sign in to iCloud.com.
- Tap Mail.
- Delete the messages that you no longer want, then tap Settings and select Empty Trash.
Delete voice memos
With Voice Memos in iCloud, your voice recordings are stored in iCloud.* You can easily delete them if you need more space.
Open Voice Memos and delete the recording that you don't want. It then moves to Recently Deleted, where it deletes permanently after 30 days. Until then, you can choose to restore it or delete it permanently. Select Recover All or Erase All to affect all recordings at one time.
* If you use iOS 11 or earlier, or macOS High Sierra or earlier, your Voice Memos are included in iCloud Backup, not iCloud.
Learn more about iCloud storage
- Find out what's in Others in your iCloud storage.
- If you have a web-only iCloud account, you can reduce how much of your 1 GB total of storage that you're using by moving or deleting documents.
- For more information on availability of iCloud features, see the iCloud system requirements.
Learn how iCloud operates in China mainland.