iCloud storage full? What to delete first, and what to keep
Why your iCloud storage is full, how to see what's using it, and what to delete first, from old backups to duplicate photos, without losing what matters.
Contents7 sections
Open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud and Storage to see what's using the space. Delete backups of phones you no longer use first, then turn off backups for apps that don't need them, clear large Messages attachments and duplicate photos, and empty old Mail. Keep anything that exists only in iCloud until you've made a copy.
What is using up my iCloud storage?
Everyone gets 5 GB of iCloud storage free, and it fills faster than most people expect because it isn’t only photos. Apple counts all of these against the same 5 GB:
| What | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Photos and videos | Everything in iCloud Photos |
| Backups | A full iCloud backup of each device that’s turned on |
| Messages | Texts and their attachments, with Messages in iCloud on |
| iCloud Mail, including custom email domains | |
| Documents | iCloud Drive, plus data from Notes, Reminders, Health and other apps |
| Other | Contact photos and posters (from iOS 26), Voice Memos, FaceTime data and voicemails |
Some things don’t count. Items in Recently Deleted, in Photos and in iCloud Drive, aren’t counted. Neither is a shared iCloud Drive folder you joined as a participant, or shared albums created in iOS 26 or earlier.
How do I see what’s taking the space?
- Open Settings and tap your name.
- Tap iCloud, then Storage. On iOS 17 or earlier, tap Manage Account Storage.
The bar at the top shows your total, and the list below it is sorted with the biggest users first. That list is your to-do list. On iOS 17 and later there’s also Recommended for You on the iCloud screen, which points at photos, large files and old backups you could delete.
What should I delete first?
Start with what you’ll never miss, and work towards the things you’d have to think about.
- Backups of old phones. In Storage, tap Backups, then a device you no longer use, then Turn Off and Delete from iCloud. It’s often the quickest win, because a whole phone’s backup goes at once. A backup that’s being used to restore a device can’t be deleted.
- Apps that don’t need backing up. Tap the device you’re using under Backups and turn off apps whose data is already elsewhere. Turning one off removes its data from your iCloud backup. Some apps are always backed up and can’t be turned off.
- Large Messages attachments. Open a conversation, tap the contact’s name, tap Photos, then Edit and Select Photos. Choose the images, then Delete and Delete Attachment. On iOS 18 or earlier, tap See All, then Select. To stop the build-up, set Settings > Apps > Messages > Keep Messages to 30 days or 1 year.
- Duplicate photos and videos. More on these below. If Photos is near the top of your list, this is where the time is worth spending.
- Old Mail. Messages with attachments take up the most room, so delete those first, then delete them from the Bin too, as Apple advises.
Does deleting photos on my iPhone free iCloud space?
Yes, if iCloud Photos is on. A photo you delete on one device is deleted on every device signed in to the same Apple Account, and from iCloud. It sits in Recently Deleted for 30 days in case you change your mind, and Apple says items there don’t count towards your iCloud storage.
There’s one catch. If you’re already over your limit, Apple says your device removes deleted photos and videos immediately, without the 30 days. So be sure before you delete.
Turning off iCloud Photos on one phone doesn’t free any iCloud space. It only stops that phone syncing. Neither does Optimise iPhone Storage: it saves space on the phone, not in iCloud.
For exact copies, the Photos app helps. Go to Collections > Utilities > Duplicates, tap Merge, and Photos keeps the best version and moves the rest to Recently Deleted. The album only appears once Photos has found duplicates.
It doesn’t catch near-copies: a burst of ten frames, a cropped re-save, a photo that came back through a group chat. Our guide to why your camera roll has so many copies of the same photo explains each kind. Siftlo groups those sets on the phone and proposes the one to keep. Clearing them moves the rest to Recently Deleted after your phone’s own confirmation, and with iCloud Photos on, they leave iCloud too. One honest limit: Siftlo only compares photos whose originals are on the phone. If Optimise iPhone Storage has left an original only in iCloud, Siftlo skips it rather than downloading it.
What should I keep before I delete anything?
Anything that exists only in iCloud. Apple suggests making copies before you delete, and it’s clear that photos in iCloud Photos aren’t duplicated in your iCloud backup. If iCloud Photos is your only copy, export the albums that matter to a computer or another drive first.
Three other things are easy to lose by accident:
- A backup you still need. Deleting a device’s backup also turns off iCloud Backup for that device.
- FaceTime data. Deleting it from iCloud also deletes phone voicemails and FaceTime messages, and Apple says they can’t be recovered.
- Shared album photos. Photos you delete from a shared album go straight away, with no Recently Deleted.
For what happens to a deleted photo on each kind of phone, see what “delete” actually does on iPhone and Android.
Is it worth paying for more iCloud storage?
Sometimes, yes. If you want everything backed up and synced, a plan is cheap and simple. These are Apple’s prices per month:
| Plan | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | £0.99 | $0.99 |
| 200 GB | £2.99 | $2.99 |
| 2 TB | £8.99 | $9.99 |
| 6 TB | £26.99 | $29.99 |
| 12 TB | £54.99 | $59.99 |
UK prices include tax; some US states add it. Any plan can be shared with up to five family members at no extra cost.
The case for clearing first is that you stop paying to store the same photo five times. If your phone is short of space as well, our guide to freeing up space on an iPhone without deleting photos you love covers the phone side.
Buying a new iPhone? Apple gives you free extra iCloud storage for the move. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Prepare for New iPhone for a temporary backup that’s kept for 21 days.
Questions people ask
Does Optimise iPhone Storage free up iCloud space?
No. It saves space on the phone by keeping smaller versions there while the full-size originals stay in iCloud. Apple says it uses both your iCloud storage and your device storage, so it won't help when iCloud itself is full.
Do shared albums count towards my iCloud storage?
It depends when the album was made. Shared albums created in iOS 26 or earlier don't count. Ones created in iOS 27 or later count towards the owner's storage, including items other people add.
What happens if I stop paying for iCloud+?
The change takes effect at the end of the billing period. If you're then over your storage limit, Apple says iCloud won't sync or update your information and backups won't complete until you delete data or add storage. Download anything you want to keep first.
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