How to Manage iCloud Storage on iPhone and iPad: A Complete Guide

Introduction / Why This Is Needed

iCloud Storage is Apple's cloud storage that automatically backs up your devices, photos, documents, and app data. The free limit is only 5 GB, and with active use it can run out quickly. When storage overflows, data synchronization stops, backups aren't created, and apps may encounter errors.

This guide will help you take control of your iCloud Storage usage. You'll learn how to check what data is taking up space, clean it out effectively, and set up automatic management to always stay within your limit.

Requirements / Preparation

Before you begin, make sure that:

• You have an iPhone or iPad with iOS 15 or later.
• Your device has Apple ID set up and iCloud sign-in enabled.
• Your device is connected to the internet (Wi-Fi or cellular data) to sync changes.
• You are ready to temporarily delete some data (it's recommended to make a local backup of important files on a computer).

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Check Your Current iCloud Storage Usage

First, you need to understand what exactly is taking up space in your cloud.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap your profile at the top (the circle with your avatar and name).
3. Select iCloud.
4. Scroll down and tap Manage Storage (or iCloud Storage).

You'll see a graph broken down by categories: Backups, Photos, App Data, and others. Each category shows how many gigabytes it occupies. This will help you prioritize what to clean up.

💡 Tip: Pay attention to apps that take up unexpectedly large amounts of space (e.g., messengers with media files). Often these are the main space hogs.

Step 2: Delete Old Device Backups

Backups are one of the most voluminous items in iCloud, especially if you have multiple devices (e.g., an old iPhone and a current iPad).

1. In the Manage Storage section, find the Backups card and tap it.
2. You'll see a list of devices whose backups are stored in iCloud. For each, the date of the last backup and its size are shown.
3. Select the device you no longer use (e.g., an old iPhone).
4. Tap Delete Backup → Delete to confirm.

⚠️ Important: Do not delete the backup of your current primary device (your current iPhone/iPad) unless you're sure you have an up-to-date local backup or you're prepared to lose the ability to restore from iCloud.

Step 3: Manage Photos in iCloud

High-quality photos (Originals) can take up tens of gigabytes. There are two main approaches:

Option A: Enable Storage Optimization on Your Device
This keeps originals in iCloud, while your iPhone/iPad stores reduced-size versions.

1. Go to Settings → Photos.
2. Enable the Optimize iPhone Storage option.
3. The system will automatically remove originals from the device once they're uploaded to the cloud, leaving only thumbnails.

Option B: Export Photos to a Computer and Delete from iCloud
If you want to completely free up cloud space:

1. Connect your device to a computer (Mac or PC) and use Photos (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) to export all your pictures.
2. After confirming the copy on your computer, in the Photos app on your iPhone/iPad, go to Albums → All Photos.
3. Select all photos (tap Select in the top right corner, then swipe across all photos) and tap Delete.
4. Then go to Albums → Recently Deleted and delete the photos permanently (otherwise they'll remain in storage for 30 days).

Step 4: Delete Unnecessary App Data

Many apps (especially messengers, editors, and games) store their data in iCloud: documents, cache, history.

1. In Manage Storage (see Step 1), review the list of apps under App Data.
2. Tap on an app that takes up a lot of space.
3. You'll see a breakdown. Often you can:
   • Delete Documents & Data (this clears everything stored in iCloud for that app). After this, the app will start syncing from scratch.
   • Disable syncing for that app in iCloud (in the app's own settings or in Settings → iCloud → app list).
4. For apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Viber, it's better to go into the app itself and delete unnecessary chats/media files there—this is a more controlled approach.

💡 Tip: If you rarely use an app, disable it from iCloud entirely. This prevents data accumulation.

Step 5: Clear 'Recently Deleted' (Photos and Others)

Deleted items don't disappear from iCloud instantly. In Photos, they remain in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days, occupying space.

1. Open the Photos app.
2. Go to Albums → scroll down to Recently Deleted.
3. Tap Select → Delete All (or select individual photos).
4. Confirm Delete N Items.

Similarly, some other apps (e.g., Files) may have their own trash—check their settings.

Step 6: Consider Upgrading to a Paid iCloud+ Plan

If after all manipulations you still don't have enough space (e.g., if you actively shoot videos or have many devices), it might make sense to upgrade to a paid iCloud+ plan.

1. Settings → your name → iCloud → Manage Storage.
2. Tap Change Plan (or Upgrade Storage).
3. Select a suitable plan:
   • 50 GB — the most popular, costs around 60 RUB/month.
   • 200 GB or 2 TB — for families or professionals.
4. Tap Buy and confirm the purchase (a payment method linked to your Apple ID is required).

💡 Tip: iCloud+ plans often include additional features (Hidden Email, Relay Private Email). Check what you're getting.

Verifying the Results

After completing all steps, go back to Settings → your name → iCloud → Manage Storage.

• Ensure the usage graph has changed (free space increased).
• Check that there are no extra devices in the Backups section.
• Confirm that only what you really need remains in App Data.

You can also check the total free space on your device: Settings → General → iPhone Storage. Although this is local storage, it sometimes correlates with iCloud (e.g., if you enabled "Optimize iPhone Storage" for Photos).

Potential Issues

Problem: Space wasn't freed after deleting a backup

Solution: Give the system 10–15 minutes to sync. If after an hour the space hasn't changed, restart your device. Ensure you deleted the backup from iCloud, not just the local copy.

Problem: Photos aren't deleting from the device even after enabling "Optimization"

Solution: Check if you have a stable internet connection. Optimization uploads originals to the cloud, then deletes them from the device. If internet is poor, the process will take time. Also ensure that in Settings → Photos, the option iCloud Photos is enabled.

Problem: Apps continue to sync a lot of data

Solution: Some apps (e.g., Pages, Numbers) store files in iCloud Drive. Go to Settings → iCloud → Manage Storage → iCloud Drive and manually delete unnecessary files. For third-party apps, it's better to manage data within them.

Problem: "Not enough iCloud space" error when trying to create a backup

Solution: Complete steps 2–5 to free up at least 1–2 GB of free space (a backup requires temporary space). If the problem persists, temporarily disable synchronization of unnecessary apps in Settings → iCloud → app list, create a backup, then re-enable them.

Problem: Space didn't appear after upgrading to a paid plan

Solution: Ensure the purchase was successful (check purchase history in the App Store). Sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in. If the problem remains, contact Apple Support via the website or the Apple Support app.