iCloud Storage Almost Full notifications hit at the worst times. I've gotten it during a presentation when trying to send a screenshot, while traveling, and the worst, when I went to take an important photo and the camera couldn't save it. Fixing the issue takes 15 minutes if you know where the storage actually goes.
Apple gives you 5 GB free which is laughably small. Most people fill it within months of using an iPhone. Here's the complete guide to freeing space without losing what matters.
Check what's actually taking space
Before deleting anything, see where the space is going. Open Settings then tap your name at the top. Tap iCloud. Tap Manage Account Storage (or just Storage on older iOS).
You see a bar chart showing what's using your space, usually broken into Backups, Photos, Documents, Mail, Messages, and Other. Most people are surprised by what's eating the most space.
The two biggest categories for most users are Backups and Photos. Both can be trimmed without losing important data if you know what to keep.
Delete old device backups
If you've had iCloud for years, you probably have backups from old iPhones you don't even own anymore. iCloud keeps them indefinitely.
In iCloud storage, tap Backups. You see every device backed up to your iCloud. Find old iPhones or iPads you no longer use. Tap each one then Delete & Turn Off Backup.
This alone can free several GB. iPhone backups range from 1 to 50 GB depending on what was on the device.
Shrink your current backup
Your current iPhone backup includes pretty much everything, app data, settings, messages, photos (if iCloud Photos is off). You can choose which apps include their data in the backup.
In iCloud Backups, tap your current iPhone. Toggle off apps you don't need backed up. WhatsApp media can be 5+ GB by itself. Games store save data in iCloud. Pick what actually matters.
Common apps to disable backup for, games you don't actively play, photo editing apps that don't save important data, social apps where everything syncs from their servers anyway.
Clean up iCloud Photos
iCloud Photos syncs your camera roll to iCloud. For heavy photo takers, this fills storage fast. Even a year of casual photos can be 20 to 40 GB.
Open Photos. Tap the search icon. Search for "Burst" to find every burst photo set. Delete the ones you don't need. Burst series can have 30 to 50 photos each, easy to thin out.
Also search for "Screenshots". Most people have hundreds of screenshots they never look at again. Delete in bulk by tapping Select, dragging to select many, then trash.
Empty Recently Deleted
Photos you delete stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days as a safety net. They still count against your iCloud storage during those 30 days.
In Photos, tap Albums. Scroll to Recently Deleted. Tap Select then Delete All. Confirm. Space frees up immediately.
Make this a monthly habit. The Recently Deleted folder fills up faster than you'd expect.
Clean iCloud Drive
iCloud Drive holds files you stored from Mac or PC, plus documents apps save automatically. Open the Files app on iPhone. Tap Browse. Tap iCloud Drive.
Sort by size (tap the icon, pick Size). Big files appear first. Delete anything you don't need. Old PDFs, screen recordings, archived projects, all candidates.
Manage Mail attachments
iCloud Mail attachments build up over years. If you use an @icloud.com or @me.com email address, every attachment received counts.
Open Mail on a Mac for bulk cleanup. Search for large messages. Move them to local folders or delete entirely. The iPhone Mail app can do this but the Mac interface is way faster for bulk operations.
Disable Messages in iCloud (controversial)
Messages in iCloud syncs your iMessages across all your devices. Useful but it also stores every photo, video, GIF, and attachment from messages in iCloud.
If you have hundreds of group chats with media, this category can hit 10+ GB. Settings then your name then iCloud then toggle off Messages.
Downside, messages stop syncing across devices going forward. If you only use one Apple device, no loss.
Just pay for more storage
Apple's iCloud+ pricing is honestly fair compared to the alternatives.
- 50 GB for $0.99/month, enough for casual use
- 200 GB for $2.99/month, sweet spot for most families
- 2 TB for $9.99/month, includes Family Sharing
- 6 TB for $29.99/month, for heavy creators
- 12 TB for $59.99/month, only if you need it
For 99 cents a month you go from 5 GB to 50 GB. Most people fit comfortably in 50 GB unless they take a lot of 4K video.
What's eating most of your iCloud space? Check Manage Storage and drop the breakdown in comments. I can suggest specific cleanup steps for your situation.