Introduction
With the increasing number of devices and apps that rely on iCloud for storage, it’s not uncommon to run out of space. When you’re running low on iCloud storage, you may find that you’re unable to send or receive emails, sync your files, or backup your device. This is why it’s important to free up iCloud space. This article aims to provide solutions to iCloud storage problems.
10 Simple Steps to Freeing Up Space on Your iCloud
Here are some of the most effective and simple steps you can take to quickly and easily free up iCloud space:
Delete Old Backups
Over time, your device may have created several backups, taking up a significant amount of your iCloud storage. You can delete old backups by going to Settings > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
Remove Unused Apps
Deleting apps that you no longer use is a great way to free up iCloud storage. To do so, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, then select the app and click ‘Delete app’.
Optimize Your Photos
The ‘Optimize Storage’ feature allows you to save storage space by keeping your original photos in iCloud while storing device-sized versions on your device.
Turn Off Automatic Downloads
Turning off automatic downloads, such as music and apps, can significantly reduce your iCloud usage. To turn it off, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and toggle off automatic downloads.
Disable Messages in iCloud
The Messages in iCloud feature allows you to sync your iMessages across all devices. However, it can take up a lot of storage space. To disable it, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Messages and toggle off ‘Messages’.
Disable iCloud Drive
Disabling iCloud Drive for certain apps that you don’t use can free up a lot of storage space. To do so, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Drive and toggle off the app you don’t want to sync.
Delete Large Attachments
You can also free up iCloud storage by deleting large attachments from your email and message app. To do so, open the email or message thread containing the attachment, tap and hold the attachment, then tap ‘More’ and select ‘Delete’.
Limit Your Email Attachments
Limit the size of email attachments you send and receive, so your emails will take up less space on iCloud. To do so, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data and set ‘When Using Cellular Data’ and ‘When Connected to Wi-Fi’ to ‘Manually’ or ‘Hourly’.
Remove Old Podcasts and Videos
Delete old podcasts and videos that you no longer need on your device. To do so, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, then select the podcast or video and click ‘Delete’.
Clear Out Unused Documents and Data
Clear out unused documents and data stored on iCloud by going to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage > Documents and Data. Select the data you want to delete and click ‘Delete’.
Delete Unwanted Contacts
If you have saved contacts you no longer use, you can delete them from your iCloud account. Go to Contacts, select the contact and click ‘Delete’.
Maximizing Your iCloud Potential: Tips to Free Up Space
Here are some additional tips and tricks for maximizing your iCloud storage potential:
Use the ‘Optimize Storage’ Feature
The ‘Optimize Storage’ feature, mentioned earlier, not only saves iCloud storage, but also helps optimize device storage by keeping only device-sized versions of your photos. To do so, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Photos and toggle on ‘Optimize iPhone Storage’.
Turn Off Unnecessary Backups
Turn off backups for certain apps that you don’t need to backup. To do so, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups, select the app and click ‘Turn Off & Delete’.
Use Email Filters
Use email filters to automatically delete or move unwanted emails to the trash folder. To do so, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts and select the email account. Then, click ‘Filter’ and set the filters according to your preference.
Use Low-Quality Audio
Reduce the quality of the music you stream and download on your device to save iCloud storage. To do so, go to Settings > Music and toggle on ‘High Efficiency’.
Use iCloud.com
You can access your iCloud data via iCloud.com and delete unwanted files and data from your account without using your device. Visit iCloud.com, enter your Apple ID and password, select the files you want to delete and click ‘Delete’.
5 Efficient Methods to Clear iCloud Space on Your iPhone or iPad
Here are five more methods to clear iCloud space, specifically on your iPhone or iPad:
Delete Large Attachments
We’ve mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth repeating: delete large attachments from email and message threads. You can do this directly from the email or message thread.
Use iCloud Drive
Move large files to iCloud Drive to save device storage space. Go to the app you want to use to share the file, select the file, select ‘Share’ then select ‘Save to Files’ and choose the iCloud Drive folder to save the file.
Turn Off iCloud Photo Library
Turn off the iCloud Photo Library feature to free up iCloud storage. To do so, go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Photos and toggle off ‘iCloud Photo Library’.
Use iTunes to Manage Photos and Videos
Connect your device to iTunes on your computer to manage your photos and videos to free up iCloud storage. You can select specific albums to sync with your device instead of syncing everything from your iCloud account.
Delete the Photo Stream Album
The Photos app automatically creates a ‘Photo Stream’ album that stores photos you take with your device. These photos are automatically uploaded to the iCloud server, taking up storage space. You can delete the ‘Photo Stream’ album by going to Photos > Albums > Photo Stream > Select > Delete.
Solving iCloud Storage Problems: How to Free Up Space Quickly
If you’re running low on iCloud storage space and need to free up space quickly, here are some methods that can help:
Delete Old Messages
Messages with large attachments, videos and photos can take up significant iCloud storage space. Go through your messages and delete any you no longer need or want to keep.
Clear Trash and Junk Mail
Clear out your trash and junk mail folders regularly and empty them to free up space quickly.
Use Third-Party Storage Services
You can also store some of your files and data on third-party storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. These services offer more free storage than iCloud and can help free up space on your iCloud account.
From Photos to Emails: A Comprehensive Guide to Decluttering iCloud and Making Space
Here is a comprehensive guide to decluttering your iCloud and making space:
Photos:
- Use the ‘Optimize Storage’ feature we mentioned earlier.
- Delete duplicate photos and blurry shots.
- Delete old and unnecessary photos, and transfer them to your computer or an external hard drive.
Documents:
- Delete unused documents, data backups, and device backups.
- Delete old or outdated files, emails, and messages.
- Use the ‘Trash’ folder to temporarily store items you no longer need to keep.
Emails:
- Use email filters to automatically delete or move unwanted emails to the trash folder.
- Limit the email attachments you send and receive.
- Delete old and unnecessary emails regularly.
Apps:
- Delete unused apps – as previously mentioned.
- Use the iCloud Storage feature to identify apps that take up the most storage space and manage them accordingly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these 30 simple and effective solutions can help you free up iCloud space, optimize your storage, and improve your iCloud experience. Whether you need help managing your photos, emails, or documents, there is a solution for every type of data.
