Start by checking what's taking up your iCloud storage

Before you delete anything, you need to see what's actually using your space. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. You'll see a bar showing how much storage you're using and how much is left. Tap "Manage Storage" to see the breakdown — Photos, Mail, Documents, Backups, and other categories listed by size.

On a Mac, click the Apple menu, select System Settings, click your name, then iCloud, then "Manage" next to the storage bar. The list works the same way. This step takes two minutes and tells you exactly where to focus. Most people find that Photos and device backups are the biggest culprits.

Key Takeaways

  • Device backups often take up more space than you realize — turning off backups for devices you no longer use frees up storage when ready.
  • Deleting photos from your iPhone doesn't free iCloud space unless you also empty the Recently Deleted album within 30 days.
  • Old mail with large attachments can be found and deleted by searching for messages from specific senders or with file types you don't need.
  • If you have multiple devices backing up to the same account, disabling backups for devices you've sold or replaced is the fastest way to recover gigabytes.

Turn off backups for devices you no longer use

Every device connected to your iCloud account backs up automatically — your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch all take snapshots. If you've upgraded phones or sold an old iPad, those old backups are still sitting in your iCloud account taking up space. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage, find the device backups section, and look for devices you don't own anymore. Tap the old device name and select "Delete Backup."

On a Mac, the process is the same: System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage > Device Backups. You'll see every device that's ever backed up to this account. Deleting a backup doesn't affect the device itself — it only removes the copy stored in iCloud. This single step often recovers 5 to 20 gigabytes.

Delete photos and empty the Recently Deleted album

Photos are usually the largest category. If you use iCloud Photos (the setting that syncs all your photos to iCloud), deleting a photo from your iPhone removes it from iCloud too — but only after you empty the Recently Deleted album. When you delete a photo, it sits in Recently Deleted for 30 days before iCloud actually frees up the space.

Open the Photos app, tap Albums at the bottom, scroll down and tap Recently Deleted, then tap Select at the top right. Tap "Select All" and then "Delete" to permanently remove them. If you don't use iCloud Photos at all and only back up photos through device backup, you can skip this step — those photos are already counted in your backup size.

Another option: if you have thousands of old photos you want to keep but don't need in iCloud, turn off iCloud Photos in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos. This stops syncing but keeps your local copies on the device. The space frees up over the next few hours as iCloud removes the synced versions.

Delete old emails and attachments

Mail takes up space, especially messages with large attachments. The fastest way to clear it is to delete entire conversations or mailboxes you don't need. Open Mail, find a folder or sender you want to clear, swipe left on a message (or right-click on Mac), and tap Delete. Deleted mail goes to the Trash folder, which you then need to empty — tap Edit in the Trash folder and select Delete All.

If you want to be more selective, search for attachments: in Mail, tap the search box and type "has:attachment" to see only messages with files. You can then delete the ones you don't need. Large PDFs, videos, and image files attached to old emails are often worth removing. After you delete messages, empty the Trash folder to actually free the space in iCloud.

Remove documents and data you're not using

Apps like Notes, Reminders, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote store files in iCloud. If you have old projects or documents you created years ago, they're still taking up space. Open each app and delete files you no longer need. In Notes, swipe left on a note and tap Delete. In Pages or Numbers, tap Edit, select old documents, and tap Delete.

Some apps also store cached data in iCloud. If an app shows up in your storage breakdown but you don't use it anymore, the simplest fix is to delete the app from your device — this removes its iCloud data too. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage), find the app, tap it, and select "Delete App." Choose "Delete App and Its Data" when prompted.

Reduce backup size by turning off what you don't need

Device backups include everything: app data, settings, messages, photos, and more. You can choose what gets backed up without deleting anything from your device. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage, tap your device name, and scroll to "Backup Options." You'll see a list of apps and categories. Toggle off anything you don't need backed up — for example, if you don't care about backing up a large game, turn it off.

Photos and videos are often included in backups even if you use iCloud Photos separately, which means they're counted twice. If you use iCloud Photos, turn off "Photos and Videos" in Backup Options to avoid the duplicate. This can save 10 to 30 gigabytes depending on how many photos you have.

Consider upgrading your plan if you regularly hit the limit

Apple gives you 5 gigabytes free. If you consistently run out of space even after deleting old backups and photos, upgrading might be simpler than constant cleanup. Apple offers 50 GB, 200 GB, and 2 TB plans. The 50 GB plan costs about $0.99 per month and is enough for most people who keep device backups and use iCloud Photos.

Before you upgrade, make sure you've actually deleted old device backups — many people pay for extra storage when they could have freed up space by removing backups from devices they no longer own. If you've done the cleanup steps above and still need more room, upgrading is straightforward: go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage and tap "Buy More Storage."

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting photos from my iPhone delete them from iCloud?

Yes, if you use iCloud Photos. Deleting a photo removes it from all your devices. The space doesn't free up when ready — it frees up after you empty the Recently Deleted album, which holds photos for 30 days. If you don't use iCloud Photos, deleting from your phone doesn't affect iCloud at all.

What happens if I delete a device backup?

Deleting a backup only removes the copy stored in iCloud. It doesn't affect the device itself or any data on it. If you later need to restore that device, you won't have that backup available — you'd have to set it up as new or restore from a different backup.

Can I back up only certain apps to iCloud?

Yes. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage, tap your device name, then "Backup Options." You can toggle individual apps on or off. Apps you turn off won't be included in backups, but their data stays on your device.

How long does it take for deleted photos to free up iCloud space?

Once you empty the Recently Deleted album, the space is freed when ready. If you just delete a photo normally, it sits in Recently Deleted for 30 days before iCloud removes it. You can speed this up by manually emptying Recently Deleted.

What's the difference between iCloud Photos and photo backups?

iCloud Photos syncs all your photos to iCloud and keeps them in sync across devices. Photo backups are part of your device backup and include photos as they existed at the time of backup. If you use iCloud Photos, you don't need photo backups — turn off "Photos and Videos" in Backup Options to avoid storing them twice.