Where to find your iCloud storage on any Apple device

You can check how much iCloud storage you have used and how much remains available directly from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or by logging into iCloud.com. The fastest route depends on which device you have in front of you right now. On any Apple device, the storage information lives in the same place: your account settings.

Apple stores your iCloud data — email, photos, documents, backups, and more — on its servers. Your device shows you a running total of what you have stored and how much space is left in your plan. This number updates as you add or delete files, though it may take a few minutes to reflect changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Check your iCloud storage on iPhone by opening Settings, tapping your name, then Storage, where you will see a bar showing used versus available space.
  • On Mac, go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), click your Apple ID, then iCloud, then Manage, to see the same breakdown.
  • iCloud.com shows your storage total without needing to open Settings, useful if you are on a Windows computer or someone else's device.
  • The storage breakdown shows which apps and services are using the most space — Photos, Mail, and device backups are usually the largest.
  • If you are near your limit, you can delete old backups, empty your Recently Deleted folder in Photos, or buy more storage through the same Settings menu.

Checking storage on iPhone and iPad

Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen. Then tap iCloud. You will see a storage bar at the top showing how much of your plan you are using — for example, "3.2 GB of 50 GB used" — with a colored bar underneath. The bar fills from left to right as you use more space.

Below the bar, tap Manage Storage to see a detailed list of what is taking up space. The list shows each app or service in order from largest to smallest: typically Photos, Mail, Backups, Documents, and others. Tap any item to see more details or delete data from that category. For example, tapping Photos shows you how many photos and videos are stored, and tapping Backups shows each device backup and its size.

Checking storage on Mac

On a Mac running macOS Ventura or newer, open System Settings and click your name in the sidebar. Then click iCloud. You will see your storage bar and total usage. Click the Manage button to open a window showing the same breakdown as on iPhone — which apps and services are using the most space.

On older Macs running macOS Monterey or earlier, the path is slightly different: open System Preferences, click your Apple ID, then click iCloud, then click Manage. The information displayed is the same. If you are not sure which macOS version you have, click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select About This Mac.

Checking storage on iCloud.com

Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. Click the Settings icon (a gear) in the bottom left corner. You will see your storage bar and usage total on the right side of the screen. This method works on any computer — Windows, Mac, or Linux — and does not require you to open Settings on your device.

iCloud.com does not show the detailed breakdown of what is using space the way the Settings menu does. If you need to see which apps are taking up the most room, use your iPhone, iPad, or Mac instead. However, iCloud.com is useful for a quick check when you are away from your own devices.

Understanding what takes up the most space

Photos and videos are usually the largest category. iCloud Photos stores every photo and video you take on any of your devices in one place. If you have years of photos, this can easily use 10 GB or more. Videos take up far more space than photos — a one-minute video can be 50 MB to 200 MB depending on quality.

Mail is often the second-largest category, especially if you have been using the same email address for years. Emails with attachments take up more space than plain text. Device backups are the third common culprit. Each backup of your iPhone or iPad stores the entire device state — apps, settings, messages, and more — and can be 5 GB to 30 GB depending on how much is on the device.

Documents and data includes files you save in iCloud Drive, notes in the Notes app, reminders, calendar data, and app data stored in iCloud. This is usually smaller than photos or mail, but can grow if you store large files or use many apps that sync to iCloud.

What to delete if you are running out of space

If your storage bar is full or nearly full, start by checking your Photos app. Open Photos, go to the Albums tab, scroll down, and tap Recently Deleted. Photos and videos in this folder still count toward your storage total even though you deleted them — they stay here for 30 days before being removed permanently. Tap Select in the top right, then tap Delete All to remove them when ready and free up space.

Next, check your device backups. Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, then Manage Storage, then Backups. You will see a list of all your devices with backups. If you have old backups from devices you no longer own, tap the device name and tap Delete Backup. A single old backup can free up several gigabytes.

If you still need more space, you can buy additional storage. In the same Manage Storage menu, tap Change Storage Plan and choose a larger plan — Apple offers 50 GB, 200 GB, and 2 TB options. The cost varies by region, but larger plans cost more per month. Alternatively, you can turn off iCloud Photos or iCloud Drive to stop syncing new files, though this does not delete what is already stored.

Why your storage total might not match what you expect

iCloud storage is shared across all your Apple devices and services. If you have an iPhone, iPad, and Mac all signed in to the same Apple ID, they all draw from the same storage pool. A backup of your iPhone counts toward the total, and so does a backup of your Mac. This is why the total can seem surprisingly large — you are seeing the combined size of everything across all your devices.

Photos stored in iCloud Photos count toward your storage, but photos stored only on your device (if you have iCloud Photos turned off) do not. Similarly, emails in your iCloud Mail account count, but emails in other accounts (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) do not. If you are confused about why a particular file is or is not counting, check whether it is actually stored in iCloud or only on your device.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much iCloud storage do I get for free?

Apple provides 5 GB of free iCloud storage with every Apple ID. This includes email, photos, documents, and device backups. Once you use more than 5 GB, you need to buy a larger plan or delete something to make room.

Can I see my iCloud storage on a Windows computer?

Yes, go to iCloud.com, sign in with your Apple ID, click the Settings icon, and you will see your storage bar and total. You can also install iCloud for Windows on your computer, which syncs iCloud Drive and Photos to your Windows device and shows storage information in the system tray.

Does my iCloud storage include email attachments?

Yes, emails and their attachments both count toward your iCloud storage total. If you have years of emails with large attachments, deleting old emails can free up significant space. Check your Mail app's Trash folder and permanently delete emails from there to remove them from your storage count.

What happens if I go over my storage limit?

If you exceed your storage limit, iCloud stops syncing new data — your device will not back up, new photos will not sync, and new emails may not read. You will see a warning on your device. You can fix this by deleting files, emptying Recently Deleted, removing old backups, or buying more storage.

Can I check iCloud storage from someone else's device?

Yes, go to iCloud.com on any computer or device, sign in with your Apple ID, and check your storage. Do not sign in on someone else's iPhone or iPad unless you want their device to sync with your iCloud account, which will mix your data with theirs.