Are you constantly receiving notification that your iCloud storage is almost full? Don’t worry as we have got you covered! In this article, we will share useful tips on How to Clear iCloud Storage effortlessly. With these simple yet effective steps, you will be able to manage your iCloud storage or even free up some space without losing your saved data. So, let’s dive in and find out how to easily organize your iCloud storage and optimize its performance.
What is iCloud Storage?
iCloud storage is a cloud-based storage service offered by Apple Inc. It allows users to store various types of data, including photos, videos, documents, contacts, and more, on remote servers, which can be accessed from different Apple devices. iCloud storage automatically syncs data across all connected devices, ensuring easy access to important files from anywhere. However, each user gets a limited amount of free storage space, and often, it becomes necessary to clear iCloud storage to free up space.
Also Read: What Is iCloud and How Does It Work? Beginners 101 Guide
Why it’s Essential to Clear iCloud Storage?
Clearing iCloud storage is essential because it helps you optimize your device’s performance and prevent running out of space. Having limited storage can cause your device to slow down, making it harder to use. It also ensures that you have enough space to back up your important files and data. Without cleaning your iCloud storage regularly, your device can become cluttered, making it difficult to find what you need and slowing down its performance even more. Thus, clearing iCloud storage is crucial for enhancing your device’s efficiency and overall usability.
How to Check iCloud Storage Usage?
To effectively clear your iCloud Storage, you need to first check your iCloud Storage usage. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on your name or Apple ID at the top of the screen.
- Tap on iCloud.
- Under the iCloud Storage section, you’ll see how much storage you’re using. Tap on Manage Storage for a detailed breakdown of your usage.
How to Find What’s Taking Up Space in your iCloud Storage?
Once you know how much storage you’re using, you can easily find out what’s taking up space in your iCloud storage. Here are some steps to follow:
- Tap on Manage Storage.
- You’ll see a list of apps and data that’s using up your iCloud storage. You can sort this list by size to see what’s taking up the most space.
- Tap on an app or data category to get more details on what’s taking up space. You’ll be presented with options to delete data or manage storage for that specific app or data type.
How to Clear iCloud Storage on iPhone and iPad?
When it comes to managing your iCloud storage on an iPhone or iPad, there are various steps you can take to clear up space. Let’s take a look at each one of them in detail:
Remove Unnecessary Files and Apps
The first and probably most essential step to clear up iCloud storage is to remove any unused or unnecessary files and apps. You can go through your device and identify apps and files that you don’t use or need and delete them. You can do this by:
- Long-pressing any app icon until it starts to jiggle, then tap the “x” button on the top left corner of the icon to delete the app.
- Going to the “Settings” app, selecting “General,” then “iPhone/iPad Storage,” and identifying any app or file that takes up a lot of space. You can tap on the app and choose to “Offload App” or delete it entirely.
Manage your Photos and Videos
Photos and videos can take up a significant amount of space on your iCloud storage. You can manage your photo and video storage by:
- Using the “Optimize iPhone/iPad Storage” option to store smaller versions of photos and videos on your device, while keeping the original copies on iCloud. You can enable this feature by going to the “Settings” app, selecting “Photos,” then “Optimize iPhone/iPad Storage.”
- Turning off iCloud backup for photos and videos, especially if you have them stored elsewhere. You can do this by going to the “Settings” app, selecting “Your Name,” then “iCloud,” then “Photos,” and toggling off “iCloud Photos.”
Delete Messages and Attachments
If you use the Messages app frequently, it’s likely that you have a lot of messages and attachments that take up space on your iCloud storage. You can clear up space by:
- Going to the “Messages” app, swiping left on a conversation, and tapping “Delete.” This will delete the conversation and all attachments associated with it.
- Going to the “Settings” app, selecting “Messages,” then “Message History,” and choosing to “Keep Messages” for 30 days or 1 year. This will automatically delete older messages and their attachments.
Clear iCloud Backups:
iCloud backups can take up a significant amount of storage space, especially if you backup multiple devices. You can clear iCloud backups by:
- Going to the “Settings” app, selecting “Your Name,” then “iCloud,” then “Manage Storage,” and selecting “Backups.” From there, you can choose which backups to delete or turn off iCloud backups entirely.
Delete iCloud Emails and Attachments
If you use iCloud Mail, you might have a lot of emails and attachments that take up space on your iCloud storage. You can clear up space by:
- Going to the “Mail” app, swiping left on an email, and tapping “Delete” to delete individual emails.
- Going to the “Settings” app, selecting “Your Name,” then “iCloud,” then “Mail,” and identifying large emails or attachments that take up a lot of space. You can delete them individually or choose to delete all emails older than a specific date.
By following these steps, you can successfully clear iCloud storage on your iPhone or iPad and free up space for more critical data and files.
How to Clear iCloud Storage on Mac?
When it comes to clearing iCloud storage on a Mac, there are several options available to manage your files, backups, photos, and emails. In this section, we will explore some of the methods you can use to free up space in your iCloud storage.
Use iCloud Drive to Manage your Files
- Open Finder on your Mac, and click on “iCloud Drive” from the sidebar.
- Browse through your files and folders to locate items that you want to delete or move.
- Select the files or folders you want to delete, and simply drag them to the Trash.
- To move items from iCloud Drive to your local storage, simply drag them to a folder on your Mac.
Clear iCloud Backups
- Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > iCloud.
- Click on “Manage” to view your iCloud storage usage.
- Click on “Backups” from the sidebar.
- Select the device for which you want to delete the backup.
- Click on “Delete Backup” to remove the backup from your iCloud storage.
Use iCloud Photos to Optimize your Photo Library
- Open the Photos app on your Mac.
- Click on “Photos” from the top menu.
- Select “Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the “iCloud” tab at the top.
- Tick the box next to “Optimize Mac Storage” to enable the feature.
- This will automatically store photos and videos in iCloud and download them locally on-demand.
Manage your iCloud Emails and Attachments
- Open Mail on your Mac.
- Click on “Mailbox” from the top menu.
- Select “Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the “Accounts” tab at the top.
- Select the email account for which you want to manage storage.
- Click on “Mailbox Behaviors” and choose how to store attachments for each mailbox.
How to Clear iCloud Storage on Windows PC?
iCloud is a popular cloud storage service developed by Apple Inc. that allows users to store and share data across different devices. However, if you use iCloud frequently, you might face a common problem of running out of storage space. Fortunately, there are many ways to clear iCloud storage on your Windows PC.
Use iCloud for Windows to Manage your Files
iCloud for Windows is a useful tool that helps you manage your iCloud storage on your Windows PC. Here’s how you can use it:
- Download and install iCloud for Windows on your computer.
- Once the installation process is complete, launch the app and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Go to the iCloud Drive menu and click on the “Options” button.
- Uncheck any apps or files that you don’t want to sync with iCloud.
- Click on “Apply” and then “OK” to save the changes.
Clear iCloud Backups
iCloud backups can take up a lot of space, especially if you have multiple devices synced to your iCloud account. Here’s how you can delete unnecessary backups:
- Open iCloud for Windows and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click on the “Storage” button and then click on “Backups.”
- Select the backup that you want to delete and click on the “Delete” button.
- Click on “Delete” again to confirm your decision.
Use iCloud Photos to Optimize your Photo Library
iCloud Photos is a useful feature that automatically uploads your photos and videos to the iCloud server. However, this can take up a lot of space over time. Here’s how you can optimize your photo library:
- Open iCloud for Windows and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click on the “Photos” button and then click on “Options.”
- Select the “Optimize Mac Storage” option to store lower-resolution versions of your photos and videos on your Windows PC.
- Click on “Done” to save the changes.
Manage your iCloud Emails and Attachments
iCloud Mail is a popular email service that allows users to send and receive emails. However, emails and attachments can take up a lot of space over time. Here’s how you can manage them:
- Open iCloud for Windows and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Click on the “Mail” button and then select the emails or attachments that you want to delete.
- Right-click on the selected items and then click on “Delete.”
- Click on “Delete” again to confirm your decision.
How to Clear iCloud Storage Without Losing Data?
If you’re running out of space on your iCloud storage, but you don’t want to lose any of your data, then don’t worry. There are several methods available that can help you clear iCloud storage without losing any of your important data. Here are three ways to do this:
Backup your iCloud Data before Deleting
Before you delete any files or data from your iCloud storage, it is always a good idea to create a backup. This way, you can ensure that you don’t lose any important data if something goes wrong during the deletion process. You can back up your data using iCloud Backup or iTunes Backup.
- To backup your data using iCloud Backup, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup > Back Up Now. This will initiate a backup of all your important data, such as photos, videos, contacts, messages, and more.
- To backup your data using iTunes Backup, connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer, launch iTunes, and click on the device icon. From there, click on Summary > Back Up Now. This will create a backup of all your data on your computer.
Use Third-Party Apps to Transfer and Manage your iCloud Data
If you want to save your iCloud data and clear some storage space, then you can use third-party apps to transfer and manage your data. There are several apps available that can help you transfer and manage your iCloud data easily. Some of the most popular options include iMazing, AnyTrans, and CopyTrans.
These apps allow you to transfer and manage your data between your iPhone, iPad, and computer easily. You can also use these apps to export your data to other storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
Use iCloud.com to Manage your iCloud Storage
If you want to manage your iCloud storage directly, then you can use iCloud.com. This website gives you access to your iCloud storage and allows you to manage your files, photos, and other data easily.
To access iCloud.com, go to your web browser and type in icloud.com. From there, enter your Apple ID login credentials to access your iCloud storage.
Once you’re logged in, you can use iCloud.com to delete unnecessary files, manage your photo library, and view your iCloud backups. You can also use iCloud.com to manage your iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, managing your iCloud storage is an essential aspect of maintaining your device’s overall performance. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can free up valuable space and ensure that your device runs smoothly. With various methods available, it’s easy to find an option that works for you. Remember to regularly check and clear your iCloud storage to avoid any future storage issues.