How to Manage & Free Up iCloud Storage

iCloud is one of the cloud storage providers that allow you to upload and keep your files on the cloud. You can then fetch these files from any of your compatible and authorized devices. With its high-grade security, iCloud has been able to attract a large number of users to use their service and store data. If you use an Apple device, you likely use iCloud to store your device’s files on the cloud.

In the following guide, you are going to learn how you can best manage your iCloud storage so you always have enough space available for the important files. You will also learn how to free up iCloud storage so you do not run out of storage in your iCloud account.

How to Manage iCloud Storage

Managing your iCloud storage is pretty easy as you can do so from your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even from a web browser using the iCloud website. This section shows how you can manage your iCloud storage on an iOS-based device.

Step 1. Launch the Settings app from the springboard of your device.

Step 2. When the app opens, tap on your name at the top to open your account settings. On the following screen, tap on iCloud to access your iCloud account settings.

Step 3. You will be able to briefly see your storage data on the current screen. Tap on the data graph to get more details about your storage.

Step 4. Tap on Manage Storage on the following screen and you will get insights on the data you have stored in your iCloud storage. You may now manage your data however you want from here.

Some of the things you can do are change your storage plan, get rid of iCloud data for various apps, and manage your email data. That is how you manage your iCloud storage on your iPhone and iPad.

How to Free Up iCloud Storage

Upon checking your iCloud storage you find that you are running out of storage, you may want to free up some of the space by removing unwanted stuff from your iCloud account. Getting rid of various file types from an iCloud account is often a tedious task to do on an Apple device. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use a third-party dedicated app to get the task done for your iCloud account.

Enter AnyTrans, an application that allows you to fetch data from your iCloud account over to your computer. Once the data is available on your computer, you can get it removed from your iCloud account and that should free-up your storage space.

The app is capable of letting you transfer various types of content but we are going to show you how you can use it to get your iCloud contacts transferred over to your local machine. Steps for transferring other file types are similar so you should not have any issues.

Step 1. Free Download AnyTrans on your computer > Launch it.

Step 2. Click on iCloud Manager > Enter your Apple ID and Password in the app.

Step 3. Click on the categories icon on the following screen. Here we will take Contacts for an example.

Step 4. Select the contacts you wish to manage > Click on the Download to Computer button or Delete button at the top to manage the selected photos and free up iCloud storage.

When the app has downloaded your photos to your computer, you may remove those contacts from your iCloud account. You can do the same procedure to remove any other types of files from your iCloud account and free-up your memory space.

How to Increase iCloud Storage

If you are still short of storage in your account even after deleting files, you may want to switch to a higher storage plan to store your files. Apple provides various account options so you can store more files in your account.

To buy extra storage for your iCloud account, head to Settings > [your-name] > iCloud > iCloud > Buy More Storage on your iPhone and select the plan you would like to subscribe to. You will be charged a fee depending on the upgrade you choose from the list.

The Bottom Line

Managing your iCloud storage is not a difficult task and the above guide is evidence of it. We hope the guide has been able to explain how you can conveniently manage your storage, add more storage, and free-up storage by removing files from the account.