How to Clear Your iCloud Storage and Free Up Space
When you find yourself running out of iCloud storage, it can be frustrating – especially when your photos, videos, files, and documents are at risk of being deleted. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to clear your iCloud storage and free up space.
- Review What Is In Your iCloud Storage: The first step in clearing your iCloud storage is to review everything that is taking up space. Open the iCloud Storage Settings on your device and take a look at what is stored there. Are there files that you no longer need or want? Go ahead and delete them.
- Remove Backups: If you no longer need backups from previously used devices, you can remove them from your iCloud storage. Open the iCloud Storage Settings, choose the device you want to remove, and click the “Delete Backup” option. Be sure to back up important files first, as removing a device’s backup will delete all documents, photos, and other data stored on it.
- Move Older Files: If you have older documents that your don’t need immediate access to, consider transferring them to an external hard drive or another storage option. You can also move them to services like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive to free up more iCloud storage.
- Turn OFF Photo Stream: Are you a heavy user of the iCloud Photo Stream? If you have a large collection of photos stored in the Stream, turning it off can help you save some serious space. To turn this feature off, go to the Photos & Camera section under the iCloud menu and disable the “iCloud Photo Stream” option.
- Use iCloud Alternatives: Are you using iCloud for document storage and other tasks? Consider using a cloud-based alternative, like Google Drive or Dropbox, to manage your files. Not only will you be able to store more items in the cloud, but you’ll also be able to access them from virtually any device.
By following these steps, you can clear your iCloud storage and free up space to store more items. Don’t forget to back up important files before you delete them, and use an external storage option to store older items. Once you’ve cleared up some space, you can start storing more photos, files, and documents in the cloud.
How to Manage iCloud Storage Space
As technology advances, so does the need for more storage space to keep up with our ever-growing needs. As such, iCloud storage is a great way to keep all your important data secure and accessible. But managing icloud storage space can be a tricky task if you don’t know where to start. Here are some helpful tips on how to manage iCloud storage space:
- Check your current iCloud usage: The first step to managing iCloud storage is to check your current usage and set yourself a storage limit. You can do this by visiting the iCloud settings on your device which will show you how much storage you’re using.
- Delete Unused Apps: It’s easy to forget about the apps you’ve downloaded over time. But many of these apps remain on your device, taking up valuable storage space. While you can’t delete apps from iCloud, you can delete them from your device to free up some space.
- Consolidate Your Photos and Videos: Photos and videos take up a considerable amount of storage space, so it’s important to find ways to reduce their use. You can use an external hard drive to back up and store your photos and videos, or you can enable iCloud Photo Library to automatically sync and store your photos for a more streamlined approach.
- Clear and Manage Your iCloud Drive Files: Many users forget to delete files that they no longer need and these can quickly add up. To help manage your iCloud Drive files, try creating folders or subfolders to keep your files organized. This will help you find the files you need more quickly and easily.
- Upgrade Your Storage Plan: If your storage needs exceed the limits of your current plan, you should consider upgrading. iCloud offers plans starting from 5GB for free, up to 2TB for a fee.
Managing iCloud storage space can be challenging, but with the right tools and tips, it’s an achievable task. By following the tips above, you can keep your iCloud storage space organized and under control.
What to Delete to Free Up iCloud Storage Space
Most of us rely on iCloud to store our documents, photographs, and other important information. But when the space runs out, it can be difficult to find the extra room to store new items.
If you have hit the iCloud storage limit and need to free up some extra space, here are a few tips on what to delete.
- Clear Your Cache: Your iCloud account stores temporary files called caches, which are designed to speed up the performance of your apps. These files can take up a lot of storage, so clearing your cache will immediately free up some space on iCloud.
- Delete Unused Apps: Not all of us are app hoarders, but it’s easy to accumulate apps we no longer use. Removing any unused apps from iCloud will help to free up space.
- Delete Old Backups: iCloud does an amazing job of automatically backing up photos and documents, but if you don’t need those older backups, you should delete them. This will free up a lot of storage space.
- Delete Large Documents, Photos, and Videos: As we noted earlier, documents, photos, and videos can take a large amount of space on iCloud. If you take a lot of photos and videos, chances are you can find some to delete.
- Use Optimized Storage: If you’re running low on space, you can use iCloud’s redesigned Optimized Storage feature. This feature will delete certain documents, photos, and videos and keep them stored in the cloud.
By taking these simple steps, you can free up some space on iCloud. If you’re still running low on space, you may want to consider upgrading your iCloud subscription to get more storage.