How to Empty iCloud Storage | No More ‘Storage Full’ Alerts

To empty iCloud storage, delete photos, files, backups, and messages stored in iCloud, then clear Recently Deleted to free the space.

That “iCloud Storage Full” notification won’t go away by deleting photos from your camera roll. iCloud and your device store data separately, so freeing one does nothing for the other. The fix lives inside Apple’s storage management screen, where you can see exactly what’s eating your space and remove it category by category.

What Actually Takes Up Your iCloud Storage?

iCloud storage isn’t one thing — it’s a pool shared by several services. Photos and videos in iCloud Photos typically consume the most, followed by device backups, iCloud Drive files, Messages attachments, and smaller categories like Mail, Voice Memos, and Contacts data. Each category requires its own delete action; there’s no single “empty all” button.

Apple’s storage management screen in Settings lists every category and how much space it uses. That’s where you start before deleting anything.

How To Check Your iCloud Storage Usage

On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Tap Manage Account Storage (or just Storage on some versions). You’ll see a bar graph showing used vs. total space, and a list of categories below it. Tap any category to see details and delete options.

Apple also surfaces a Recommended for You section at the top with one-tap suggestions for the biggest space savers — worth checking first if you’re short on time.

Emptying Your iCloud Storage: What Counts and What Doesn’t

Each category needs a different approach. Here’s what to do for the common space hogs.

iCloud Photos

Photos and videos synced to iCloud Photos count toward your storage. Deleting them from the Photos app on one device removes them from iCloud and all other devices signed into the same Apple Account. After deletion, open Albums > Recently Deleted, tap Select, choose everything, and tap Delete to permanently clear the space. Items sit in Recently Deleted for 30 days otherwise.

iCloud Drive Files

Open the Files app, tap Browse at the bottom, then tap iCloud Drive. Tap the More button (three dots), choose Select, pick files or folders, and tap Delete. Then go to Locations > Recently Deleted, tap More > Select, choose the same items, and tap Delete again to confirm permanent removal.

Device Backups

Each device backup stored in iCloud can take several gigabytes. In Settings > your name > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups, you’ll see a list of devices. Tap one with an old or unnecessary backup, then tap Delete Backup. You can also turn off backup for specific apps on that screen to shrink future backups.

Messages Attachments

Large photos and videos sent in Messages sync to iCloud when Messages in iCloud is turned on. The quickest way to clear them is to delete individual conversations with heavy attachments, or go into a conversation, tap the contact name, scroll to Attachments, and remove large files one by one. There’s no bulk-delete option, so this is tedious but effective on chat threads with years of media.

Other iCloud Data

Mail attachments, Voice Memos recordings, Contacts posters and photos, and FaceTime data all consume space. Each is listed in the Manage Account Storage screen. Tap any category and follow the on-screen options to review and delete what you don’t need.

Why Is iCloud Storage Still Full After Deleting Things?

The most common reason is skipping the Recently Deleted step. When you delete a photo, file, or voice memo, it moves to a hidden “Recently Deleted” folder and stays there — still counting toward your iCloud storage — until that folder is manually emptied or the retention period expires. Apple keeps deleted photos for 30 days and iCloud Drive files for 30 days by default. Until you clear those folders, your storage won’t budge.

Other mistakes include turning off iCloud sync instead of deleting content (sync stops future uploads but doesn’t remove existing data), and deleting local copies while the cloud copy remains untouched. Apple’s iCloud storage management guide confirms each category must be cleared separately.

The One Step Most People Miss

After you’ve deleted photos, files, backups, and messages, open each app’s Recently Deleted folder one more time. In Photos, that’s Albums > Recently Deleted > Select All > Delete. In Files, it’s Locations > Recently Deleted > Select All > Delete. In Voice Memos, tap Recently Deleted > Clear All. Until those folders are empty, your storage bar won’t reflect the space you just freed.

That’s the whole sequence: check usage, delete from each category, then clear the trash folders. Do that once and the next time that alert pops up, you’ll know exactly where to go.