You probably have more than one device from which you have to save files, whether those are messages, photos, videos, memos, or other items. The shift to cloud storage means you can save these files to the cloud, often automatically, backing up your data as you go.
There are some setbacks to this approach, however. You may quickly realize that you need more storage space for everything you want to save. Apple users with multiple devices, all containing different files, will often see their iCloud storage build up quickly.
Is your iCloud storage full? This guide will walk you through how to clear up space in your iCloud with a few simple steps. It will also cover why it’s so easy to fill up the space Apple gives you for free.
Why You May Need More iCloud Storage Space
Apple users get 5GB of free storage in iCloud for each Apple ID, and this includes data from your mobile device, laptop, or PC. This amount of storage is enough for some users, but many people use it up quickly. You may find you need additional storage space if you:
Back Your Devices Up Regularly
One of the biggest benefits of using iCloud is that you don’t have to save files on your local device. This does mean, however, that you’ll need lots of cloud space for backing up everything you want to save.
Have Lots of iOS Devices
Backing up all your Apple devices is a good idea, but when you use your iCloud storage space to do it, you may see it dwindle quickly. Think about the photos you take with your iPhone and saved files from your iPad, in addition to computer files, for example.
Don’t Monitor What You Save to iCloud
Initiating automatic iCloud backups is helpful so you don’t have to think about it, but sometimes it’s easy to overlook files and data you don’t need to back up. You could be in trouble if you’re saving every download and document, even if you don’t mean to.
The allocated 5GB may seem like a lot of space until you realize just how much stuff you want to save. Apple allows you to upgrade your storage plan for a fee, but there are steps you can take to free up more space so you don’t have to keep upgrading.
iCloud Storage Full? 5 Steps to Clear Up Space
Having your iCloud storage full doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming when you know how to take care of the overload quickly. Here are steps to take that will clear up iCloud space without deleting anything important:
1. View Your Current Storage Space
You probably received a notification on your devices letting you know your storage is full or almost full. You still may not know just how much you require or how much you’re currently using on your iPhone or Mac.
You need to know your average storage needs so you can adapt your plan accordingly. Find out what you’re using by heading to your Settings, clicking on your Apple ID name, and clicking iCloud. You will see your current usage there.
2. Assess the Apps Using iCloud Space
The next step is to make sure you know what apps are taking up the most space. You may discover that apps you aren’t even using are taking up valuable storage. You can find your list of apps on the same iCloud page in your Settings, mentioned above. Next to each app listed, you’ll see the amount of space each one takes up.
3. Turn Off Apps or Delete Data
There might be several apps you use regularly that you don’t want to automatically sync with your iCloud. Simply turn off the backup features on these apps, and they will no longer save your data to the cloud. Keep in mind that data from those apps will only be stored on your device. You can also delete data from an app to free up space.
4. Manage Your Photo Settings
Photos eat up tons of iCloud storage space. Each photo you take will be saved to the cloud if you have enabled iCloud Photos, which is located within your iCloud page and then under Photos. Pay attention to two options on that page: Optimize iPhone Storage replaces full-resolution photos with smaller-sized versions that take up less space. Download and Keep Originals is another option that keeps the photos in the original, larger version. The first option may help you get your storage levels down significantly.
5. Delete Other Content From Your Devices
Content you may want to delete from iCloud includes photos, voice memos, text messages, videos, files, and other saved content. Go through these files and find anything you don’t want to keep or any duplicates. You may have lots of text messages from companies or spam, for example, that you just don’t need to save.
You may also find that your email accounts are taking up lots of storage space, so you may want to delete messages if they’re being saved to iCloud. A digital file shredder can make this easy by hunting down and deleting duplicates and other unwanted files.
You have a few options for freeing up iCloud space when you’ve reached your limit and don’t want to upgrade to a paid plan. The most important point to remember to free up iCloud storage is to understand what’s taking up the most space, how to change your settings, and how to get rid of files you don’t want to save.
Turn to Shred Cube to Get Rid of Old Files
One way to free up storage space is to permanently erase files from your computer, whether they’re just old files, unnecessary files, duplicate data, or sensitive information. You may also need to delete your data before you sell your computer so no one will have access to your private information.
Shred Cube makes it easy to destroy these files for good in a simple and affordable way. You can erase and even organize your computer files much more easily with Shred Cube. Contact our team for more information about how digital file shredding can protect your information.
