Free Up iCloud Space and Manage your iCloud Storage using your iPhone

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In this video, we’re going to look at how we can manage our iCloud storage space through our iPhone, we’re going to look at where we can see how much storage we are using, which apps are using that storage and what we can do about it. And then also where we can purchase more storage. Or if you’ve cleared off enough storage with an iCloud, maybe you want to reduce your plan. Let’s take a look at how we manage our iCloud storage through our iPhone.

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Let’s go over to my iPhone. Now the first thing that we need to do is we need to figure out how much storage we are using. Where do we find this? Well basically, what we need to do is we need to go over to our settings app. So I’m going to tap on settings here.

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And now what we need to do is we need to go up to the top here, where we have our name. Now I am using iOS 16. But basically this is the same way that you do it if you’re using an older version of iOS. So let’s go ahead and tap on my name here. And from here, what I need to do is go down to iCloud, I tap on iCloud.

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And now what I’m able to do is see how much space I am using, as well as how much space I have. So in this case, here, in my case, I have two terabytes available. And I’m using one terabyte, well, what is using all of this storage? Well, if we go over to the left, you’re gonna see that I have here photos, Docs, as well as others and family. And if we look, you’re gonna see that this turquoise here is my family. So most of my space in this case here is us through another account, this is a family account that I’m using. So I have another iPad or another iPhone that is using most of the storage. So what I’d have to do is log into that device, it could be my Mac could be my iPad could be my iPhone, I’d have to go to that device. And then I could manage that storage. So let’s just say that this iPhone here is using a lot of storage. How can I see which apps are using this storage? Well, basically, what we need to do from here is tap on Manage Account storage. When I tap on Manage Account storage, what you’re going to see here is all of the apps that are using the storage.

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Now this is arranged with the apps that I use and the most storage towards the top. So in my case here, my photos app are using the most storage within iCloud. If we go down towards the bottom here, we can see that these items here, these apps here are not using a lot of space. So now what can I do to manage the storage? Well, basically, what you need to do is just tap on any one of these and then from there, we’re able to do is delete the data. Now it depends on which one you tap on which options are available.

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So the first thing that I would do is I would go over to backups here. This is where a lot of storage can be taken up. Especially if you’ve been using Apple products for a while. Let’s say you have an older iPhone in your head, an older iPhone, and you no longer have it, you traded it in you recycled it or maybe you gave it to someone. Well, in some cases, you still may have that backup which you no longer need. So you need to do is you need to delete that backup. So all you have to do is just tap on backups here. And then what you’re going to see are all of your different backups. So let’s just say that this iPad here is an older iPad, I no longer have it, I want to delete that backup. All I do is just tap on it. And from here, what I’m able to do is delete that backup.

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And that will immediately free up space within iCloud. Now let’s go back up to backups here and take a look at a couple of other options. What we can also do is see which files for a particular app are using the storage. So let’s go down to Keynote here. When I tap on Keynote, what I’m able to do is see which files which presentations are using my storage in iCloud.

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And then from here, what I’d have to do is go and find this particular presentation in iCloud. I do that through the files app. So I’d open up the files app on the iPhone, go to iCloud, and then go to Keynote, and I’d be able to delete specific presentations. You can also delete all of them to delete all of them. What you do is you go up to the top here, and you’re going to see delete documents and data. This will delete all of the Keynote documents and data. So if you’re no longer using Keynote, you can go and delete all of the documents and data.

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Let’s take a look at photos here. With photos. What I’m able to do is turn off and delete my photos from iCloud. I’m using iCloud Photos so my photos are stored in

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in iCloud, that can take up quite a bit of space. If you no longer want to do that, you can turn this off and then delete the photos that are in iCloud now. Now if you do do this, your photos will be stored on your device and that can take up a lot of space as well. I am a big fan of iCloud Photos. So what I would recommend doing is leaving this on photos and videos can take up the most space. And if you just have them on your iPhone, you’re going to find out that you’re going to run out of space quite soon.

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Let’s go back to all of my settings here. Now let’s say you’ve cleared off your storage now what you need to do is you need to change your plan, you can lower your plan, maybe you cleared off enough storage where you can lower what you’re paying for and storage are you couldn’t clear off enough. So now what you need to do is you need to purchase more storage, how can you manage that storage. In order to do that what you do is you go over to change storage plan. When I tap on this, what I’m able to do is change my storage plan. Now in this particular case, I can’t do it because I’m not the manager of this family countered this phone is not the manager of this family account. But basically what you’d be able to do here is just switch your plan it’s real easy to do. You can downgrade your storage, maybe you cleaned off enough space so you don’t have to pay for the all that storage anymore. Or what you can do is you can upgrade it just with a couple of taps.

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So that is how we manage our storage on the iPhone, our iCloud storage through the iPhone. Basically we do this through the settings app, we go to our name, and then we go to iCloud from there. What we’re able to do is manage our storage. We can see which apps are using our storage we can delete data, and then we can also manage how much storage we are purchasing from Apple.

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So that’s how we manage our storage our iCloud storage through our iPhone