Apple only gives iCloud users 5 gigabytes of free online storage. If the memory is used for backups, photos and videos, it can quickly become tight.
Just a few iPhone backups and videos in 4K resolution are enough to break the 5 gigabyte limit of free iCloud storage. If you don’t want to increase the online storage for a fee, you have to clear out and delete data that is no longer needed. The easiest way to do this is on an iPhone or iPad. However, it is also possible to www.icloud.com log into the online storage and edit the data stored there.
Edit the iCloud files
iOS users select their own profile with the additions “Apple ID” and “iCloud” under “Settings”, which appears directly as the first entry.
Next, select the “iCloud” option and also click “Manage Account Storage”. Here you can check how much memory individual apps and backups are using and how much free memory is left.
Delete files in iCloud
If the storage is almost full, you have to delete files to ensure that things like automatic backups via iCloud continue to work. There are several options for this:
- Delete backups: All devices connected to the Apple ID create an iCloud backup. If the device is no longer used, the backup is no longer necessary. All backup copies can be found under the “Backups” entry and can free up memory again after opening with “Delete backup”.
- delete files: Numerous files and documents are stored in iCloud Drive, including, for example, downloads. Click iCloud Drive and choose a subfolder, such as Downloads or Documents. Files that are no longer required can be deleted here with a swipe to the left. Alternatively, the iCloud app can also be used on the iPhone or iPad. To manage and delete files from desktop or notebook, just go to iCloud.com Log in and select “iCloud Drive”. Files that are no longer required can then be easily deleted here.
- Clear app data: You can remove data from the apps in the list by clicking on the respective app and then on the red delete button.