How to Delete iCloud Storage from iPhone and Mac

Every operating system today comes with a built-in cloud storage function to back up device settings, app data, photos and files. iPhone and Mac come with iCloud, Windows PCs integrate OneDrive, and Android prefer the parent company’s Google Drive solution. Managing such exotic cloud storage is nothing short of a chore.

By default, both Apple and Microsoft provide the least amount of storage. The situation is even worse in Apple’s scenario as the company uses 5GB of storage to back up iPhone apps, Settings and files. All these options are turned on by default. And you’re very likely to fill the space faster than you expect.

As a new user, you might be bothered by the constant iCloud storage full prompts. Also, there are several reasons to avoid using iCloud in favor of competitors.

The first reason is that iCloud is not available on Android, and competition like OneDrive and Google Drive offers more bang for your buck with advanced functionality.

In this post, we will talk about multiple ways to remove iCloud storage from both iOS and macOS so you don’t have to pay for additional iCloud storage and avoid those annoying pop-ups.

1. Turn off iCloud Photo Backup

By default, iOS and macOS backup all photos and videos to iCloud platform. This takes up some space in your assigned storage. To stop it syncing, go to Settings > User Profile > iCloud > Photos and turn off the backup option.

It will stop future photos from uploading, but what if you want to delete uploaded photos as well.

To do this, go to iCloud > Manage storage. Here you will see a detailed breakdown of the storage. Click on the Photos menu and select disable and delete.

2. Delete App Backup

You may not know, but third-party apps on iOS use iCloud as their preferred backup solution. And they get a significant share of the pie, too. You’d be surprised how much storage these apps take up in iCloud.

To delete them, go to Settings > Profile > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups > Select Device and turn off backups for apps you rarely use.

Here I will not recommend deleting backups from essential apps like WhatsApp as you cannot restore them while setting up the same account on a new device.

Note:

3. Delete iCloud Documents and Data

An app may have created new folders in iCloud Drive to store data. You can always delete irrelevant ones to save some space.

Go to Settings > Profile > iCloud > iCloud Drive and check the folders added in iCloud Drive.

Tap the folder to see its size and select delete documents and data. You may find that the whole process is quite long and confusing. There is another way to remove iCloud folders as well. Use the Files app.

4. Delete from Files App

The Files app is Apple’s answer to the growing need for file management on iOS. Compared to the Files alternatives on iOS it may seem simple but it gets the job done.

Download Files for iOS

It comes by default on every iOS device. Open Files > iCloud, here you will see all iCloud folders.

Swipe left in the folder and delete – No need to go through a long list of steps in the Settings menu.

You can also manage device folders and other third-party cloud storage apps like OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box. The Files app nicely integrates all the options under one roof.

5. Put iCloud Folders in Trash on Mac

The above step also applies to macOS. However, there is no Files app on Mac. MacOS integrates iCloud directly with its default file management.

On Mac, you can press command+space and open iCloud from search menu. From there, drag and drop irrelevant folders/files to the trash in the lower right corner.

If you examine the system preference, you will see a similar pattern with iOS. All default Mac apps use iCloud to back up user data. You can also turn this off. But I wouldn’t recommend it. Mac apps typically take up less space and make restoring less of a headache on the new Mac.

Free Up Some iCloud Space

By default Apple enables every option for iCloud backup. Filling up the base storage and upgrading users to paid plans is a trick. iCloud is an excellent cloud storage tool for Apple users. However, if you fall into other categories of users, delete some unwanted files and keep only the default app data. Or you can purchase the extra storage from Apple annually.

Next: Google Photos is a capable alternative to iCloud Drive. Read the post below for a detailed comparison between iCloud Drive and Google Photos for storing all your images and videos.