iCloud storage is full: see what's using it and free up space

Why it happens

Your photos, iPhone and iPad backups, iCloud Drive files, mail and messages all share one iCloud allowance. When it fills up, new photos and backups stop saving to iCloud. Free accounts get only 5 GB, which fills up quickly once iCloud Photos is on.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and click your name at the top of the sidebar. Then click iCloud.

2. Click Manage… next to the storage bar. You'll see each app and backup with the space it uses.

   Apple Account›iCloud›Manage…

3. Look for easy wins. Backups of old iPhones or iPads you no longer use are often large and safe to delete. Big videos in Photos and old files in iCloud Drive are next.

4. Before deleting anything, remember it's removed from all your devices, not just this Mac. Copy anything you want to keep to your Mac or an external drive first.

5. If you'd rather keep everything, get more space. On macOS 26, click Manage… and then Change Storage Plan. On macOS 27, click Manage Plan instead.

   macOS 26 Tahoe Apple Account›iCloud›Manage…›Change Storage Plan

   macOS 27 Golden Gate Apple Account›iCloud›Manage Plan

On macOS 26 you upgrade from Manage… > Change Storage Plan. On macOS 27, Manage Plan handles upgrading, downgrading and cancelling in one place.

Still not fixed?

1. Deleted photos don't free space straight away. They wait in the Recently Deleted album in Photos for up to 30 days. Open that album and delete them from there if you want the space back now.

2. On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, to see the same list. Turning off iCloud Backup for a device you've stopped using also stops it filling your storage.

3. Space still looks full after deleting? The storage bar can take a while to catch up. Check again later, and restart your Mac if it hasn't changed by the next day.

4. If the storage bar still doesn't go down, or you were charged for a plan you didn't choose, contact Apple Support.