The most passionate tech enthusiasts and mobile content creators have massive photo and video libraries on their devices. Old and new photo memories, 4K videos, small and large files: our lives consist of content like this, but everything comes to a halt when you see the ‘iCloud storage full’ warning all of a sudden.
Your first thought might be to pay for extra space ASAP, especially if you’re busy creating a backup or shooting an important video. However, the situation will likely repeat itself. Paying for more storage is just a short-term, temporary measure.
Is there any other solution for your iPhone and Mac, then? Yes, absolutely; there are several strategies you can use, and we are going to tell you about them all. Learn how to free up iCloud space without paying for additional gigabytes. Reclaim parts of your existing storage, optimize your settings, and enjoy your creative processes without dreading the moment you see the hateful ‘iCloud storage full’ error again.
Why iCloud Fills Up Faster Than Ever
Apple provides its users with 5 GB of free storage space. Initially, you might think that it’ll be enough, but the thing to remember is that all Apple devices are known for their top quality. The camera you’re using will produce stellar content, and it will weigh a ton. Specifically:
- High-resolution photos and videos, as well as raw content, can overfill your storage in a day, especially if you’re a content creator who’s constantly working with new materials.
- A single iPhone backup you create to make sure your content is protected can take 2-3 GB. If you try to move your photo and video archive from an older iPhone model, your storage space will be gone before you know it.
- There is some other data to consider, too, such as documents, attachments, synced messages, and more device backups from Apple products like Mac and iPad. Each of them chips away at your iCloud storage.
Regular people can simply move parts of this content to their Mac, putting it in separate non-cloud folders and forgetting about them for years. However, photographers and video enthusiasts want to have access to everything they create at all times, so the thought of moving content like this is abhorrent to them.
How to Fix the Storage Full Mistake
There are four strategies you can try to get rid of the annoying ‘storage full’ warning.
Check Your Backups
Backups tend to eat the biggest chunks of iCloud storage space. If you’ve had iPhones in the past, you’re guaranteed to have more backups than you need. Here is how you can check it:
- Go to settings, find the name of your iPhone there, click iCloud, and check the Manage Storage folder.
- You’ll see the Backups option there right away. Click on it, and you’ll see a list of your older devices.
- If there are backups under these devices, delete them, as they simply take up your free space.
When it comes to your current iPhone, think about what kind of backups you’d like to create. Decline the backup of apps whose storage you don’t need, and you’ll free up quite a lot of new space.
Optimize Your Photo and Video Storage
If you’re a content creator, your focus will always lie on your photo and video content. There is no need to start producing less of it, but consider doing optimization.
Go back to your Settings and choose Photos. Click “Optimize iPhone Storage”, and you’ll get to keep full-resolution files in iCloud while storing smaller, lighter versions on your device.
Export older video content to external drives like Dropbox or OneDrive. This way, you’ll be able to access it whenever you want, but your storage will remain much freer.
Clear Your Hidden Cloud Clutter
As you already know, iCloud stores a lot of things, so taking care of your photos and videos is just a part of the problem. Clear up the hidden clutter by following these tips:
- Adjust your syncing settings. Check your syncing settings to make sure that only relevant content gets saved. For example, disable automatic uploads for WhatsApp and other messengers.
- Go through your app data. This might surprise you, but various productivity apps and even games can store backups in iCloud. Check the Manage Storage option and get rid of all the documents and bits of data you don’t need.
- Review attachments. Old emails with large attachments can pose a serious problem for your storage. Identify messages like these by using filters or special tools, check if you still need that content, and remove it if you don’t.
- Clean up voice files. As a creator, you might have plenty of voice memos and other audio snippets. Czech which of them clutter up your storage, and then either export or delete them.
Your iCloud storage might feel as free as new once you’re done getting things in order.
The Best Solution for Clearing iCloud Storage on Your Mac
While the solutions above are undeniably helpful, you can apply one universal method to take care of iCloud storage on your Mac. You can download one of the Mac cleaner apps and let it handle everything, including some of the methods we’ve already discussed. CleanMyMac is a good example of such an app: with its help, you can clear your storage, remove backups you don’t need, and manage your photo library.
In addition, you can delete your iCloud mail attachments in a single click and enable Mac storage optimization. That’s a sure way to rid yourself of junk and keep your storage clean and filled only with content that matters.
Apply Smart Storage Cleanup Strategies Instead of Overpaying
Stop paying for iCloud every time you see a ‘storage full’ warning. First, try a variety of other methods we’ve reviewed in this guide. Get a Mac cleaner app to remove useless files and backups; optimize your storage and adjust your syncing settings. Pay attention to the clutter you collect over time, and take care of it before it has a chance to overwhelm your storage.
