Everyone knows that upon registering an Apple ID, you get 5 gigabytes of free iCloud storage space. By design, these gigabytes are meant to store backup copies, as well as your personal information (contacts, photos, notes, etc.). First, you might think that these 5 GB will be enough. But soon you will understand how wrong you were, and in fact, this volume is very, very small.
As practice shows, a large number of iOS device owners do not pay enough attention to their configuration. As a consequence, many of them are faced with a situation when the iCloud storage is overfilled. A corresponding notification appears on the screen of Mac and/or iPhone. In this article, we will focus on why it happens, how to regain valuable space, and what you need to do to ensure the free space in iCloud is used optimally.
What did you spend 5 GB on?
When you understand that your 5 gigabytes in iCloud are cluttered, the first thing you want to figure out what data is stored there. Let us prompt you the primary answer by writing “synchronization.” This involves storing the information and data you select in the Apple cloud storage in order to make it accessible from any device connected to your Apple ID, be it a laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone.
Looking at the first tab of the iCloud settings, it’s not difficult to understand which files occupy the most space. Usually, the top of the rating belongs to photos made with your iPhone. And now the main question comes: do you know where to find pictures synchronized with the iCloud? If yes, take our congratulations – you are one of the few who knows the answer. As practice shows, most users do not even know that this process takes place.
Now think again: do you really need all your photos to be copied into some unknown place? No? Then, without any remorse disable this function. Anyway, important images can be copied to your computer manually.
Next. It might be a revelation to you to find out that by default, whenever your iPhone gets connected to a charger and has access to Wi-Fi, it automatically creates a backup copy. Guess where it is saved? That’s right, in iCloud! Think twice whether you really need this and change the backup settings to a less frequent value or just do it manually from time to time.
Free up storage space
If you used all 5 GB and need to free up some space in the storage, you need to follow along with these recommendations:
- Go to the Settings menu;
- After that, go to iCloud;
- Select the Storage menu there;
- Find and choose the Manage option;
- In the list that opens, find documents you do not need and remove them.
Also, you should decide whether you need backups, which are saved from the first days of using the device. Old versions only clutter the storage space.
Erasing old backups from the folder is easy. Clicking on the list menu will reveal its parameters. At the bottom, you will see the Delete copy button.
To clear iCloud from unnecessary data, follow the instructions below:
- Go back to step 3 of the previous instructions;
- Select files that you do not really need anymore;
- Then click on the blue Edit button in the upper right corner;
- Press the red button against the items that you do not need;
- Then click Finish.
How to prevent the space from clogging
Experienced Apple devices users offer the following:
- Correctly configure the iCloud settings.
- Regularly and timely delete unused documents and other files.
- Do not store videos and photos in cloud storage.
- Copy important photos onto your computer and remove their duplicates from iCloud.
If necessary, increase the storage capacity. You can do so clicking on the Buy more space button or change iCloud storage plan. For example, for $0,99 a month you can get 50 GB.
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How to set up iCloud correctly
To ensure the free space in the storage is not filled so quickly, you need to configure it correctly.
Go to Settings–>iCloud–>Storage–>Manage. The maximum space in iCloud is usually occupied by the Media Library and archives. To save yourself from worries about the free space forever, in ‘Selecting data to create…’ disable the Media Library item.
Without a doubt, Apple’s cloud service is very easy to use. But it often stores completely useless data that occupies an extra space in your account. Following these simple tips, you can clear the storage while keeping the most important files safe.