The biggest thing that takes up storage is photos. If you're running iOS 9 or later, then go to Settings -> iCloud -> Photos and enable iCloud Photo Library. Then, make sure optimize iPhone storage is checked. Also, delete any apps that you may not use. Pay close attention to games. They eat up the most space. Switching to a streaming music service like Music or Spotify will also let you free up space by deleting music on your device.

Answer from CSstudent on Stack Exchange
🌐
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 253852269
Why is my iPhone storage full when I have iCloud
I say directly, because there are ... of iCloud Storage does not magically give you 2TB of storage on your phone itself. Check the phone Settings -> iCloud to enable offloading data to iCloud. The biggest culprits are likely to be Photos, so start with that, and make sure the ...
Top answer
1 of 3
2

The biggest thing that takes up storage is photos. If you're running iOS 9 or later, then go to Settings -> iCloud -> Photos and enable iCloud Photo Library. Then, make sure optimize iPhone storage is checked. Also, delete any apps that you may not use. Pay close attention to games. They eat up the most space. Switching to a streaming music service like Music or Spotify will also let you free up space by deleting music on your device.

2 of 3
0

You mean your iPhone storage is full and you you want to back up some data on iCloud so that you can have more storage on your iPhone, am I correct?

Now, I'd like to share with you how to turn on and use iCloud.

Go to Settings → iCloud to see all the settings and options on your iPhone or iPad. If you have not turned iCloud on already this is where you can log in to iCloud with your Apple ID and password. After you log in you will see options to turn on iCloud options which control what iCloud can do. Most users will want to leave these iCloud options turned on. When turned on, the options sync to iCloud so that they are accessible on iCloud.com and on your other Apple devices.

You can toggle any options you don’t want to the off position to stop syncing that data with your devices and iCloud. Any of the settings with an On > option offers more information and settings that you can control. These include iCloud Drive, Photos, Backup, Keychain and Find My iPhone.

If you want to know how to make more space, you can try other ways, such as clean up caches and temporary files, maybe iMyfone Umate is a good choice for you.

Have you installed the app "WhatsApp"? Seems it was the app "WhatsApp", creating lots of cache files and stealing storage from the phone. You should try to install the update and see whether the storage came back to normal.

Discussions

How to increase iPhone storage without using iCloud?
I’m running out of storage space on my iPhone but I want to avoid using iCloud. Is there a way to buy or expand the storage directly on the device? I use my phone for apps, photos, and videos, and it’s becoming a challenge to manage. Any advice would be great. More on pixenate.com
🌐 pixenate.com
1
0
February 28, 2025
My iphone storage said that it was full so i bought more icloud storage but it still says that it’s full
Your phone is complaining about running out of internal storage not iCloud storage. Try this… On the iPhone go to Settings > Photos and make sure that iCloud Photos’ is enable and ‘Optimize iPhone Storage’ has been enabled. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ios
51
49
July 3, 2022
bought more iCloud storage but it still says it’s full
Make sure Photos is set to optimize storage. iCloud is not known for its speed. Patience. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ios
16
6
May 25, 2024
Phone storage full, but have 2TB of iCloud!!!!
Fruity Support here. First, iCloud Storage is not the same as iPhone Storage and they cannot be used interchangeably. Second, you asked why you are not able to downgrade your iCloud Storage. The next level down is 200Gb and you are using more than that in your iCloud at this moment. So, looking at your iPhone Storage, it appears that your iPhone might not be fully syncing with iCloud. There could be a few different reasons, so here is what to look at: First, you have Low Power Mode turned on. iCloud will not sync while Low Power Mode is turned on. Go to Settings > Battery and turn off Low Power Mode Second, your iPhone Storage is full. Scroll down in your iPhone Storage screen and tap on the first app that's listed. In the App Details screen, choose "Offload App." This will remove the application itself but leave all of your data on your iPhone. Do this to a few apps until your storage used is under 60Gb. Now, make sure that iCloud Sync is turned on for Messages and Photos For Messages - Tap on Settings > Messages. First thing to check is iMessage. Make sure it is turned on. Also, tap on Send & Receive and make sure that you are signed in to your Apple ID. Next, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Messages in iCloud. This option will be under Apps using iCloud and you may need to tap on "Show All" to see it. Make sure that Messages in iCloud is turned on. For Photos - Tap on Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos. Make sure that it is turned on. You will also see an option for "Optimize iPhone Storage." Make sure that item is checked. Once you have these items setup, keep your iPhone connected to Wi-Fi and Power. As items sync with iCloud, you will notice your iPhone storage to start freeing up. Another space saving option is to have your iPhone automatically unload apps that are not frequently used. This will automatically do the same as in the second bullet point to allow for future storage savings. This option is in Settings > App Store > Offload Unused Apps More on reddit.com
🌐 r/applehelp
26
17
February 29, 2024
🌐
Quora
quora.com › I-just-bought-more-iCloud-storage-but-it-still-says-it-s-full-how-do-I-fix-this
I just bought more iCloud storage but it still says it’s full, how do I fix this? - Quora
Answer (1 of 6): I had the same problem, and fixed it very easily. First of all, don’t let the other replies scare you! Usually, this is just the reason - and it’s very easy to fix it. Just follow my steps: 1. go to settings of your iPhone 2. scroll down, and press the red “Sign Out” button 3. ...
🌐
EaseUS
mobi.easeus.com › ios & mac topics › [6 tips] how to fix iphone storage full but it's not
[Solved] iPhone 5/6/7 Storage Full but It's Not? Fixes Here! - EaseUS
September 1, 2025 - Go to your iPhone Settings > tap Your Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups > Delete Backup. If you have enabled iCloud Photo Library, it will automatically upload and store your entire library in iCloud to access photos and videos from all ...
🌐
iBoysoft
handyrecovery.com › icloud-says-full-but-isnt
How to Fix the ‘iCloud Storage Is Full But It's Not’ Issue
October 2, 2023 - Re-logging into your iCloud can potentially solve the ‘iPhone storage full but not iCloud’ issue by refreshing authentication and updating the iCloud storage status.
🌐
MusConv
musconv.com › why-is-my-iphone-storage-full-when-i-have-icloud-storage
Why is my iPhone storage full when I have iCloud storage?
This article delves into the reasons behind this common dilemma and offers practical solutions to effectively manage iPhone storage while maximizing the benefits of iCloud. Contrary to popular misconception, iCloud storage does not directly augment the storage capacity of your iPhone.
🌐
MultCloud
multcloud.com › explore more about popular clouds › solved: why is my iphone storage full when i have icloud?
Solved: Why is My iPhone Storage Full When I Have iCloud?
April 28, 2024 - Ever stared in disbelief at the dreaded "iPhone Storage Full" notification, despite having a healthy chunk of iCloud storage available? You're not alone. This common conundrum plagues many iPhone users, leaving them scratching their heads.
Find elsewhere
🌐
Geekzone
geekzone.co.nz › forums.asp
How to clear storage IPhone 16 - Geekzone
November 22, 2025 - The Geekzone forums are the busiest technology community in New Zealand.
🌐
FoneTool
fonetool.com › iphone data backup tips › why is my iphone storage full when i have icloud?| tips
Why Is My iPhone Storage Full When I Have iCloud?| Tips
February 27, 2025 - Step 1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Step 2. Select the app you want to offload. Step 3. Tap Offload App. If your iCloud storage is full or you want to back up less data, you can manage the apps and data included in your iCloud backup. Some apps may back up a lot of data, but you might not need to store it in the cloud.
🌐
MultCloud
multcloud.com › multcloud tutorials › fixed: not enough icloud storage but there is [5 easy ways]
Fixed: Not Enough iCloud Storage but There is [5 Easy Ways]
August 21, 2024 - Do you keep receiving notifications that Photos says not enough iCloud storage but there is space? This is a frequent issue faced by users of iCloud known as the "not enough iCloud storage error". To assist you in resolving this issue, this article has been created with detailed instructions on how to fix it. User Case 1: Although there is still 4.8 GB of free space from the 5 GB iCloud storage, I have received a notification on my iPhone's backup window stating that I do not have enough space to back up my iPad and iPhone data to iCloud.
🌐
CNET
cnet.com › tech › services & software › operating systems › adjust these settings to free up storage space on iphone without deleting anything
Adjust These Settings to Free Up Storage Space on iPhone Without Deleting Anything - CNET
October 30, 2025 - To optimize your photos and videos, go to Settings > Photos and toggle on Optimize iPhone Storage (for this to work, you'll need to have the iCloud Photos setting above it enabled).
🌐
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 102670
What's the difference between device storage and iCloud storage? - Apple Support
2 weeks ago - You can use iCloud storage to back up your device, keep photos and videos in iCloud Photos so they stay up-to-date across your devices, and more. When your iCloud storage is full or almost full, you might get an alert and you can upgrade or buy more storage. If you don't get more iCloud storage, the iCloud features that you're using might not stay up to date until you manage your storage or buy more.
🌐
MacPaw
macpaw.com › how to › optimization › disk space
Why is iCloud storage full? Here's how to check & manage it
3 weeks ago - It has 5 GB of space that you can use for free and additional storage is relatively inexpensive, so if you have multiple Apple devices, it’s definitely the most convenient way of file management. But this space is finite, so running into the “iCloud Storage Almost Full” or “Not Enough Storage” messages is inevitable.
🌐
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 108922
Manage your iCloud storage on your Apple device - Apple Support
1 week ago - If you want to remove content from Recently Deleted album faster, tap Select, then select the items you want to remove. Tap the More button, tap Delete, then tap Delete From This iPhone. If you exceed your iCloud storage limit, your device immediately removes any photos and videos you delete and they won't be available for recovery in your Recently Deleted album.
🌐
Cloudwards
cloudwards.net › cloud computing › cloud storage › cloud storage tutorials & guides
iCloud Storage Full? [5 Easy Ways to Free up Space in 2025 ]
For example, you may only have 5GB of free storage on iCloud, but 256GB of iPhone storage. In this instance, you’ll be able to store more files on your iPhone than in iCloud. ... Apple automatically notifies you on your iPhone or iPad when your storage is full.
Published   August 20, 2025
🌐
Proton
proton.me › blog › iphone-storage-full
iPhone storage full? How to free up storage on your iPhone | Proton
August 12, 2024 - Offloading or deleting apps you rarely or no longer use can clear a significant amount of storage space on your iPhone. To free up all of the space used by an app, you have to delete it.