Quick Answers
There are a few common reasons why your iCloud storage may still appear full even after deleting photos:
- Your Recently Deleted folder is still holding the photos. They remain here for 30 days before being permanently deleted.
- Your iCloud storage is still holding the original versions of your photos if you have iCloud Photo Library enabled.
- Your iCloud backups contain previous versions of your photos.
- Other apps or documents are also taking up iCloud storage space.
Checking your Recently Deleted folder, disabling iCloud Photo Library, or deleting iCloud backups can help free up space. iCloud storage works differently than device storage, so deleted photos may still show as taking up space temporarily or if stored in multiple locations.
Understanding How iCloud Storage Works
To understand why deleted photos may still appear to take up iCloud storage space, it helps to know how iCloud storage works:
- iCloud stores your photos and videos in multiple places – on your device, in iCloud itself, and in your iCloud backups.
- When you delete photos from your device, they go to a Recently Deleted folder for 30 days before being permanently deleted.
- If you have iCloud Photo Library enabled, your original full-resolution photos continue to be stored in iCloud.
- Your iCloud backups also contain previous versions of photos that have been on your device.
So even once you delete photos from your Camera Roll or device storage, copies of those photos may still be taking up space in your iCloud storage.
This is different than how device storage works – when you delete photos from the device itself, that space is immediately freed up. But with iCloud, copies of those photos may still be stored elsewhere until additional steps are taken.
Check Your Recently Deleted Folder
The first place to check for deleted photos taking up space is your Recently Deleted folder:
- Open the Photos app and view the Albums tab.
- Scroll down and tap on Recently Deleted to view your deleted photos.
- If photos are listed here, they are still counting against your iCloud storage.
- You can permanently erase photos here by selecting them and tapping Delete.
Photos remain in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days before being removed forever. So if you deleted photos from your device over a month ago, they will no longer be in this folder.
Checking this folder periodically and permanently erasing photos is a good way to immediately free up iCloud storage space after deleting photos from your device or Camera Roll.
Disable iCloud Photo Library
If you have iCloud Photo Library enabled, copies of your photos are stored in their original full resolution in your iCloud account.
Even when you delete photos from your devices, the original versions continue to take up space in iCloud storage.
To see if you have iCloud Photo Library turned on:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
- Look under Apps Using iCloud for Photos and check if its toggled on.
If so, toggling this off will stop syncing your photos to iCloud, which will prevent deleted photos from continuing to take up space.
However, this will disable certain iCloud Photos features like syncing across devices or accessing your library on multiple Apple devices.
You will only have the on-device versions of your photos if you turn off iCloud Photo Library.
Delete iCloud Backups
Your iCloud backups can also contain copies of photos that have been deleted from your devices and iCloud storage:
- Navigate to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups.
- Review the backup dates and sizes.
- Delete any outdated backups that may be holding deleted photos.
This forces your device to do a fresh backup without the previously deleted photos.
However, this also deletes any data only contained in those old backups, so make sure to only remove unnecessary backups.
Check and Delete Other Files
While deleted photos are the most common culprit for taking up iCloud storage, make sure to check for other files and apps that could be consuming space unnecessarily:
- In Settings, go to [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage.
- Review the list of apps and their storage usage.
- Delete or disable apps using large amounts of space if no longer needed.
- Check the Documents & Data section for large files you can delete.
Cleaning out unused apps, documents, and data can help maximize your available iCloud storage alongside clearing out deleted photos.
Purchase Additional iCloud Storage
If you have optimized your iCloud usage and still need more space, purchasing an iCloud storage upgrade is an option:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Change Storage Plan.
- Select a higher storage tier like 200GB or 2TB.
- Agree to the monthly or yearly charges.
While not free, upgrading your iCloud storage can provide some peace of mind if you regularly max out your space.
Use Third-Party Apps Cautiously
Some third-party “storage cleaner” apps claim to identify and delete cached or duplicate files from iCloud.
However, Apple does not allow direct third-party access to modify iCloud contents. These apps likely just search your local device storage, not your actual iCloud account.
It’s best to use Apple’s own iCloud management tools to clean up space instead of relying on these apps to free up storage for you. Proceed with caution before granting access to any third-party apps claiming to modify or clean your iCloud contents.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a few key reasons deleted photos may still take up iCloud storage space:
- Recently Deleted folder continuing to hold photos for 30 days
- iCloud Photo Library keeping original copies in the cloud
- Old device backups containing previously deleted photos
- Other apps, documents and data consuming storage
Check each of these categories within your iCloud storage management settings on your Apple device to clean up space after deleting photos.
Also be aware that iCloud works differently than device-only storage when it comes to deleting photos. Freeing up that space immediately takes some additional steps like removing from Recently Deleted or turning off iCloud Photo Library.
With a better understanding of how iCloud storage works, you can keep your account from filling up unexpectedly even after removing photos from your Camera Roll or device galleries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my deleted photos still appear in my iCloud storage?
Deleted photos may still appear to take up iCloud space because:
– They remain in your Recently Deleted folder for 30 days
– Full resolution versions continue to be stored if you have iCloud Photo Library on
– Old device backups contain previously deleted photos
What happens when I permanently delete photos from Recently Deleted?
When you manually delete photos from your Recently Deleted folder, they are permanently erased and will no longer take up any iCloud storage space.
Will turning off iCloud Photo Library delete my photos?
No, turning off iCloud Photo Library will only stop syncing your photos to iCloud. Your on-device photos will remain intact. However, you may lose access to edits or metadata synced across devices.
Is it safe to delete old iCloud backups to free up space?
Yes, you can safely delete outdated iCloud backups to free up space as long as you ensure any important data is contained in your most recent backups. Old backups often hold redundant copies of photos.