iCloud storage full? Your options, and what happens if you stop paying
By Isaac Griffiths, developer of SMBDrop ·
The "iCloud storage is full" message tends to arrive at the worst moment, and the obvious fix is to tap upgrade and pay a bit more each month. That's often the right call. But it isn't the only one, and if you're thinking of cutting back or leaving, the order you do things in matters a lot. This guide covers what actually stops when you're full, what each option costs in the UK, and how to downgrade or cancel with much less risk of losing anything.
What happens when iCloud storage is full
According to Apple, when you run out:
- your device won't back up to iCloud;
- new photos and videos won't upload to iCloud Photos;
- iCloud Drive and other iCloud apps won't stay up to date across your devices;
- you can't send or receive email with your iCloud email address.
Apple's US version of the same article adds that when you're over the limit, photos and videos you delete are removed immediately, without going to Recently Deleted. So be extra careful what you delete while you're full.
Option 1: free up space
On iOS 17 and later, Settings → [your name] → iCloud shows a Recommended for You section that suggests what to clean up. The usual wins:
- Delete old device backups for phones you no longer have.
- If you use iCloud Photos, check whether Photos is also switched on in iCloud Backup for that device, and turn it off there.
- Clear big Messages attachments and old Mail.
Option 2: pay for more
UK iCloud+ prices per month, including VAT, from Apple's price list:
| Storage | Price per month |
|---|---|
| 5 GB | Free |
| 50 GB | £0.99 |
| 200 GB | £2.99 |
| 2 TB | £8.99 |
| 6 TB | £26.99 |
| 12 TB | £54.99 |
Paid iCloud+ plans include Private Relay, Hide My Email, a custom email domain and HomeKit Secure Video, and can be shared with up to five family members. Apple One bundles storage with other services; I haven't checked its UK prices for this guide.
If you're happy with iCloud and the jump to the next tier is affordable, this is the least effort. It's a subscription that grows with your library, though, which is why a lot of people start looking at the next two options.
Option 3: move your photos to storage you own
Photos and videos are usually most of the bill. If you have, or are willing to buy, a NAS (or even a Raspberry Pi with a USB drive), you can keep the full library at home and either turn iCloud Photos off or keep it on a smaller plan for recent photos. The steps are in how to move your iCloud Photos library to a NAS, and the bigger picture is in backing up an iPhone without iCloud.
The trade-off is honest: a NAS is your responsibility. One copy at home isn't a backup, so you'll want a second copy somewhere else.
Option 4: another cloud
Apple has a transfer service that copies iCloud Photos to Google Photos. It needs two-factor authentication on and Advanced Data Protection off, and Apple warns that some items, like Live Photos or some RAW files, may not transfer. I haven't priced other clouds here.
What happens if you stop paying
This is the bit people worry about. Here's what Apple actually says.
- Downgrades take effect at the end of the billing period. Apple says the change "will take effect after your current subscription billing period has ended".
- Over the limit, things stop syncing. From Apple's downgrade page: "If your iCloud storage exceeds your new storage plan capacity, iCloud won't sync or update your information, and iCloud backups won't be completed."
- Apple may delete data over the limit. The iCloud Terms say: "when you are over your iCloud storage limit, Apple may, upon 30 days' notice, delete any stored data that exceeds your storage limit."
- You lose the iCloud+ extras on the free plan: Hide My Email, Private Relay, Apple Invites and HomeKit Secure Video.
Note the word "may". Apple doesn't say exactly when, or in what order, it deletes data, and people on Reddit report very different experiences. Don't plan around a deadline. Plan on Apple being allowed to delete over-limit data once it has given you 30 days' notice, and make sure you've got everything out before you downgrade. Apple's own advice is the same: "Before you downgrade or cancel your iCloud+ plan, download or remove content that exceeds your new storage amount."
How to downgrade or cancel safely
- Check what you're using: Settings → [your name] → iCloud.
- Export your photos first. Get the originals onto a NAS or computer using one of the routes in the iCloud to NAS guide.
- Verify the copy. Counts, sizes, formats, and open a sample. The free up storage guide has a checklist, and the originals guide explains why a Live Photo is two files.
- Download everything else you need from iCloud Drive, Mail, Notes and so on.
- Only then delete from iCloud. Deleting from iCloud Photos deletes from every synced device. Recently Deleted keeps items for 30 days, but Apple says photos you delete while you're over your iCloud limit can be removed straight away, so export first.
- Downgrade or cancel. On iOS 18.4 and later: Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → iCloud+ (under Active), then See All Plans to downgrade or Cancel Subscription. On a Mac with macOS Tahoe 26 or later: System Settings → Apple Account → iCloud → Manage Plan.
- Watch for Apple's emails about being over the limit.
Apple says you can contact it within 14 days for a refund, and partial refunds are available where the law requires.
Where SMBDrop fits
Disclosure: I make SMBDrop. If you go the NAS route, it's one way to send photos from your iPhone to an SMB share as the original files, with both halves of each Live Photo, in the background with a retry queue. It's £9.99 once, with no subscription and no account, which is the point if you're leaving a subscription. It works with the photos on your phone, so if your originals are only in iCloud, download them first (see the iCloud to NAS guide). Other ways to do the same job are compared in the best SMB apps for iPhone.
FAQ
What happens to my photos if I stop paying for iCloud?
Your plan changes at the end of the billing period. If you're over the new limit, iCloud stops syncing and backing up, and Apple's terms say it may, upon 30 days' notice, delete data that exceeds your limit. Download your originals before you downgrade.
Will Apple delete my photos exactly 30 days after I downgrade?
Apple doesn't promise a date. Its terms say it may delete over-limit data upon 30 days' notice, and user reports vary. Treat it as possible from then on, and get your photos out first.
How do I cancel iCloud+ on iPhone?
On iOS 18.4 and later, go to Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, then iCloud+ under Active, and choose Cancel Subscription, or See All Plans to downgrade.
How much is iCloud storage in the UK?
50 GB is £0.99 a month, 200 GB £2.99, 2 TB £8.99, 6 TB £26.99 and 12 TB £54.99. The first 5 GB is free.
Can I use a NAS instead of iCloud for my photos?
Yes. Export your originals from iCloud to the NAS, verify the copy, then back up new photos from the iPhone to the NAS over SMB. Keep a second copy somewhere else, because one NAS isn't a backup on its own.
More guides
- How to move your iCloud Photos library to a NAS
- How to back up an iPhone without iCloud
- How to free up iPhone storage by moving photos to a NAS, safely
- Best ways to back up iPhone photos to a NAS (2026)
- Use a Raspberry Pi as an iPhone photo backup target (Samba)
- Best SMB apps for iPhone (2026): file managers, players and backup
Try SMBDrop
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