I just received a notification that I've run out of iCloud storage, and I currently have 2TB. I take a lot of photos and videos that are really meaningful to me, almost like a digital diary. These include various moments from vacations to personal projects and memories that I can't part with. Since 2TB is the maximum iCloud offers, I'm wondering what my options are. Should I buy an external hard drive? Is that worth the investment, and if so, which one should I get? Also, how would I go about transferring a long video, like an hour's worth, from my phone to that drive, considering I have a non-Mac laptop? I'm open to other suggestions, too!
5 Answers
Building a NAS (Network Attached Storage) could be a solid long-term investment for your storage needs. Also, don’t forget to check Apple’s support page for options on larger tiers of storage!
Compression is also a good option. You can shrink the size of your videos and photos to save some space, although the quality might take a hit.
If you want to stick with iCloud, they actually increased storage plans a while back. You can get up to 10TB now if you need that much. Just a thought!
Consider adding more storage to your iCloud+ plan, which can go up to 6TB. But keep in mind, iCloud can be pricey. Physical drives can be complex, and there are cheaper cloud storage alternatives like Google Drive, though transferring files may require extra steps.
I’d recommend getting an external SSD or HDD. You can download your files from iCloud and store them on the drive, then delete them from iCloud to free up space. It's pretty straightforward!
Can I connect the external drive directly to my phone, or do I have to use my laptop?
I tried that, but they told me I could only downgrade my plan.