I've got an iCloud storage plan and all my photos are supposed to sync there, yet my iPhone 11 is still showing that it's full. Even after deleting videos, the storage doesn't seem to budge. Is this how it's supposed to be? I thought iCloud photos were meant to help free up space on my device. Am I doing something wrong?
4 Answers
Have you checked if your photos are set to 'Optimize iPhone Storage'? That option helps by keeping lower-resolution versions on your phone while the full-size photos stay in iCloud. If not, your iPhone might be storing everything locally, which can fill up time and storage fast!
If your issue persists, it may not just be about photos. There could be other system files or bugs that are taking up space on your device. Keep an eye on your apps too; sometimes they can hog space without you realizing it.
Just remember, iCloud isn’t exactly an extension of your iPhone storage. It's really for backup and syncing. If you delete photos from your phone, they go bye-bye from iCloud too. Make sure you’ve enabled 'Optimize iPhone Storage' in the settings. Also, check how much total storage your iPhone has and what’s using it—you might find other culprits eating up space!
My total storage is 64 GB, and my photos only take about 5.5 GB.
Your phrasing gives me a little pause. Just a heads-up: deleting videos or photos from your phone will also remove them from iCloud since it's a syncing service. If the videos are important, be careful when deleting! Also, sometimes system data can take up more space than you'd think. Perhaps share a screenshot of your iPhone Storage from the settings for more specific help.
Yes, I have the Optimize option enabled.