How Can I Get More iCloud Storage for Free?

By Jack Smith — Updated March 8, 2026

Apple does not offer extra free iCloud storage beyond the 5 GB included with every Apple ID. However, you can effectively free up iCloud space at no cost by deleting old device backups, reducing which apps sync to iCloud, moving your photo library to Google Photos (15 GB free), and cleaning duplicate or blurry photos before they upload.

Step 1: Delete Old Device Backups

iPhone backups are the single largest consumer of iCloud storage. If you've upgraded phones over the years, you likely have backups from old devices sitting in iCloud — some as large as 5-8 GB each — that you'll never restore from. Deleting them is free and instant.

To delete old backups: Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups. Tap any device listed that you no longer own and select "Delete Backup." For a full walkthrough, see: How to Delete Old iCloud Backups.

This single step commonly recovers 3-10 GB for users who have owned multiple iPhones.

Step 2: Reduce Your Current Backup Size

You can also shrink your current iPhone's backup footprint without deleting the backup entirely. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup, then tap "Back Up This iPhone" and review "Choose Data to Back Up." Turn off apps you don't need to restore — games, streaming apps, and social media apps rarely need iCloud backup since they restore their data from their own servers when you reinstall.

Turning off iCloud Photos backup alone (if you're using another photo backup solution) can save 2-15 GB or more, depending on your library size.

Step 3: Switch Photos to Google Photos

Google Photos gives every Google account 15 GB of free storage, which is 3x more than iCloud's free tier. If you move your photo backup to Google Photos and disable iCloud Photos, you reclaim all the iCloud space your photos were using.

The trade-off: Google Photos compresses photos by default (though it offers "original quality" storage counting against your 15 GB), and you're trusting Google rather than Apple with your memories. Read the full comparison: Can I Use Google Photos Instead of iCloud?

Step 4: Clean Up Your Photo Library First

Before switching to any backup service, reduce the size of your photo library itself. The average iPhone user has hundreds of screenshots, duplicate shots, blurry burst photos, and junk images they'll never look at. Deleting these before they sync to any cloud service means you need less storage everywhere.

Swype Photo Cleaner is the fastest way to do this — swipe left to delete, right to keep, and work through your camera roll in minutes rather than hours. Once you've cleaned your library, your cloud storage needs drop significantly.

What Apple Actually Offers for Free

Apple occasionally runs promotions — new iPhone buyers have historically received 3 months of iCloud+ free. If you've set up a new device recently, check Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud for any active promotional offers. Apple also offers the iCloud Family Sharing feature with iCloud+, so a single paid plan ($9.99/month for 2 TB) can be shared across a family of 6, making the per-person cost as low as $1.67/month — still not free, but much more affordable.

Shrink your photo library before it fills iCloud — try Swype Photo Cleaner

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