How to Downgrade iCloud Storage
to the Free 5GB Plan

You can downgrade from any paid iCloud plan back to the free 5 GB tier in System Settings. The actual downgrade takes about 2 minutes. But you need to get your usage under 5 GB first, or Apple will start deleting your data 30 days after the downgrade. Here is exactly how to do it safely.

How to downgrade iCloud storage plan

The downgrade button is buried a few levels deep. Here is the path on macOS Sequoia and Sonoma:

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS)
2. Click your name / Apple ID at the top
3. Click iCloud
4. Click Manage Account Storage
5. Click Change Storage Plan
6. Click Downgrade Options
7. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted
8. Select the Free 5 GB plan
9. Confirm the downgrade

On iPhone or iPad, the path is similar: Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Change Storage Plan > Downgrade Options.

Apple does not make this easy to find on purpose. The "Downgrade Options" link is small and gray, placed below the upgrade options. You might miss it on your first try.

For the official Apple walkthrough, see Apple's guide to downgrading iCloud storage.

What happens when you downgrade iCloud storage

This is the part most people worry about. Here is what actually happens:

• The downgrade takes effect at the end of your current billing cycle. If you paid on the 15th of the month, you keep the paid storage until the next 15th. Apple does not prorate refunds.
• If your usage is over 5 GB when the downgrade kicks in, Apple gives you a 30-day grace period. During those 30 days, your data stays intact. But new iCloud backups stop, iCloud Photos stops syncing, and iCloud Drive stops uploading new files.
• After the grace period, Apple starts removing data to get you under 5 GB. It removes the oldest backups first, then other data. The order is not fully documented, and you do not get to choose what goes.
• Your Apple ID still works. You do not lose access to the App Store, iMessage, or any purchased apps. Only iCloud storage shrinks.

The key takeaway: clean up before you downgrade, not after. If your usage is already under 5 GB when the downgrade kicks in, nothing gets deleted. Zero risk.

What to do before downgrading iCloud storage

You need to get your iCloud usage under 5 GB. For most people, that means dealing with three big categories: photos, backups, and iCloud Drive files.

1. Move your photos off iCloud

iCloud Photos is usually the single biggest consumer of iCloud storage. A typical photo library is 20-80 GB. You have two options:

• Download originals to your Mac: Open Photos > Settings > iCloud > select "Download Originals to this Mac". Wait for the download to finish (check the progress bar at the bottom of the Photos window). This can take hours or even days depending on your library size and internet speed.
• Export and store elsewhere: Select all photos in the Photos app, then File > Export > Export Originals. Save them to an external drive or a folder outside of iCloud.

Once your originals are safe locally, you can turn off iCloud Photos: Photos > Settings > iCloud > uncheck "Sync this Mac". Then go to iCloud.com/photos and delete the photos from iCloud to actually free the space.

Read our full guide on iCloud Photos taking up storage for detailed steps.

2. Delete old iCloud backups

Each iCloud device backup can be 10-50 GB. If you upgraded your iPhone two years ago, the backup from your old phone is still sitting there eating space.

Go to System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Backups. You will see a list of all devices with backups. Delete any device you no longer own. For your current iPhone, switch to local backups through Finder: connect your iPhone via cable, click it in Finder, and check "Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac".

Deleting a single old backup typically frees 15-40 GB. See our complete guide to deleting iCloud backups for more detail.

3. Clean up iCloud Drive

If you have Desktop & Documents sync enabled, everything in those folders is in iCloud. That includes Downloads that ended up on your Desktop, old ZIP files, DMG installers, and — if you are a developer — node_modules, .git directories, and build artifacts.

Open Finder and go to iCloud Drive. Sort by size. Delete anything you do not need. Move important files to a local folder outside of iCloud Drive (like ~/Projects or an external drive).

Then turn off Desktop & Documents sync: System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > iCloud Drive > turn off "Desktop & Documents Folders". macOS will create an "iCloud Drive (Archive)" folder with copies of your files.

How to check your iCloud storage usage

Before and after cleanup, you want to see where you stand.

• On Mac: System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud. The color-coded bar at the top shows your usage breakdown by category.
• On iPhone: Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud. Same color bar.
• On the web: Go to iCloud.com, sign in, click your profile icon, then Account Settings. Storage is shown at the top.

The storage bar updates in near-real time, but large deletions (like removing a 30 GB backup) can take a few minutes to reflect.

Common warnings when downgrading and what they mean

Apple shows several warning messages during the downgrade process. Here is what each one means:

• "Your iCloud storage will be reduced to 5 GB" — This is just confirming the obvious. Tap Continue.
• "iCloud Backup will be turned off" — iCloud cannot back up your iPhone to the cloud if the backup is larger than your available storage. You will need to use local backups via Finder or iTunes instead. This is fine. Local backups are actually faster and more reliable.
• "iCloud Photos will be turned off on all devices" — Only appears if your photo library exceeds 5 GB. Make sure you have downloaded originals locally before confirming.
• "Some iCloud Drive documents may be removed" — Only happens if your iCloud Drive files exceed your new 5 GB limit. Clean up first to avoid this.
• "Your iCloud email will stop working" — This only applies if you use an @icloud.com email address and your mailbox is over the limit. Most people are well under the email storage cap.

None of these warnings are permanent. If you change your mind, you can always upgrade again. But the goal here is to clean up so you do not need to.

How much money does downgrading save

Here is what Apple charges per year for iCloud storage:

• 50 GB: $0.99/month = $11.88/year
• 200 GB: $2.99/month = $35.88/year
• 2 TB: $9.99/month = $119.88/year
• 6 TB: $29.99/month = $359.88/year
• 12 TB: $59.99/month = $719.88/year

Most people are on the 200 GB plan. Downgrading saves you $36/year. Over 5 years, that is $180. Over 10 years, $360. All for storage you probably do not need once you clean up the junk.

Read more in our guide on how to stop paying for iCloud storage.

What if I need more than 5 GB later

You can upgrade again at any time. Go back to the same Manage Account Storage screen and pick a paid plan. Apple activates it immediately. No data is lost.

But consider this: if you set up local backups and keep your photos on your Mac (with a good external drive backup), you probably will not need more than 5 GB. The free tier covers iCloud Keychain, iCloud settings sync, Find My, iCloud Mail, and a small amount of iCloud Drive — which is all most people actually use from iCloud.

The fastest way to get under 5 GB

Manually cleaning each category takes time. You need to wait for photos to download, hunt for old backups, find hidden large files in iCloud Drive, and figure out which Desktop & Documents folders are safe to remove.

iCloud Cleaner automates this entire process. It scans your Mac, shows you exactly what is eating iCloud storage, and helps you clean it up in about 5 minutes. It costs $4.99 one time — no subscription. That is less than two months of the cheapest iCloud plan.