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Do you own both an iPad and an iPhone and keep getting a message that says, “This iPad cannot be backed up because there is not enough iCloud storage available”? Apple has a maximum of 5 GB limit for iCloud backup, which is shared on all devices with your Apple ID. This means that if you have multiple iOS devices, you may suddenly find yourself with only 2.5 GB of storage per device.
If you’re wondering what to do when you see the “not enough storage” message on your iPad, this article is for you. Here, we’ll show you how to manage your iCloud backup settings, so you can stay within the 5 GB limit while still being able to backup your devices.
How to Manage Your iCloud Storage and Backup Settings
If you want to manage your iCloud settings so that you don’t see the iCloud storage alerts on your iPad, follow these steps:
- Tap Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Backup.
- Look at Total Storage under the iCloud heading – this should say 5GB.
- Check the available storage, which is the amount available in your account. Keep this in mind, as you will need to keep your device under this limit later.
- Tap Manage storage.
How to manage documents and files storage in iOS
First, review the options for “Documents and Data Storage.” Here, you should see all the apps that use iCloud. These may take up space on iCloud with the Documents in the Cloud feature, which allows you to access the same documents on both your iPad and iPhone. You might not need some of these apps. For example, our iMovie takes up 56.9 MB of data, but we don’t use it. Here’s how to delete documents and files from apps:
- Tap the title of the app in Manage storage.
- Tap Edit.
- Tap Delete all and Delete all again.
Keep in mind that this will delete all files you created in the app, so be careful. You should only use this if you’re not using an app at all. To delete files from an app individually, open the app and manage the files inside it.
How to Customize Your Backup Options
If you deleted files from iCloud, and you still don’t have enough space for your backup, you probably need to manage the backup. Open storage and tap the device you want to manage under “Backups”. This will show you the data window for that device. It should look like this:
If you look at the right next backup size, you should see how much space your device and its apps will take up on iCloud. Fortunately, you can disable listed items so they don’t back up. Follow these steps to free up some space:
- Under each app, look under “Backup options” to see how much space it takes up, in MB or GB.
- Identify apps that use a lot of storage space and turn the switch next to the app off.
- A “Disable and Remove” window will appear. Tap on Delete (this will not delete the app or files on your iPad; it will simply delete all backup files on iCloud).
- Tap Manage storage.
- Check if iCloud Backup is set to On. If not, tap On and OK.
- Tap Back up now.
You will now find that you can back up both of your devices, though not all content on both. If you’re not ready to remove items from your backup to fit within the 5 GB limit, tap “Buy more storage” and get more storage from Apple.
You might also be interested in: “How to Transfer Photos from iPhone to Mac.”
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is iCloud backup?
iCloud backup is a feature that allows you to backup the data on your iOS devices wirelessly and automatically. This includes photos, videos, device settings, app data, iMessage, and more. The backup is stored in iCloud, and you can restore it to a new device if you lose or upgrade your current device.
2. How much does iCloud storage cost?
Apple offers multiple iCloud storage plans ranging from 50 GB to 2 TB. The cost of each plan varies depending on your country or region, but in the US, prices start at $0.99 per month for the 50 GB plan and go up to $9.99 per month for the 2 TB plan. You can also share your iCloud storage with your family using the Family Sharing feature.