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How to delete apps from iCloud on any device to free up storage space on your iCloud account

Dave Johnson   

How to delete apps from iCloud on any device to free up storage space on your iCloud account
Tech3 min read
  • You can easily delete apps from iCloud to free up storage space — particularly, large data-heavy apps that you might not need to back up.
  • To delete apps from your iPhone or iPad, navigate to the iCloud section in the Settings app.
  • To delete apps from iCloud on your Mac, navigate to iCloud in System Preferences; on Windows, you will need to install the iCloud desktop app.

Need to make room on your iCloud account? Apple provides just 5 GB of free storage space, which is not enough online storage unless your needs are very modest. You have two choices: You can upgrade your iCloud subscription to get more space, or delete unneeded items from iCloud. You can save a lot of space by deleting your largest apps from iCloud.

How to delete apps from iCloud on an iPhone or iPad

All your iPhone or iPad apps and their program data are automatically backed up to iCloud, but you can save a lot of storage space by deleting your largest apps from the iCloud backup list.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap your account name at the top of the page.

2. Tap "iCloud" and then tap "Manage Storage."

3. Tap "Backups."

4. On the Backups page, you'll see the list of your Apple mobile devices. Tap the name of the device you are currently using.

5. After a moment you should see a short list of apps appear in the "Choose Data to Back Up" section. These are the five apps which take up the most space on iCloud. Tap "Show All Apps" to see all the apps installed on your device.

6. To delete an app, swipe its button to the left and then confirm by tapping "Turn Off & Delete" in the pop-up window.

How to delete apps from iCloud on a Mac

Your Mac can also use iCloud for storing some apps.

1. Click the Apple icon at the top left of your desktop and choose "System Preferences" in the dropdown menu.

2. In the Preferences window, select "Apple ID." Enter your Apple ID password if necessary.

3. To the right of the iCloud Storage bar at the bottom of the window, click "Manage..."

4. In the pop-up window, click the app you want to delete from the pane on the left and then follow the directions in the main pane. In most cases, you can click "Turn Off and Delete," though in some cases you might need to take other steps, such as deleting files in Finder.

How to delete apps from iCloud on a PC

1. To delete apps and their data using Windows, you'll need to download and install iCloud for Windows 10. If you are using an older version of Windows, get the iCloud app from Apple.com.

2. Start the iCloud app and then click "Storage" to the right of your iCloud storage bar.

3. In the pop-up window, click the app you want to delete from the pane on the left and then follow the directions in the main pane. Most apps will have an option to "Delete Documents and Data," while other apps might provide different instructions.

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