How Much iCloud Storage Is Needed for A Backup: Answered

If you want to know that how much iCloud storage is needed for a backup, just find answers in this passage. You can also get how to back up iPhone with iCloud or use another better iCloud alternative to back up iPhone without storage limitation.

Kathy

By Kathy / Updated on September 4, 2024

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How much storage does iCloud backup need?

At the moment I have used 1.6 GB of my 5 GB that I have of iCloud storage, and on my phone I have used 111.3 of 128 GB of storage. Is there a way where I can see how big my iCloud backup will be and do you think the remaining 3.4 GB are enough?

- Question from Reddit

iCloud, operated by Apple Inc., is a cloud service that allows users to store and sync data across various Apple devices. It supports Apple Mail, Calendar, Photos, Notes, contacts, settings, backups, and files, enabling seamless collaboration with others.

With its robust sync capabilities, iCloud makes it simple to back up data from your iPhone and other Apple devices.

How much iCloud storage is needed for a backup?

The amount of iCloud storage you need for a backup depends on the data you wish to back up, including photos, videos, files, and text messages. The more data you want to store, the more space you'll require.

Is 50GB iCloud enough for backup? For individual users, a 50GB plan is typically sufficient. However, if you're looking to cover a family of frequent iPhone and Mac users, you might need a 200GB or 2TB plan.

backup iphone with icloud

How to free up iCloud storage

Here are some tips for managing your iCloud storage.

1. Check your storage

You can monitor how much storage you're using and which apps are consuming the most space on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or Windows computer.

2. Review your backups

In your iCloud settings, you can go to "Recommended for You" to identify backups you can delete. Tapping "Review Backups" helps you find and remove backups from devices you no longer use.

3. Delete large files

Use the "Review Large Files" option to remove unnecessary large files.

Or you can use the professional iCloud manager to manage iCloud storage from PC.

🌟 Highlights:
· Easily delete, download or upload iCloud/iCloud Drive data from PC.
· It uses two-factor authentication to protect your iCloud data which is same as the encryption used by Apple. 
· Efficiently sync iCloud/iCloud Drive data from one account to another in one click.

Now you can download AOMEI FoneBackup on your Windows PC to learn how to delete iCloud data to free up iCloud storage.

Download FreewareWin 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP
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Step 1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Go to My iCloud > Log in with your Apple ID > Go to Manage iCloud.

manage icloud data

Step 2. Choose the data you need and click the Delete button to erase your iCloud data easily.

delete icloud data

🌟Tip: After you have cleared up space on iCloud, if there still isn't enough room to back up your iPhone/iPad data, AOMEI FoneBackup can also provide you with a backup method that is not limited by capacity. For more details, go to Part 4.

4. Uncheck larger data items

To create a smaller backup, you can uncheck larger data items that you don't need to back up. For example, turning off iCloud backup for Mail and Messages means old messages won't be restored if you get a new phone.

If you run out of iCloud storage, your device won't be able to back up to iCloud, and other iCloud apps won't stay updated. You can upgrade to iCloud+ for additional storage.

How to backup iPhone/iPad to iCloud

You can manually back up your device or enable iCloud Backup to keep it automatically backed up.

Part 1. How to back up iPhone/iPad to iCloud manually

Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network > Go to Settings > [your name], and tap iCloud > Tap iCloud Backup > Tap Back Up Now. Stay connected to your Wi-Fi network until the process ends.

⚠️Note:
  • If you get an alert that you don't have enough iCloud storage space to back up your device, follow the onscreen steps to buy more iCloud storage or go to the next part to use another better iCloud alternative to back up iPhone/iPad without storage limitations.

Part 2. How to back up iPhone/iPad to iCloud automatically

Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and make sure that Back Up This [Device] is turned on > Connect your device to a power source > Connect your device to a Wi-Fi network > Make sure that your device's screen is locked. Wait for the process to be finished.

🌟Tip: If your iPhone won't backup to iCloud not enough storage but there is, that may be because you have run out of iCloud storage or there is a mismatch in how Apple accounts for and reports on what is stored in your iCloud account.

How to back up iPhone without storage limitation

When using iCloud to back up your iPhone, you may encounter several issues.

  • The files you need to back up might be too large, and you don't have enough storage space.
  • Poor network quality could prevent large files from uploading successfully.
  • You may want to back up only specific important photos and videos, but iCloud only supports one-click backup for all photos and videos.
  • If you want to view specific data after the backup is completed, the process can be quite cumbersome.

In these situations, the best iPhone backup software - AOMEI FoneBackup will be your nice choice to solve the problems above.

AOMEI FoneBackup
Easy iPhone Data Backup Software
  • Back up unlimited files on your iPhone/iPad to PC.
  • Fully or selectively back up iPhone data as you like.
  • Fast backup speed helps back up GBs of data within minutes.
  • USB connections ensure all processes run stably.
  • Various iOS devices and versions are supported (iOS 18/iPhone 15).

Now just follow the guidance below to get how to back up iPhone/iPad data with AOMEI FoneBackup in a few clicks.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Connect your iPhone/iPad to the computer.

Step 2. Go to Phone Backup > You can choose Selective Backup to back up all or part of your photos, videos, music, contacts and messages, or choose Full Backup to fully back up iPhone 15 to PC including settings data, all apps data, etc. Here we task Selective Backup as an example.

selective backup

Step 3. Click the icon you need to choose data to back up > Click Start Backup to begin the task. 

🌟Tip: You can also change your backup storage location from the Backup Storage Path option to backup iPhone photos to external hard drive.

start to selectively back up iPhone

Once the process is finished, you can go to the My Backups page to view, delete and restore your backup. AOMEI FoneBackup's powerful features can help you easily restore your iPhone/iPad backups to any iOS device even if they are using different Apple IDs.

restore backups

Conclusion

From this passage, you can know how much iCloud storage is needed for a backup. If you need to back up iPhone data to iCloud right now, full guidance is also offered above to help you make it. For people who don't have enough iCloud storage or need to back up too much data, AOMEI FoneBackup mentioned in Part 4 will be a better iCloud alternative to help you easily back up iPhone.

Kathy
Kathy · Editor
Kathy is an editor of AOMEI FoneBackup, who is professionally trained and guided in mobile backup and data transfer, as well as skilled in solving iOS-related issues. She enjoys traveling, and finding relaxation in being close to nature. She is also enthusiastic about engaging in social activities and spends much of her free time with her friends.