The 2TB of iCloud storage included with the Apple One Premier subscription plan is a family pool, not personal storage per individual. Let me explain in more detail how it works…
Apple One bundles together multiple Apple subscription services into discounted package deals. There are three main bundle tiers:
| Tier | Services Included | Price per Month |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade 50GB iCloud Storage |
$14.95 |
| Family | Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade 200GB iCloud Storage |
$19.95 |
| Premier | Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+ 2TB iCloud Storage |
$29.95 |
The Premier tier advertises "2TB of iCloud Storage" as one of the included services. But what exactly does this mean?
The 2TB of storage is a family pool, not personal storage per individual.
Here‘s a more detailed look at how it works:
Family Sharing and Shared Storage Pools
The Apple One Premier plan includes up to 2TB of shared iCloud storage for your family group.
With Family Sharing, up to 6 family members can share access to iCloud storage, subscriptions, purchases and more.
Family members contribute to and use from a pooled "shared storage" that is drawn from the total Apple One storage amount, in this case 2TB.
So the 2TB is a maximum shared pool, not personal storage for each user.
Breaking Down the Shared Storage System
To fully understand the shared pool system, let‘s look at some examples:
- John signs up for the Individual Apple One plan (50GB shared storage)
- John invites Wife Jane to join his Family Sharing group
- The 50GB storage is shared between John and Jane
- If each uses 25GB, together they have used the 50GB shared pool
Now let‘s say the family upgrades to Premier (2TB shared storage):
- The family now has access to a 2TB shared pool
- John uses 500GB for his device backups and photos
- Jane uses 300GB for her storage needs
- Together they have used 800GB out of the 2TB shared pool
In this example, John does not personally get 2TB and Jane does not get a personal 2TB allocation. Rather, they access from a shared pool of 2TB.
The total shared iCloud storage included in each Apple One plan tier is:
- Individual: 50GB shared
- Family: 200GB shared
- Premier: 2TB shared
So while the Premier tier includes up to 2TB of storage, this is for the entire family to share, not individual allocations of 2TB per person.
Adding Additional iCloud Storage
According to Apple‘s Family Sharing support page, families can add extra iCloud storage beyond what is included in their Apple One plan, up to a maximum of 4TB total across the family group.
The family organizer manages the main iCloud storage subscription and any add-ons. Storage add-ons can include:
- 50GB for $0.99 per month
- 200GB for $2.99 per month
- 2TB for $9.99 per month
So for example, a family with the 2TB Apple One Premier plan could add an extra 2TB iCloud storage subscription for $9.99/month. This would give their family group access to up to 4TB of shared iCloud storage.
Total Shared Storage for Each Plan
To summarize the total shared storage available for each Apple One tier:
| Plan | Included Storage | Max Additional Storage | Max Total Possible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | 50GB shared | 200GB | $3.99 for 250GB shared |
| Family | 200GB shared | 2TB | $9.99 for 2.2TB shared |
| Premier | 2TB shared | 2TB | $9.99 for 4TB shared |
So while the higher plans include more storage, the totals are still shared family pools, not personal allocations per person.
Shared Family Storage Usage Examples
To give you an idea of how far shared storage pools can go, let‘s look at some real-world usage examples:
-
1 user with Premier plan (2TB)
- Backing up 3 devices (2 iPhones & 1 MacBook)
- Storing entire 200GB photo library
- Saving important documents
- Total used: ~500GB
-
Family of 4 with Family plan (200GB)
- Each user backs up 1 iPhone
- Family shares a total of 50GB photos
- Docs, messages, and app data
- Total used: ~190GB
-
Family of 5 with Premier plan (2TB)
- Each user backs up 2 devices
- Family shares 300GB photos
- Work and school documents
- Total used: ~1.5TB
Actual usage will vary depending on each family‘s needs. But in many cases, 200GB or 2TB shared should be sufficient for average consumers. Power users may want to add extra storage.
Should You Upgrade for the 2TB iCloud Storage?
So is it worth paying extra for the Premier tier just to get the 2TB iCloud storage amount? Here are some things to consider:
Photo and video storage – The 2TB plan provides ample room for entire libraries of high resolution photos and video. Especially useful for families with a ton of memories to backup.
Multiple devices – 2TB makes it easy to backup every device in the family without worrying about running out of space.
Future proofing – With the 2TB pool, you likely won‘t have to think about upgrading storage for a long time, even as file sizes increase.
One less thing to manage – The convenience of bundled 2TB storage can be worth it to avoid managing yet another separate iCloud subscription.
Saves money over separate purchases – Depending on your use of Apple services, Premier can represent big savings over buying everything individually.
But not everyone needs that much storage. For many average users, 200GB or even 50GB may be perfectly sufficient.
My advice is to think about your family‘s usage – things like number of devices, typical photo libraries, and document storage needs. If you‘ll realistically come close to using a 2TB shared pool, the value is there. But don‘t overpay just for unused headroom you don‘t really require.
Alternative Ways to Get 2TB of Storage
While convenient, Apple One Premier is not the only way access 2TB of cloud storage. Here are some alternative options to consider:
-
iCloud+ standalone plans – You can subscribe directly to 2TB iCloud storage for $9.99/month and share it with Family Sharing without needing the Apple One bundles.
-
Google One – For $9.99/month, Google One provides 2TB of cloud storage that can be shared with up to 5 family members. An affordable alternative.
-
Dropbox – Dropbox Plus provides 2TB storage for $11.99/month. Dropbox Family offers 2TB shared storage for up to 6 users at $17.99/month.
-
External hard drives – A 2TB external hard drive can be purchased for around $60 as a one-time cost. Great for local backups and extra storage flexibility.
-
Synology NAS devices – Network attached storage devices like Synology offer shared storage pools accessible from all devices on your home network. More of an investment but very versatile.
Depending on your needs, there are many ways to get shared access to large storage beyond just Apple One Premier. Shop around for the best solution for your family‘s usage habits.
Tips for Managing Family Storage
Here are some tips to help maximize your family‘s shared iCloud storage pool:
- Use Apple‘s Optimize Storage tool to remove duplicates and reduce file sizes
- Review the largest files eating up space – delete what you don‘t need
- Offload unused apps, especially large games and video apps
- Selectively sync photos to iCloud; don‘t needlessly duplicate entire libraries
- Carefully manage device backups – delete old backups for devices no longer used
- Supplement iCloud with local device storage, external drives, photo services like Google Photos, etc.
- Monitor usage under Manage Storage in Settings and upgrade promptly if needed
With some diligent housekeeping, you can stretch even modest shared storage amounts surprisingly far.
The Bottom Line
While Apple One Premier bundles 2TB of shared family iCloud storage, this does NOT mean each person gets 2TB of personal storage.
The actual amount of storage depends on the Apple One tier, number of family members, and additional storage purchases. Total shared pools can range from 50GB up to 4TB.
Before upgrading your plan, realistically assess your family‘s storage needs. In many cases, 200GB or 2TB shared will be sufficient. But high resolution media users or large families may want extra space.
Apple One Premier provides a convenient bundle for heavy cloud users. But shop around to make sure it truly offers the best value for your situation. With smart storage management, even lower tiers and storage additions can work perfectly well.
I hope this overview has helped explain exactly how Apple One‘s family shared iCloud storage system works. Let me know if you have any other questions!
