iCloud, Apple‘s cloud storage service, has become an essential part of the Apple ecosystem. It seamlessly syncs data between all your Apple devices, making sure your photos, files, app data and more are always available wherever you need them. However, this convenience comes at a cost – your iCloud storage can quickly become cluttered with app data you no longer need.
According to a 2022 report from research firm Sensor Tower, the average app size on iOS has increased by 16% in the last five years, with many popular apps now exceeding 500MB. Multiply this across the 40+ apps used by the average iPhone user, and it‘s easy to see how app data can eat up iCloud storage space.
If you‘re looking to free up iCloud storage, permanently deleting unneeded apps and their associated data is a great place to start. In this guide, I‘ll provide a comprehensive walkthrough of how to delete apps and app data from iCloud, diving deep into technical details while providing clear, actionable steps. Whether you‘re a casual iPhone user or an Apple expert, you‘ll find valuable insights here.
Types of App Data in iCloud
Before we start deleting, it‘s crucial to understand the different types of app data that can be stored in iCloud. Apple breaks this down into three main categories:
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iCloud Sync Data: This includes preferences, settings, and documents that are synced across devices using iCloud. The specifics vary by app – for example, Apple‘s Pages app syncs all your documents via iCloud, while a podcast app might just sync your subscriptions and playback progress.
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iCloud Backups: If you have iCloud Backup enabled, data from your installed apps is included in your device backups. This allows you to restore your app data if you reset your device or switch to a new one. However, it also means that deleted apps and data can persist in your iCloud backups.
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Documents & Data: Some apps use iCloud to store and sync user-generated content, like drawings, text files, or in-app purchases. Prior to iOS 11, this had its own section in iCloud settings called "Documents & Data." Now, it‘s managed under each app‘s iCloud sync settings.
Here‘s a breakdown of how much data popular apps can store in iCloud:
| App | Typical iCloud Data Size |
|---|---|
| Photos | 1GB+ |
| Messages (iMessage) | 500MB-1GB |
| 200-500MB | |
| Pages, Numbers, Keynote | 100-500MB each |
| Health | 50-200MB |
Sources: iMobie, AppleInsider, iGeeksBlog
Of course, these are just estimates – the actual amount of iCloud storage used by each app will depend on your individual usage patterns.
Deleting App Data from iCloud Sync
If an app is storing data in iCloud that you no longer need, you can stop it from syncing and delete its existing iCloud data in a few steps:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad
- Tap your name at the top to access your Apple ID settings
- Tap "iCloud"
- Under "Apps Using iCloud," tap "Show All"
- Find the app you want to remove and tap the toggle to turn off iCloud sync
- Choose "Delete from My iPhone" to remove the app‘s data from iCloud
Note that this will delete the iCloud-synced data from all your devices, not just the one you‘re using. If you want to keep the data on your current device, choose "Keep on My iPhone" instead.
So what exactly happens when you disable iCloud sync for an app? According to Apple‘s support documentation, "When you turn off an app, information stored only in iCloud is removed from your device but stays in iCloud. If you turn that app back on later, its information downloads back to your device."
In other words, the app‘s iCloud data isn‘t permanently deleted right away – it‘s just detached from your device. If you re-enable iCloud sync for that app later, all that data will come right back. To permanently delete it, you‘ll need to tackle iCloud backups as well.
Removing App Data from iCloud Backups
Even if you‘ve disabled an app‘s iCloud sync, its data can still linger in your iCloud backups. Over time, this can add up to a significant amount of storage space. To completely remove an app‘s data from iCloud, you‘ll need to delete it from your backups:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups
- Tap the backup for your device (it will be listed as This iPhone or This iPad)
- Under "Choose Data to Back Up," tap "Show All Apps"
- Find the app you want to remove and toggle it off
- Confirm you want to turn off backups and remove the app from your backup
At this point, the app‘s data will be deleted from your iCloud backup, and new backups won‘t include that app‘s data going forward. However, old backups containing that data will persist until they‘re overwritten by new backups.
iCloud only keeps the most recent backup for each device, automatically overwriting the previous one. So after you‘ve disabled backups for an app, its data will be completely purged from iCloud the next time your device performs a successful backup.
If you need to immediately delete an app‘s data from iCloud and don‘t want to wait for the next automatic backup, you can force a manual backup by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup and tapping "Back Up Now."
Hiding vs Deleting Apps from Purchase History
What about removing apps entirely from your iCloud account and App Store purchase history? While you can hide apps from your list of purchased apps, you can‘t completely delete them. Here‘s how to hide an app:
- Open the App Store app and tap your profile icon in the top right
- Tap "Purchased"
- Find the app you want to hide and swipe left on it
- Tap "Hide"
The app will now be hidden from your purchased list. However, this doesn‘t actually delete the app or its data – it just removes it from view. You can unhide the app at any time from your App Store account settings.
It‘s important to understand that hiding an app has no effect on its iCloud data. Even if an app is hidden from your purchased list, its documents and data will remain in iCloud until you manually remove them using the methods described above.
Checking and Managing App Storage
To keep tabs on how much iCloud storage your apps are using, you can check your iCloud storage breakdown:
- Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage
- Under "Apps Using iCloud," you‘ll see how much data each app is storing in iCloud
You can tap on an individual app to see more details on its iCloud usage, including the amount of data stored in the app‘s Documents & Data, and the size of its iCloud backup.
Tracking your iCloud app data usage over time can help you identify storage hogs and decide which apps to target for cleanup. Consider checking your iCloud storage report monthly and removing unneeded app data to keep your storage in check.
The "Offload App" Option
In iOS 11 and later, Apple introduced an "Offload App" feature that can help free up storage space on your device without fully deleting an app and its data. When you offload an app, the app itself is removed from your device, but its documents and data are preserved.
To offload an individual app:
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- Tap on the app you want to offload
- Tap "Offload App" and confirm
You can also enable automatic offloading for unused apps by going to Settings > App Store and toggling on "Offload Unused Apps." With this setting enabled, iOS will automatically offload apps you haven‘t used in a while when your device is low on storage.
It‘s important to note that offloading an app does not remove its data from iCloud. The app‘s documents and data will still be stored in iCloud and included in your iCloud backups until you manually delete them using the steps outlined previously.
Troubleshooting iCloud App Deletion
If you run into issues while trying to delete app data from iCloud, here are some troubleshooting steps to try, courtesy of Apple experts:
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Check your network connection: iCloud syncing and backup require a stable internet connection. If you‘re on a cellular network, try connecting to Wi-Fi to see if that resolves the issue.
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Force-quit the app and restart your device: If an app is stuck syncing or won‘t respond when you try to disable iCloud sync, force-quitting the app and restarting your iPhone or iPad can help. To force-quit an app, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-press the Home button on older devices) to bring up the app switcher, then swipe up on the app‘s preview to close it.
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Sign out of iCloud and back in: For stubborn syncing issues, signing out of iCloud completely and then signing back in can give iCloud a kick-start. Go to Settings > [Your Name], scroll down and tap "Sign Out," then sign back in with your Apple ID.
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Delete and reinstall the app: If an app‘s iCloud sync toggle is stuck or greyed out, deleting and reinstalling the app from the App Store might help. This will erase the app‘s local data from your device, but shouldn‘t affect its iCloud data.
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Contact Apple Support: If you‘ve tried all the above and are still having trouble, it might be time to contact Apple Support. They can provide more targeted troubleshooting steps and investigate any potential issues with your iCloud account.
Summary and Looking Forward
Permanently deleting app data from iCloud involves a combination of disabling iCloud sync, removing data from iCloud backups, and (optionally) hiding the app from your purchase history. By understanding the different types of app data that can be stored in iCloud and following the steps outlined in this guide, you can take control of your iCloud storage and remove unneeded app data for good.
Here‘s a quick comparison of the different methods for removing apps and app data from your device and iCloud:
| Method | Deletes App from Device | Deletes App Data from iCloud | Deletes App from Purchase History |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disable iCloud Sync | No | Yes (documents & data, preferences/settings) | No |
| Disable iCloud Backup | No | Yes (data in iCloud backups) | No |
| Offload App | Yes (app only) | No | No |
| Hide App | No | No | Yes (hides from purchase list) |
| Delete App | Yes | No (data remains until manually deleted) | No |
As our devices continue to play a larger role in our daily lives and we use a growing number of apps, managing app data in iCloud will only become more important. By staying on top of your iCloud usage and regularly removing unneeded apps and data, you can ensure you always have enough storage space for what matters most.
Looking ahead, it would be helpful for Apple to provide more granular controls for managing app data in iCloud. For instance, the ability to set data retention policies for individual apps, or tools to help identify and remove large caches of stale app data. Until then, being proactive about iCloud storage management is key.
By following the advice in this guide and keeping a watchful eye on your iCloud usage, you can keep your app data in check and make the most of your iCloud storage. Happy cleaning!
