How can I see the 3.9 GB of Messages in iCloud so I can delete some?
October 29, 2021 5:47 AM Subscribe
I want to choose among Messages' large attachments (images -- photos and videos) to clear out some iCloud space. The large images are mostly on my Mac, not my other devices. But when I delete Messages images from my Mac, it doesn't free up any iCloud space. Deleting them from Top Conversations on my iPhone doesn't free up space, either. How can I see the large Messages images that are on iCloud, and delete the ones I select?
This is an improved take on my previous question. I've tried restarting everything. I have the free 5 GB iCloud plan and that's what I'd like to keep. For skimming, skip the [more] drop-downs, like for these system specs:
From my Mac, I see that I have 571.7 MB Available in iCloud. Most of what I'm storing (3.9 GB) is Messages.
Looking from my Mac, I can see that most of those (2.5 GB) are on my Mac. I see large images that I don't need to keep.
Messages from the Mac are using iCloud.
But when I delete them, it doesn't increase my available iCloud space.
Working on the problem from the iPhone hasn't helped -- but I don't think it's a device issue since the problem spans devices:
Am I doing something wrong/failing to do something I should, or is something buggy? (If the latter, can I get free help from Apple for iCloud even though my devices aren't under AppleCare?) How can I see the 3.9 GB of Messages in iCloud so I can delete some?
This is an improved take on my previous question. I've tried restarting everything. I have the free 5 GB iCloud plan and that's what I'd like to keep. For skimming, skip the [more] drop-downs, like for these system specs:
[more]
- MacBook Air: Big Sur 11.6
- iPad: 8th gen, iPadOS 15.0.2
- Old iPhone 6: iOS 12.5.5
- New-to-me iPhone 12 mini (bought recently from Swappa, and reset): iOs 15.0.2
- None of the iOS devices are backing up to iCloud, but all have Settings/Apple ID/iCloud/Message switched On
From my Mac, I see that I have 571.7 MB Available in iCloud. Most of what I'm storing (3.9 GB) is Messages.
[more]
- I'm looking at System Preferences/Apple ID/iCloud.
Looking from my Mac, I can see that most of those (2.5 GB) are on my Mac. I see large images that I don't need to keep.
[more]
- I'm looking at About This Mac/Storage/Manage.../ and then clicking Messages.
Messages from the Mac are using iCloud.
[more]
- I.e., Messages is checked in System Preferences/Apple ID/iCloud -> iCloud Drive -> Options.)
But when I delete them, it doesn't increase my available iCloud space.
[more]
- I tried again just now. I went to About This Mac/Storage/Manage.../Messages and saw I had 2.56 GB. I deleted another 80 MB of images, and it showed I had 2.48 GB left. But both before and after I did that, the 571.7 MB Available on iCloud (at System Preferences/Apple ID/iCloud) was unchanged, even after giving it time to update.
Working on the problem from the iPhone hasn't helped -- but I don't think it's a device issue since the problem spans devices:
- Deleting attachments from Top Conversations also doesn't delete them from iCloud.
[more]
- On my new-to-me iPhone, Settings/General/iPhone Storage shows 206.6 MB in Messages. Within that, Top Conversations shows 8.8 MB. If I tap that, the biggest one is 7.6 MB. If I tap that, and then tap the Contact at the top of the conversation, it shows images with a See All button that expands the gallery. It has 100's of images. Under that, it says "769 images in iCloud." But after deleting some, that number doesn't change (even after giving it time to update) -- though it does reduce the size of the Top Conversation.
- And downloading them from iCloud and then deleting those doesn't help, either.
[more]
- Where it says "769 images in iCloud," (see the [more] section immediately above) it has a Download button, and that downloads images that are not the ones in the gallery. I tried it with a small conversation that had just a few images, deleted some of those, and that didn't free up iCloud space, either.
Am I doing something wrong/failing to do something I should, or is something buggy? (If the latter, can I get free help from Apple for iCloud even though my devices aren't under AppleCare?) How can I see the 3.9 GB of Messages in iCloud so I can delete some?
to echo heatherlogan - I'm incredibly cheap but just giving up and paying the 99 cents (US) per month to not have to worry about this stuff still feels like a worthwhile choice, more than a year later.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:30 AM on October 29, 2021
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:30 AM on October 29, 2021
Response by poster: Doesn't iCloud keep deleted items for 30 days in a "recently deleted" folder in case you change your mind?
Good thought, but no dice. I found Recently Deleted in iCloud Photos and nothing was in there. I looked in iCloud Drive and there's no Deleted there. Poking through iCloud, I don't see where it has anything related to Messages at all.
While in there, I deleted about a dozen photos from the iCloud Photos folder -- there's very little in there. I then went into Recently Deleted and really deleted them. Both before and after, 571.6 MB available when viewed from my Mac's system prefs.
As for paying, I'd be happy to if I needed the space... but I really think I don't if I could just see what those 3.9 GB *are*. But if I can't solve it, and I can't get free help from Apple, then they'll get me. Not happily, though.
posted by daisyace at 8:33 AM on October 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
Good thought, but no dice. I found Recently Deleted in iCloud Photos and nothing was in there. I looked in iCloud Drive and there's no Deleted there. Poking through iCloud, I don't see where it has anything related to Messages at all.
While in there, I deleted about a dozen photos from the iCloud Photos folder -- there's very little in there. I then went into Recently Deleted and really deleted them. Both before and after, 571.6 MB available when viewed from my Mac's system prefs.
As for paying, I'd be happy to if I needed the space... but I really think I don't if I could just see what those 3.9 GB *are*. But if I can't solve it, and I can't get free help from Apple, then they'll get me. Not happily, though.
posted by daisyace at 8:33 AM on October 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
It's possible that the listed iCloud storage may not reflect recent changes until each device performs an iCloud backup? I would plug in each device, connect to WiFi, and perform a manual iCloud backup (on each device) to see if the listed iCloud storage changes at all.
posted by mundo at 12:45 PM on October 29, 2021
posted by mundo at 12:45 PM on October 29, 2021
Have you tried logging into iCloud from a web browser? That may show you what's actually in the cloud rather than items on devices, the deletion of which may or may not be synced to iCloud. Once logged in, I'm not sure where messages lives, but I'd tend to look in Photos and iCloud Drive. There is also a storage bar in settings that shows you what files are taking up available space.
posted by willnot at 8:46 PM on October 29, 2021
posted by willnot at 8:46 PM on October 29, 2021
So maybe this is already not-news to everyone here, but I recently learned that iCloud treats device backups and application sync data entirely separately, even if they contain the same data.
Meaning, if someone sends me a 5MB attachment to an iMessage, that file ends up getting stored on iCloud twice: first by the Messages app syncing individual messages (so I can sync with other devices via the "Messages in iCloud" feature), and then later, by the device doing a cloud backup. So that's something to keep in mind. This caused me to run out of space much sooner than I estimated I would.
Also, as far as I can tell, there's no way to log in through the iCloud web interface and actually see or interact with the contact that's stored by apps, Messages in particular. All you can do is find the content on one of your synced devices via the Messages app, delete it, and then wait/hope that the deletion propagates to the servers. The only way to monitor that, that I've found, is to find the content on another synced device and wait for the delete to propagate there as well. When it does, you know it's been deleted and the storage space should have been released.
Apple has made it tremendously hard to do what you are trying to do. I feel like everyone takes a crack at the iCloud-storage-management problem when they run into the 5GB free limit, and Apple has managed to price additional storage at just under the level of effort that it takes to actually find a decent workaround. Everyone I know—myself included—has eventually thrown in the towel and started paying the monthly Apple Tax.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:34 PM on October 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
Meaning, if someone sends me a 5MB attachment to an iMessage, that file ends up getting stored on iCloud twice: first by the Messages app syncing individual messages (so I can sync with other devices via the "Messages in iCloud" feature), and then later, by the device doing a cloud backup. So that's something to keep in mind. This caused me to run out of space much sooner than I estimated I would.
Also, as far as I can tell, there's no way to log in through the iCloud web interface and actually see or interact with the contact that's stored by apps, Messages in particular. All you can do is find the content on one of your synced devices via the Messages app, delete it, and then wait/hope that the deletion propagates to the servers. The only way to monitor that, that I've found, is to find the content on another synced device and wait for the delete to propagate there as well. When it does, you know it's been deleted and the storage space should have been released.
Apple has made it tremendously hard to do what you are trying to do. I feel like everyone takes a crack at the iCloud-storage-management problem when they run into the 5GB free limit, and Apple has managed to price additional storage at just under the level of effort that it takes to actually find a decent workaround. Everyone I know—myself included—has eventually thrown in the towel and started paying the monthly Apple Tax.
posted by Kadin2048 at 10:34 PM on October 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
Applecare troubleshooting is free regardless of your device warranty status. Contact them via phone or chat and they can help you figure it out.
posted by bluloo at 12:00 PM on October 30, 2021
posted by bluloo at 12:00 PM on October 30, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
(I solved my own instantiation of this problem by ponying up the $1.29 CAD + tax per month for 50 GB, because life is too short for this sh*t.)
posted by heatherlogan at 8:00 AM on October 29, 2021