LEAVING ICLOUD+
Get your originals out of iCloud before the plan ends, not after.
Downgrading does not delete anything by itself, but it changes what still works. Apple says the change takes effect after your current subscription billing period ends, and that if your iCloud storage then exceeds your new plan’s capacity, iCloud will not sync or update your information and iCloud backups will not complete. The first thing to rescue is your photos: with Optimize Storage on, the full-resolution copy may only exist in iCloud.
Sources checked Sep 22, 2026 – Sep 23, 2026
START WITH THE SETUP
Before you change the plan
- 01
Find out what is using the space. Apple lists iCloud backups, iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive, Messages in iCloud, contact images, Voice Memos in iCloud, FaceTime data and Apple Invites events as the things the free 5 GB has to hold, and says that when you use Messages in iCloud the text messages and attachments you send and receive use your iCloud storage.
- 02
Check whether Optimize Storage is on. Apple says that when you turn on Optimize Storage your device keeps space-saving versions of your photos and videos, while iCloud Photos stores them in their original, high-resolution version. If it is on, the photo on your phone is not the file you want to keep.
- 03
Decide what you lose at the free tier, not just how much space. Apple says that if you downgrade to the free iCloud plan you no longer have access to iCloud+ features and benefits like Hide My Email, Private Relay, Apple Invites and HomeKit Secure Video support. Private Relay is the Safari browsing protection that comes with the subscription.
- 04
Check whether Advanced Data Protection is on. Apple says that when it is turned on, web access to your data at iCloud.com is turned off automatically, though you can approve temporary access from a trusted device — and that the photo transfer service cannot export if Advanced Data Protection is enabled.
- 05
Tell anyone sharing the plan. Apple documents sharing iCloud+ with your Family Sharing group, so check what each member is storing before the shared allowance goes away rather than after.
WORK THROUGH THE MOVE
Copy, check, free up space, then downgrade
- 1
Get the photo originals onto a computer. Apple documents downloading from iCloud.com, where you can select up to 1,000 photos or videos at a time and use More Download Options to choose Unmodified Originals (the format as captured or imported), Highest Resolution, or Most Compatible (JPEG or MP4/H.264). On a Mac, Apple documents Photos → Settings → iCloud → Download Originals to this Mac rather than Optimize Mac Storage.
- 2
Or use Apple’s own transfer, if the destination is Google Photos. Apple documents starting it at its Data and Privacy page and choosing “Transfer a copy of your data”, says the transfer takes between three and seven days, that it sends a copy and does not remove your originals, and that you need two-factor authentication and enough space at the destination. It lists shared albums, smart albums, photo stream content, Live Photos and some metadata as things that do not transfer.
- 3
Copy iCloud Drive. Apple documents copying iCloud Drive files from your Mac, iPhone, iPad or iCloud.com. On a Mac, check whether Desktop & Documents Folders is on first: Apple says that when you turn it off your files stay in iCloud Drive and new, empty Desktop and Documents folders are created locally in your home folder, and that you move files back yourself by dragging them out of iCloud Drive.
- 4
Take the small things that are easy to forget. Apple documents exporting contacts as vCards from a Mac or iCloud.com, exporting calendars, and exporting Notes as PDF or Markdown. It also documents getting a copy of the data you store with Apple from its Data and Privacy page; the page we read gives no timescale for that request, so check it when you start.
- 5
Know what iCloud.com will not hand over. Apple says iCloud.com gives you mail, contacts, calendar, photos, notes, reminders, files and documents, and that Health data and passwords in iCloud Keychain are not available there. Export those from a device instead.
- 6
Deal with device backups on purpose. Apple says an iPhone, iPad or Apple Vision Pro backup includes the information and settings on the device that do not already sync to iCloud, and that iCloud backups are available for 180 days after you disable or stop using iCloud Backup. If you want a backup that does not use iCloud storage, check Apple’s current instructions for backing up to a computer before you turn iCloud Backup off.
- 7
Move your Hide My Email logins before the plan ends. Apple says that when you stop using a unique, random address, any emails sent to that address are returned to the sender, and that deleting a Hide My Email address is permanent and it cannot be reactivated. Change the email address on any account that signs in with one of them first.
- 8
Check the copy before you delete anything. Open real photo files and check they are the full-size originals, not space-saving versions, and open documents from several iCloud Drive folders.
- 9
Only then free up space, and mind the deletion rules. Apple says that when you delete photos and videos on one device they are deleted everywhere you use iCloud Photos, and that deleted items stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days before deletion becomes permanent. Turning iCloud Photos off gives you a choice per device — Download Photos & Videos, or Remove from iPhone — and Apple warns that if you choose not to download a copy, optimized photos are not the original resolution. If you turn the service off for the account, Apple says your photos delete from iCloud 30 days after you stop using the service, and that you can choose Undo Delete or Recover iCloud Photos within that window.
- 10
Downgrade or cancel last. Apple says the change takes effect after your current subscription billing period ends, and that if your iCloud storage exceeds your new plan’s capacity, iCloud will not sync or update your information and iCloud backups will not complete until you free space or add storage. Over the limit, Apple also says your device will not back up to iCloud, new photos and videos will not upload to iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive and other iCloud apps will not stay up to date across your devices, and you will not be able to send or receive email at your iCloud address. The Apple pages we read give no deletion timeline for files left over the limit, so check Apple’s current page before you rely on one.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Four things the move can leave behind
Check these specifically. A library that opens on your phone is not proof that the originals are on your computer.
- The full-resolution original of a photo
- Apple says that with Optimize Storage on, your device keeps space-saving versions while iCloud Photos holds the original, high-resolution version. It repeats the warning when you turn iCloud Photos off: if you choose not to download a copy, optimized photos are not the original resolution. Download Unmodified Originals, or turn Optimize Storage off and let the device fill up first.
- A shared album
- Apple says photos deleted from a shared album delete immediately, and that you should save a copy to your personal library to keep access; in version 27 or later of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS, photos added to a shared album count towards the storage of the person who created it. Apple’s transfer service also lists shared albums among the things that do not transfer.
- The Hide My Email address you sign in with
- Apple says emails sent to an address you stop using are returned to the sender, and that deleting an address is permanent and it cannot be reactivated. Any account that uses one to reset a password becomes hard to recover. Change those addresses while the subscription is still live.
- Passwords and Health data
- Apple says iCloud.com covers mail, contacts, calendar, photos, notes, reminders, files and documents, and that Health data and passwords in iCloud Keychain are not available there. A browser-based export misses both, so take them from a device.
Downgrade to the free 5 GB, or keep a smaller iCloud+ plan?
The number that decides it is your total, not the plan name. Apple says either change takes effect after your current billing period ends, and that if what you store exceeds the new capacity, iCloud stops syncing and backups do not complete. A smaller paid plan keeps Hide My Email and Private Relay; the free plan does not, and Apple lists Apple Invites and HomeKit Secure Video support with them.
Whichever you pick, do the copying first. Moving your files to a Microsoft account instead? Microsoft says the OneDrive website accepts files up to 250 GB depending on your browser, and that OneDrive and SharePoint do not allow " * : < > ? / \ | in file or folder names, nor leading or trailing spaces, nor reserved names such as .lock, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM0–COM9, LPT0–LPT9, desktop.ini, or names beginning with ~$. Google Drive stores files up to 5 TB, and Dropbox says characters like * and / are not compatible with all devices. Leaving OneDrive as well? The OneDrive guide covers Files On-Demand and the Desktop and Documents backup.
A GOOD REASON TO WAIT
Do not change the plan yet if
- Optimize Storage is still on and you have not downloaded the originals.
- A device backup is the only copy of something, and you have not replaced it.
- Any account still signs in with a Hide My Email address.
- You have not opened real files from the copy and checked their size and resolution.
When to use the provider’s instructions
This is a planning guide, not account-recovery, legal, or data-protection advice. Every vendor statement here comes from the official help pages listed below, on the date shown. Providers change their steps and their limits, so open the provider’s current page before you delete or cancel anything.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Compare what you would move to.
iCloud+ and Google One side by side: free storage, US plan prices, family sharing, what uses the space, and what happens if you go over or stop paying.