“Your iCloud Storage Is Full” Email: How to Tell If It’s a Scam

Emails saying your iCloud storage is full, often with a warning that your photos will be deleted and an offer of “extra storage”, are a known phishing tactic. Apple says scammers send emails that look like they’re from legitimate companies, including Apple. The safe rule: never act from the email; check in Settings.

Check your real iCloud storage

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   Step 1: Open Settings, not the email

   Go to Settings › [your name] › iCloud. The bar at the top shows how much iCloud storage you’ve used.

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   Step 2: See what’s using it

   Tap Storage or Manage Account Storage for details. If you really need space, see how to clear iCloud storage.

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   Step 3: Change your plan only in Settings

   If you want more storage, buy or upgrade iCloud+ from Settings on your device, never from a link in an email. Apple says to update payment details only in Settings on your device, and your Apple Account password only in Settings or at account.apple.com.

Signs the email is fake

• It doesn’t match Settings: Settings says you have space, but the email says you’re full.
• Urgency: Apple says scammers usually create a strong sense of urgency so you don’t stop to think.
• It asks for payment or details: a link to “update your payment” or enter your password. Apple says it never asks for your Apple Account password or verification codes to provide support.
• Threats to delete your photos: Apple says that when you run out of iCloud storage, your device stops backing up to iCloud and new photos stop uploading; it doesn’t describe deleting your library.
• Odd sender or links: Apple says to watch for a sender address or link that doesn’t match the company. On iPhone, Apple says you can touch and hold a link to see where it really goes.

If you already clicked or entered details

• Change your Apple Account password now: in Settings or at account.apple.com. Apple says to do this right away if you might have entered your password on a scam site, and to make sure two-factor authentication is on.
• Call your bank: if you entered card details, contact your bank or card issuer through the number on your card.
• Check your card statement: card details entered on a scam site can be misused, so look for payments you don’t recognize.

CleanX

If your iCloud really is full of photos

If Settings shows that Photos is what fills your iCloud, CleanX scans the photos and videos on your iPhone and shows how much space duplicates, similar shots, screenshots and large videos take. With iCloud Photos on, what you delete is removed from iCloud too, like any deletion in Photos. If you’re already over your iCloud limit, Apple says deleted photos and videos are removed right away and can’t be recovered from Recently Deleted, so check before you delete. CleanX asks for access to your photos through iOS; it never asks for your Apple Account password.

• Duplicates, similar photos and large videos, with the space they take
• Uses iOS photo access, never your Apple Account password
• Scanning is free; deleting and compressing need CleanX Pro

Report it

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   Step 1: Forward it to Apple

   Apple says to forward suspicious emails that look like they’re from Apple to reportphishing@apple.com. For a text message, send a screenshot to the same address.

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   Step 2: Mark it as junk

   In an iCloud.com, me.com or mac.com inbox, Apple says to mark it as Junk or move it to the Junk folder, which helps iCloud Mail filtering.