Apple has its own practices when it comes to its storage space. When buying an iPhone, you can pick from different storage capacities. That is Device Storage and it’s not possible to purchase extra storage space later.
But, you get more flexibility on iCloud storage. The standard free plan only allows you to use 5GB storage. You can get additional storage capacities with different iCloud+ plans.
iCloud+ is Apple’s premium subscription for cloud-based storage. For a storage space of your choice, you’ll need to make monthly payments. Any changes or files in your iCloud will sync across all your Apple devices.
How to Buy Storage on iPhone?
iCloud+ plans range from 50GB to 2TB and there are varying costs. The monthly costs for the plans are $0.99 for 50GB, $2.99 for 200GB, and $9.99 for 2TB storage. Thankfully, you can directly purchase additional storage from your iPhone.
- Go to Settings and tap on your Apple profile name.
- Tap on iCloud.
- Scroll to the bottom and select Upgrade to iCloud+. If you’re on an older iOS version, you may need to go to Manage Account Storage > Change Storage Plan.
- Tap and select any plan of your choice. Then, select Upgrade to iCloud+.
- iPhone will require a Face ID verification to proceed with the payment method and confirmation.
Besides just the storage spaces, you also get additional exclusive features on all types of plans. Depending on the sizes, there are only slight differences in the extra features. Here’s an overview of what extra features you get with your iCloud plan.
| Items | iCloud+ 50GB Storage | iCloud+ 200GB Storage | iCloud+ 2TB Storage |
| Private Relay |  | | |
| Hide My Email feature | | | |
| Custom Email Domain | | | |
| HomeKit Secure Video Recording | Supports one camera | Supports up to five cameras | Supports Unilimited amount of cameras |
Share iCloud+ Plan with Family
Upon buying any iCloud plan, you can share the storage space with up to 5 family members. To start allowing access for your family, follow these steps:
Note: You must have Family Sharing already set up to share iCloud+ access.
- Open Settings and then tap on Family. Then, select Subscriptions. If you’re on iOS 15 or older, tap on your name and then select Family Sharing.
- Tap on iCloud+.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to proceed sharing your current plan.
Downgrade or Cancel iCloud+ Plan
If you accidentally selected another plan or would like to cancel your current one, here’s how you can change it.
- Go to Settings and then tap on your name.
- Select iCloud.
- Tap on Manage Storage or Manage Account Storage.
- Next, tap on Change Storage Plan.
- To downgrade your plan, tap on Downgrade Options. Enter your Apple ID credentials to proceed. Then, select another plan.
- To cancel your current plan, select the standard 5GB plan and then select Done.
If you have a lot of data in your iCloud plan but suddenly cancel it, you get a 30-day notice to backup or transfer your data from iCloud. After the 30-day period, Apple erases all your iCloud data permanently.
