# iPhone storage vs iCloud storage: what's the difference?

**Short answer:** **iPhone storage** is the fixed space inside your phone (128GB, 256GB and so on). **iCloud storage** is online space in your Apple Account: 5 GB free, more with iCloud+. They're separate: buying iCloud storage doesn't add room to the iPhone, and an "iCloud storage full" warning has nothing to do with the iPhone being full. They overlap only where something syncs, like iCloud Photos.

## Steps
1. **See iPhone storage:** **Settings › General › iPhone Storage**.
2. **See iCloud storage:** **Settings › [your name] › iCloud**. The bar at the top shows what uses your iCloud space.
3. Read the warning carefully: "iPhone Storage Full" and "iCloud Storage Is Full" need different fixes.
4. **If the iPhone is full:** clean up photos and videos, Messages and apps, and consider **Optimize iPhone Storage** ([guide](/guides/free-up-iphone-storage)).
5. **If iCloud is full:** delete old backups, clean the photo library and Messages, or change plan ([guide](/guides/icloud-storage-full)).

## What lives where
| | iPhone storage | iCloud storage |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Fixed when you buy the phone | 5 GB free; 50 GB to 12 TB with iCloud+ |
| Apps and games | ✓ | — (only some app data syncs) |
| Photos and videos | ✓ full size, or smaller versions with Optimize | ✓ full size, with iCloud Photos on |
| Messages | ✓ | ✓ with Messages in iCloud on |
| iPhone backup | — | ✓ iCloud Backup |
| iCloud Drive files | Only the ones downloaded | ✓ |
| iCloud Mail | Cached copies | ✓ |
| System Data, caches | ✓ | — |

## Why the iPhone is full even with plenty of iCloud
iCloud can only hold what syncs. Apps, games, app downloads, caches and System Data always stay on the phone. Photos only move off the phone when **iCloud Photos** is on *and* **Optimize iPhone Storage** is selected; with **Download and Keep Originals**, every photo is stored twice, on the phone and in iCloud.

## Why iCloud is full when the iPhone has space
iCloud also holds things the iPhone doesn't: **backups** of old devices, the full-size photos from all your devices, iCloud Drive files and Mail. A family member's iPad backing up to your account, or an old phone's backup, can quietly take tens of gigabytes. Check **Settings › [your name] › iCloud › Manage Account Storage**.

## How deleting works
- **iCloud Photos on:** deleting a photo on the iPhone deletes it from iCloud and every device after Recently Deleted. That frees both kinds of storage.
- **iCloud Photos off:** deleting a photo on the iPhone affects only the iPhone. Old iCloud backups still contain it until they're replaced.
- **Messages in iCloud on:** deleting a conversation removes it everywhere.

## Where Spaceclear helps
Photos are usually the biggest item in both places. [Spaceclear](/) removes duplicates, similar shots, bursts, screenshots and big videos from your library. With iCloud Photos on, those deletions free iCloud storage too. Its **iCloud Space** view lists your largest items and marks the ones that are only in iCloud, not on the iPhone. Everything runs on your device; Spaceclear has no server. Plans and prices: [iCloud storage plans explained](/guides/icloud-storage-plans).

## FAQ
### Is iPhone storage the same as iCloud storage?
No. iPhone storage is the memory in your phone; iCloud storage is online space tied to your Apple Account. Some data syncs between them, but each has its own limit.

### Does buying more iCloud storage free up iPhone storage?
Not by itself. It lets you turn on iCloud Photos with **Optimize iPhone Storage**, which keeps full-size photos in iCloud and smaller versions on the phone. That frees iPhone space; apps and System Data are unaffected.

### Can I delete photos from my iPhone and keep them in iCloud?
Not while iCloud Photos is on: deletions sync everywhere. Use **Optimize iPhone Storage** instead, or turn off iCloud Photos on that iPhone with **Remove from iPhone**, which keeps the iCloud copy ([how](/guides/turn-off-icloud-photos-without-deleting)).