RoomForGemsYour iPhone can show two warnings that sound almost the same. One says the iPhone is full. The other says iCloud is full. They are about two different places, and the fix for one does very little for the other.
This guide shows how to tell them apart, where to check each one, and what actually frees space in each.
Two pools of space, not one
iPhone storage is the space built into the phone. It holds your apps, photos, messages and the system itself. You chose its size when you bought the phone.
iCloud storage is space on Apple's servers, tied to your Apple Account. It holds copies of your photos, your backups and other things that sync between your devices.
Apple describes them as separate things. Each has its own alert when it is "full or almost full" (Apple Support, read on 15 October 2026).
So the first job is simple: read the warning carefully and see which word it uses.
Where to check each one
iPhone storage
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap iPhone Storage.
The path is: Settings › General › iPhone Storage. You will see a coloured bar and a list of apps by size. Apple says this screen also shows recommendations.
iCloud storage
- Open Settings.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Tap iCloud.
- Tap Storage or Manage Account Storage.
The path is: Settings › your name › iCloud. Menu names can differ a little between iOS versions.
What fills iCloud
Apple lists the main things that use iCloud storage:
- iCloud Photos: every photo and video in your library, at full quality.
- Backups: a copy of each device that backs up to iCloud.
- Messages: if Messages in iCloud is on, Apple says your texts and attachments use iCloud storage.
- iCloud Drive: files and documents you keep there.
- Mail: iCloud Mail, where emails with attachments take more room than plain text.
Apple gives every account 5 GB free (Apple Support, read on 15 October 2026). For most people with iCloud Photos on, photos and backups use most of that.
If iCloud runs out, Apple says your device won't back up to iCloud. New photos also stop uploading to iCloud Photos.
Deleting on the phone deletes from iCloud too
This is the part that surprises people. With iCloud Photos on, your library is kept in step across all your devices. Apple says a delete on one device removes the photo "everywhere that you use iCloud Photos" (Apple Support, read on 15 October 2026).
So deleting a photo on your iPhone frees iCloud space as well. It also removes it from your iPad and Mac.
Deleted photos first go to Recently Deleted for 30 days, so you can change your mind. Apple says items in Recently Deleted don't count towards your iCloud storage. They do still sit on the phone until they leave that album. Our guide on why storage stays full after deleting explains how to empty it.
One warning from Apple: if you are already over your iCloud limit, photos you delete are removed straight away. They will not be in Recently Deleted to recover. So be sure before you delete in that state.
What Optimize iPhone Storage does
Inside the Photos settings there is a choice called Optimize iPhone Storage (Apple's help page calls it Optimize Storage). With it on, Apple says the phone keeps "space-saving versions" of your photos, while iCloud keeps the originals (Apple Support, read on 15 October 2026). When the phone needs room, it shrinks the photos you look at least first.
This is why the two numbers can move differently:
- A photo stored in full only in iCloud uses a lot of iCloud space and only a little phone space.
- Deleting that photo frees mostly iCloud space. Your iPhone Storage bar may barely move.
- Recent photos and videos are more often stored in full on the phone, so deleting those frees more phone space.
To turn on iCloud Photos, Apple's path is Settings › your name › iCloud › Photos, then turn on Sync this device (the label can differ by iOS version). The Optimize choice is on the same screen.
Make your iCloud backup smaller
Backups can be large. You can trim them without deleting any photos.
- Go to Settings › your name › iCloud.
- Tap Storage or Manage Account Storage, then Backups.
- Tap the device.
- Turn off apps you don't need backed up.
You can also delete a backup for an old phone you no longer use. Apple notes that deleting a backup also turns off iCloud Backup for that device. Only do this for devices you are sure about.
Apple also offers Recommended for You under Settings › your name › iCloud. It suggests things you might not need, such as old backups or large files.
If you still need more room, Apple sells iCloud+ plans from 50 GB upward. Our guide to changing your cloud storage plan walks through the prices and steps.
iOS 27: shared albums now count against the owner's iCloud
This is a recent change, and it can fill iCloud without you noticing.
Shared Albums in the Photos app let you invite family or friends to view photos and add their own. For years they did not use your iCloud storage at all.
Apple's support page now splits the rules by when the album was made:
- Albums created in iOS 27 or later. Photos and videos in shared albums you own are stored at full resolution and "count towards your iCloud storage" (Apple Support, read on 15 October 2026). Apple adds that photos and videos other participants add to your album also count towards your iCloud storage. The owner of the album is the one whose storage is used.
- Albums created in iOS 26 or earlier. Apple says these are kept in iCloud but "don't count towards your iCloud Storage" (Apple Support, read on 15 October 2026). Under the old rules, photos were reduced in size.
- Temporary shared albums. Apple says these don't count towards your iCloud storage.
MacRumors reported the change on 20 August 2026, while iOS 27 was in beta. It said existing shared albums are unaffected by default. It also reported an Upgrade Shared Album button that moves an old album to full quality, at the cost of iCloud storage. And it reported that temporary albums delete anything not saved to your library after 30 days. Apple's own page does not mention the upgrade button or the 30-day rule, so treat those details as reported, not confirmed by Apple (not verified).
Apple's page carries a published date of 14 September 2026.
What this means for you. If you own a shared album made in iOS 27, every photo your family adds uses your iCloud space. If iCloud filled up after you started a new family album, that is a likely reason. You can check under Settings › your name › iCloud, which shows what is using your iCloud space.
Quick way to decide which one to fix
- The warning says iPhone Storage is full: the phone itself is out of room. Look at Settings › General › iPhone Storage. Our guide to what actually works when iPhone storage is full goes step by step.
- The warning says iCloud storage is full: Apple's servers are out of room for your account. Look at Settings › your name › iCloud. Trim backups, check shared albums, delete what you don't want, or change your plan.
- Both are full: start with photos and videos you really don't want. With iCloud Photos on, one delete helps both, once Recently Deleted is emptied.
Where RoomForGems fits, honestly
Everything above is free and built into your iPhone. Try it first.
RoomForGems works on the photos and videos in your library. It finds copies, similar shots, screenshots and large videos, and you choose what goes.
It is built around the split this guide explains. Before you delete, it shows what is on this phone and what is only in iCloud, as separate numbers. Deleting a photo that lives only in iCloud frees iCloud space, not phone space, and RoomForGems says so rather than counting it as phone space. It also shows what a delete will remove from your other devices. Its Plan Check shows whether you could pay less for cloud storage.
It cannot clear System Data, other apps' storage or your messages. Our page on what it can't clean lists them.
Your photos stay on the phone. Nothing is deleted without your iPhone's own confirmation. Scanning is free, clearing is free up to 1 GB, and then it is $9.99 once, through the App Store. There is no subscription.