How to Cancel Your iCloud+ Subscription

Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top. Tap "iCloud", then "Manage Account Storage" or "iCloud Storage". Tap "Change Storage Plan". Scroll down and tap "Downgrade Options". Select the free 5 GB plan or a lower paid tier and confirm with your Apple ID password. The downgrade takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you keep your current storage until then. Apple does not give a refund for the unused portion of a paid month.

On a Mac, open the Apple menu and go to System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS). Click your Apple ID, then "iCloud" → "Manage". Click "Change Storage Plan", select "Downgrade Options", and choose the free 5 GB plan. Confirm with your Apple ID. The same billing rules apply: the downgrade starts at the next billing date, not immediately.

If your current iCloud usage exceeds 5 GB after downgrading, Apple does not immediately delete your files. Instead, your account enters a grace period where you can no longer upload new content, and new photos or backups stop syncing. After 30 days over the limit, Apple begins removing data — starting with iCloud Drive documents, then Device Backups. To avoid losing data, you should reduce your storage usage before downgrading: delete old device backups (Settings → iCloud → Manage Storage → Backups), download photos locally, and move documents off iCloud Drive.

Before cancelling, consider whether a lower paid tier is cheaper than switching to another service. The 50 GB tier is $0.99/month — still cheaper than Google One 100 GB ($1.99/month) if you only need photos and a device backup. You can also reduce storage usage by turning off iCloud backup for specific apps (Settings → iCloud → Show All → toggle off apps), or by enabling iCloud's "Optimize iPhone Storage" feature, which keeps full-resolution photos in the cloud and smaller versions on your device.