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Foxykhat

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 12, 2010
83
0
Sorry if this has been discussed or asked before but I got nothing from a search.

For the past couple of days my iPad has been giving me the message that it can't back up to iCloud because I don't have enough space.

What's puzzling is that when I check I have 4.6 GB available and my iPad back up is 398.MB.

Anyone know what's happening?

Thanks in advance.

Foxy
 

chrismarle

macrumors 6502
Jun 18, 2011
372
3
Canada
iCloud is backing up your camera roll. If you have a lot of videos that you've recorded, that could be a good reason why your iCloud account is full. Same thing with picture you would've taken. I would suggest that either turn off the back up of your camera roll so it would not be backed up anymore, or you can do like me: always transfer in your computer picture and video that you take with your iPhone/iPad. By doing so, your phone and iCloud account won't be filled with these.
 

Foxykhat

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 12, 2010
83
0
What types of video? I only have about 20 music vids that I bought through iTunes. I have about 100 photos in camera roll. And photo stream is set to off

Still if I have 5gb and 4.5GB available I don't see how that's not sufficient space.

Puzzled.

Foxy
 
Last edited:

chrismarle

macrumors 6502
Jun 18, 2011
372
3
Canada
What types of video? I only have about 20 music vids that I bought through iTunes. I have about 100 photos in camera roll. And photo stream is set to off

Still if I have 5gb and 4.5GB available I don't see how that's not sufficient space.

Puzzled.

Foxy

Videos that you've recorded with your device (or any video in your camera roll).

Take your phone and go to:

Settings -> iCloud -> Storage & Backup -> Manage Storage.

From there, under ''Backup'' find your device and go in it. You'll find every app that is using data to backup in iCloud and you'll be able todeactivate the backing up of the app and it's data.

From there, you should be able to easily manage your iCloud storage.
 

Foxykhat

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 12, 2010
83
0
Videos that you've recorded with your device (or any video in your camera roll).

Take your phone and go to:

Settings -> iCloud -> Storage & Backup -> Manage Storage.

From there, under ''Backup'' find your device and go in it. You'll find every app that is using data to backup in iCloud and you'll be able todeactivate the backing up of the app and it's data.

From there, you should be able to easily manage your iCloud storage.

Thank you... but I think my point is being missed. I don't have an videos I recorded. I've gone to Settings -> iCloud -> Storage & Backup -> Manage Storage. I have 5 .B 4.6 GB is free. Under manage storage I have 427.5 used but it's still saying I have insufficient space for backing up to cloud. It makes no sense in my book. even with the games I have being backed up.

Foxy
 

Krad3130

macrumors regular
Mar 24, 2010
156
0
Winter Park, FL
Go to settings/iCloud/storage and backup/manage storage/select your device on the top of the screen/select show all apps.

This will show you everything that you are TRYING to back up to iCloud. You may have to turn some apps off so you can complete your back.

Also, do you have other devices backing up to iCloud? If you have iPhone iPad and iPod touch you have 5gb for all those device combined, not 5 gb per device. not saying you thought this, just pointing it out #
 

ixodes

macrumors 601
Jan 11, 2012
4,429
3
Pacific Coast, USA
Hilarious Yet Informative...

iCloud may be better than it appears, but I've always maintained that Apple has done a rather poor job of providing enough specific info about it.

Look's like I'm not the only one that views it this way. Here's a funny article that I just came across. It does provide some insight.

"What the heck is iCloud again?"

"iCloud users are reporting being prompted to buy additional storage space as they approach the 5GB limit that Apple offers free to all customers. One problem: turns out plenty of iCloud users have no idea what iCloud is, or that they’re using it."


http://goo.gl/BbZBT
 

caldersdad

macrumors newbie
Dec 15, 2012
4
0
iMessage may be the cuplrit

If you use iMessage, all the attachments you've ever received are still on your device, even if you've deleted them. Try a free file explorer and navigate to the SMS/Attachments folder and you'll see them. This not only fills up your iCloud space (due to the Backup size), but fills up your device, as well. Apple needs to provide a way to turn off backing up of iMessage, and a way to permanently delete iMessages instead of just hiding them. Except that this method is quite profitable for them!
 

thekjs88

macrumors member
Oct 14, 2008
70
19
Is there any way to delete those iMessage attachments? I'm almost at 5GB and it says that amount even if I turn off every app for iCloud backup.
 

caldersdad

macrumors newbie
Dec 15, 2012
4
0
No way to delete them unless you are jailbroken, and of course you can't reset from a backup. Have to start from scratch.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
iCloud may be better than it appears, but I've always maintained that Apple has done a rather poor job of providing enough specific info about it.

Look's like I'm not the only one that views it this way. Here's a funny article that I just came across. It does provide some insight.

"What the heck is iCloud again?"

"iCloud users are reporting being prompted to buy additional storage space as they approach the 5GB limit that Apple offers free to all customers. One problem: turns out plenty of iCloud users have no idea what iCloud is, or that they’re using it."


http://goo.gl/BbZBT
I guessed randomly at the URL for the information and got a truckload of info.

http://www.apple.com/icloud/

These people cannot be helped.
 

caldersdad

macrumors newbie
Dec 15, 2012
4
0
@Menel: Can you guess randomly for an URL where Apple a) explains how to disable iMessage backup or b) explains that iMessages can/cannot be deleted from an iOS device in order to free up space. Either of these would be helpful responses.
 

thekjs88

macrumors member
Oct 14, 2008
70
19
@Menel: Can you guess randomly for an URL where Apple a) explains how to disable iMessage backup or b) explains that iMessages can/cannot be deleted from an iOS device in order to free up space. Either of these would be helpful responses.

Yeah, that would be helpful.

Does it keep EVERY imessage attachment, or does it delete some after a period of time?
 

nutmac

macrumors 603
Mar 30, 2004
6,053
7,315
Once in awhile, iCloud's backup storage gets very large and does not clear old data. When this happens, you will need to clear it manually by going to:

Settings | iCloud | Storage & Backup | Manage Storage | Your iOS Device (e.g., This iPad) | Delete Backup

Once data is deleted, you will probably need to re-enable backup (Storage & Backup | iCloud Backup -> ON).
 

thekjs88

macrumors member
Oct 14, 2008
70
19
Once in awhile, iCloud's backup storage gets very large and does not clear old data. When this happens, you will need to clear it manually by going to:

Settings | iCloud | Storage & Backup | Manage Storage | Your iOS Device (e.g., This iPad) | Delete Backup

Once data is deleted, you will probably need to re-enable backup (Storage & Backup | iCloud Backup -> ON).

I've tried this a few times. It then says that the next backup size will be 4GB, which is what it was before. I did use 3rd party software on my Mac and the attachments folder for SMS is a little less than 4GB. Not sure if this whole folder is backed up to iCloud.
 

caldersdad

macrumors newbie
Dec 15, 2012
4
0
nutmac: I, too was hoping that would be a solution, but it simply doesn't work that way. Even if backups are deleted and disabled, then re-enabled, the iMessages are still on the device and they are included in the next backup.

All: I'm not pretending to know everything about iOS; I'm just looking for an answer other than a) complete reset or b) jailbreak.
 
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