Table of Contents

How To Delete Videos From iCloud: A Definitive Guide

So, you’re looking to declutter your iCloud storage and reclaim some precious digital real estate by deleting videos. Smart move! A well-managed iCloud keeps your devices humming along and ensures you have room for what truly matters – like those adorable cat videos (or, you know, important family memories). Deleting videos from iCloud is straightforward, but there are a few nuances to understand to avoid accidental data loss. Here’s the definitive answer:

To delete videos from iCloud, you’ll need to access iCloud Photos and remove them. This can be done through multiple avenues: using the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad, accessing iCloud through a web browser on your computer, or using the Photos app on your Mac. Regardless of the method, be sure to check your “Recently Deleted” album afterward to permanently remove the videos and free up space. Failure to empty the “Recently Deleted” folder means the videos will continue to take up iCloud storage for 30 days.

Understanding iCloud Video Storage

Before we dive into the “how-to,” let’s grasp the fundamentals of how iCloud handles your videos. When you enable iCloud Photos, your photos and videos are automatically uploaded and stored in iCloud, syncing across all your devices connected to the same Apple ID. This is fantastic for accessibility and backup, but it also means deleting a video from one device will remove it from all synced devices (if iCloud Photos is enabled). Think of iCloud as a central hub for your visual memories.

Methods for Deleting Videos from iCloud

Here are the detailed steps for deleting videos from iCloud using different devices:

Deleting Videos from iCloud via iPhone or iPad

This is perhaps the most common method, given how ubiquitous iPhones and iPads are.

Open the Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap the “Photos” tab at the bottom of the screen to view all your photos and videos.
Locate the video you want to delete. You can scroll through your library or use the “Search” function to find specific videos.
Tap the video to open it.
Tap the Trash Can icon at the bottom of the screen.
A pop-up will appear asking if you want to delete the video. Tap “Delete Video”.
The video is now moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. To permanently delete it and free up space:
- Go back to the “Albums” tab.
- Scroll down to the “Utilities” section and tap “Recently Deleted”.
- Tap “Select” in the upper-right corner.
- You can either tap “Delete All” to permanently delete all videos and photos in the “Recently Deleted” album, or select individual videos and tap “Delete”.
- Confirm your choice.

Deleting Videos from iCloud via Web Browser (Computer)

This method is useful if you prefer using a computer or need to manage your iCloud storage from a non-Apple device.

Open a web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) and go to iCloud.com.
Sign in with your Apple ID and password. You may need to enter a two-factor authentication code if enabled.
Click on the “Photos” icon.
Browse your iCloud Photos library to find the video you want to delete.
Click on the video to select it.
Click the Trash Can icon in the toolbar at the top.
A confirmation message will appear. Click “Delete”.
The video is moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. To permanently delete it:
- Click on the “Recently Deleted” album in the sidebar.
- Click “Delete All” in the upper-right corner or select individual videos and click “Delete”.
- Confirm your choice.

Deleting Videos from iCloud via Mac Photos App

If you have a Mac, you can manage your iCloud Photos directly through the Photos app.

Open the Photos app on your Mac.
Make sure you are signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID as your other devices.
Browse your library to find the video you want to delete.
Right-click on the video and select “Delete”. Alternatively, you can select the video and press the Delete key on your keyboard.
The video is moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. To permanently delete it:
- Click on “Recently Deleted” in the sidebar.
- Click “Delete All” in the upper-right corner or select individual videos and click “Delete”.
- Confirm your choice.

Important Considerations Before Deleting

Backup: Before deleting any videos, especially important ones, consider backing them up to an external hard drive, another cloud service (like Google Photos or Dropbox), or a physical storage device.
iCloud Drive vs. iCloud Photos: This guide focuses on deleting videos stored in iCloud Photos. Videos stored in iCloud Drive are managed separately as files. To delete videos from iCloud Drive, you would navigate to the “Files” app on your iPhone/iPad or use the Finder on your Mac to delete the relevant files.
Shared Albums: If a video is in a shared album, deleting it from your library will not remove it from the shared album. Others will still be able to view it. To remove a video from a shared album, you need to specifically remove it from the album itself.
Shared iCloud Photo Library: Starting with iOS 16, you can create a shared iCloud Photo Library with up to five other people. Deleting a video from a shared library removes it for everyone who shares the library. Be absolutely certain you want to delete it before proceeding.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What happens when I delete a video from iCloud Photos?

When you delete a video from iCloud Photos, it’s moved to the “Recently Deleted” album. It remains there for 30 days, giving you a chance to recover it if you change your mind. After 30 days, or if you manually empty the “Recently Deleted” album, the video is permanently deleted from iCloud and all synced devices.

2. Can I recover a video after permanently deleting it from iCloud?

Once a video is permanently deleted from the “Recently Deleted” album (either after 30 days or manually), it is very difficult, if not impossible, to recover. This is why backing up important videos beforehand is crucial. There are specialized data recovery services, but their success is not guaranteed and can be costly.

3. How do I know if a video is stored in iCloud?

If you have iCloud Photos enabled, most of your photos and videos are likely stored in iCloud. On your iPhone or iPad, you can go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos and check if “iCloud Photos” is turned on. If it is, your photos and videos are being synced to iCloud. Another indicator is if you can access the video from iCloud.com or the Photos app on another device signed in with the same Apple ID.

4. Does deleting a video from iCloud delete it from my computer?

If you have iCloud Photos enabled and synced across all your devices, deleting a video from iCloud will delete it from your computer’s Photos app as well.

5. How much iCloud storage do I have?

You can check your iCloud storage by going to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud on your iPhone or iPad. On a Mac, go to System Settings (or System Preferences) > Apple ID > iCloud. This will show you your total iCloud storage and how much you’re using.

6. How do I free up iCloud storage without deleting videos?

If you’re running out of iCloud storage, consider these options:

Optimize iPhone Storage: In Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos, enable “Optimize iPhone Storage.” This will store smaller, optimized versions of your photos and videos on your device while keeping the full-resolution versions in iCloud.
Upgrade iCloud Storage: You can upgrade to a larger iCloud storage plan for a monthly fee.
Disable iCloud Photos: If you don’t need iCloud Photos, you can turn it off. However, this will stop syncing your photos and videos across devices.
Manually transfer photos and videos to a computer or external hard drive.

7. Can I delete videos from iCloud Photos without affecting my iPhone storage?

Yes, if you have “Optimize iPhone Storage” enabled. This will store smaller, optimized versions of your videos on your iPhone, so deleting the full-resolution version from iCloud will only affect your iCloud storage, not your iPhone storage (directly).

8. What’s the difference between “Delete” and “Remove from Album” in the Photos app?

“Delete” moves the video to the “Recently Deleted” album, eventually permanently removing it from iCloud. “Remove from Album” only removes the video from the specific album you’re viewing, but the video remains in your main Photos library and iCloud.

9. How do I delete a video from a shared album?

Open the shared album, select the video, and tap the Trash Can icon. This will remove the video from the shared album for everyone. This will not delete the video from your main library, so you’ll have to delete it there separately if needed.

10. My videos aren’t deleting from iCloud. What should I do?

Check your internet connection: A stable internet connection is required to sync changes to iCloud.
Restart your device: Sometimes a simple restart can resolve syncing issues.
Make sure you’re signed in to iCloud: Double-check that you’re signed in to iCloud with the correct Apple ID on all your devices.
Update your software: Ensure your devices are running the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS.
Contact Apple Support: If none of these steps work, contact Apple Support for assistance.

11. How do I permanently delete videos from iCloud immediately?

After deleting videos, navigate to the “Recently Deleted” album in the Photos app (or on iCloud.com) and empty the album by choosing the “Delete All” option. This permanently removes the videos from iCloud.

12. If I am part of a Family Sharing plan, does deleting a video from my iCloud affect my family members’ iCloud storage?

If you delete a video from your iCloud Photos, it only affects your iCloud storage, even if you’re part of a Family Sharing plan. Each family member has their own separate iCloud storage allocation. The only exception would be content stored in a Shared iCloud Photo Library.