{"id":"icloud.what-else-uses-icloud-storage","url":"/faq/icloud/what-else-uses-icloud-storage","category":{"id":"icloud","title":"iCloud & iCloud Photos"},"subcategory":{"id":"icloud-storage-plan","title":"iCloud storage space and plans"},"question":"Besides photos and backups, what else uses iCloud storage?","alt_questions":["Do notes and contacts use iCloud storage?","What counts toward iCloud storage?","Does iCloud Keychain use storage?","small things using icloud space"],"short_answer":"iCloud Drive files, Messages, iCloud Mail, Notes attachments, voice memos and app data all count. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny. The Manage list in iCloud settings shows real sizes — usually photos, backups and Drive dominate.","answer_markdown":"Anything an app stores in iCloud counts: **iCloud Drive** files, **Messages** (with Messages in iCloud), **iCloud Mail**, **Notes** with large attachments, voice memos, and app data from apps that sync. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny by comparison and rarely matter.\n\nThe **Manage** list in iCloud settings shows the real sizes, largest first — see [what's using your iCloud storage](/faq/icloud/how-do-i-see-whats-using-my-icloud-storage). Usually photos, backups and iCloud Drive dominate.","answer_html":"

Anything an app stores in iCloud counts: iCloud Drive files, Messages (with Messages in iCloud), iCloud Mail, Notes with large attachments, voice memos, and app data from apps that sync. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny by comparison and rarely matter.

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The Manage list in iCloud settings shows the real sizes, largest first — see what's using your iCloud storage. Usually photos, backups and iCloud Drive dominate.

","answer_text":"Anything an app stores in iCloud counts: iCloud Drive files, Messages (with Messages in iCloud), iCloud Mail, Notes with large attachments, voice memos, and app data from apps that sync. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny by comparison and rarely matter.\n\nThe Manage list in iCloud settings shows the real sizes, largest first — see what's using your iCloud storage. Usually photos, backups and iCloud Drive dominate.","tags":["icloud storage","messages","mail","notes"],"related":[{"id":"icloud.how-do-i-see-whats-using-my-icloud-storage","question":"How do I see which apps and backups use my iCloud storage?","url":"/faq/icloud/how-do-i-see-whats-using-my-icloud-storage"},{"id":"icloud.does-messages-in-icloud-use-storage","question":"Does Messages in iCloud use my iCloud storage and my Mac's space?","url":"/faq/icloud/does-messages-in-icloud-use-storage"},{"id":"icloud.does-icloud-mail-count-against-storage","question":"Does iCloud Mail count toward my iCloud storage?","url":"/faq/icloud/does-icloud-mail-count-against-storage"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Besides photos and backups, what else uses iCloud storage? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"iCloud Drive files, Messages, iCloud Mail, Notes attachments, voice memos and app data all count. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny. The Manage list in iCloud settings shows real sizes — usually photos, backups and Drive dominate.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"iCloud & iCloud Photos","path":"/faq/icloud/"},{"name":"Besides photos and backups, what else uses iCloud storage?","path":"/faq/icloud/what-else-uses-icloud-storage"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-else-uses-icloud-storage","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Besides photos and backups, what else uses iCloud storage?","alternateName":["Do notes and contacts use iCloud storage?","What counts toward iCloud storage?","Does iCloud Keychain use storage?","small things using icloud space"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Anything an app stores in iCloud counts: iCloud Drive files, Messages (with Messages in iCloud), iCloud Mail, Notes with large attachments, voice memos, and app data from apps that sync. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny by comparison and rarely matter.\n\nThe Manage list in iCloud settings shows the real sizes, largest first — see what's using your iCloud storage. Usually photos, backups and iCloud Drive dominate.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-else-uses-icloud-storage"}}]},"fragment":"
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iCloud & iCloud Photos · iCloud storage space and plans

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Besides photos and backups, what else uses iCloud storage?

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Short answer: iCloud Drive files, Messages, iCloud Mail, Notes attachments, voice memos and app data all count. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny. The Manage list in iCloud settings shows real sizes — usually photos, backups and Drive dominate.

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Anything an app stores in iCloud counts: iCloud Drive files, Messages (with Messages in iCloud), iCloud Mail, Notes with large attachments, voice memos, and app data from apps that sync. Contacts, calendars, reminders and passwords are tiny by comparison and rarely matter.

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The Manage list in iCloud settings shows the real sizes, largest first — see what's using your iCloud storage. Usually photos, backups and iCloud Drive dominate.

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