I want to continue using iCloud on Mail, but do not need iCloud storage as do not have any devices and save all my data, including my emails, either on my Mac mini or HDs. How do I delete what is now stored in my free 5GB iCloud account and continue using iCloud for my Mail emails?
Mac mini, macOS 10.14
Your previous post screenshot was from the iCloud Backups section of Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support
and that is what I was responding to. The following is from the Mail section of Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support
You can free up iCloud space when you delete email messages from your iCloud email account. You can also move email messages from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac or PC, where they no longer count against your iCloud storage.
Use the steps below to delete messages from your account. Remember that messages with large attachments take up more space than simple text emails.
and
Mac or Windows PC
If you use iCloud Mail with a desktop email app, such as Mail on your Mac or Microsoft Outlook on your PC, use these steps:
I did the backup as explained, but it took only a few seconds to complete from my iCloud InBox which indicated only 13 items that did not reflect the nearly 4GB of iCloud files I'd like to dispose of. I have thousands of email files in folders in the left sidebar of my Mail program dating back to 1996 that I do not want deleted. So I hesitate to proceed. Will those files created via iCloud in recent years that I have trsansferred from my InBoxes and Sent box over the years be deleted when this 4GB of iCloud data is deleted.
See the information in the "Move or copy email from iCloud to your Mac" section of How to use the Mail app on your Mac to move, delete, or copy iCloud email - Apple Support
including the following:
Moving your messages from iCloud to your computer can be useful when
your iCloud mailbox is full, or you want to reduce the amount of iCloud
storage you're using. Follow these steps to move messages from iCloud
and store them on your Mac instead.
I' had already tried that unsuccessfully several times, but at step 3. as stated in the instruction screen-shot below, there is no visible 'Delete' option that appears on the screen on my Mac mini. Why is that?
0biron
The attached screen shot is what I see when I open my mail @ iCloud.com. I've had Apple copmputer since the mid 1980s and have never had so much trouble finding a solution to a problem. My incoming mail is now totally blocked and I still can't empty the contents on my 5GB iCloud account. Can you walk me through, step by step. I'd be quite appreciative if you would do that. Thank you for you help.
In step 3, after you select one of the backups, click the Minus sign at the left just below the window that displays the list of the backups; then you will get a confirmation window asking if you want to delete.
I don't follow you. I don't want to delete the messages on my Mail program which are all saved in mailboxes. I just want to delete the emails in the Cloud so I continue to use Mail through iCloud. I hope that makes sense.
If you have transferred them out of the inbox and sent box, they should remain on the computer when deleted from iCloud. If you are still not sure, delete one as a test. Then check to make sure it is on the computer.
I had an open discussion last week and followed instruction on how to delete iCould messages on my computer, but what I needed to know was how to clear my maxed out 5GB of data in my iCloud account? I now have problems with Mac mail on my Mac mini as a result. What do I do since I do not need any iCloud storage, but still want to use it for Mail?
See previous reply:
My incoming mail is now totally blocked and I still can't empty the contents on my 5GB iCloud account. Can you walk me through, step by step. I'd be quite appreciative if you would do that. Thank you for you help.
This is all that I see when I select Mail in this window --- no check mark to click on. -biron
Go to iCloud.com/Mail using a computer browser and delete the emails there. If you haven't move the emails out of the inbox on the computer, the emails will be deleted from the computer.
icloud
