Unable to Clear Up iCloud Space - Messages are “unable to update iCloud settings at this time”

I recently discovered that my iCloud storage was overbearingly full, (I have 5GB) so I decided to clear it out since I had taken a lot of important photos recently. I found that my messages were taking 6+ GB of storage and deleted all my conversations. When I went to check my iCloud storage, there was no difference whatsoever. I attempted to “disable & delete” messages (Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage > Messages > Disable & Delete) like suggested in many articles, but received the pop up: “unable to update iCloud settings at this time.” I tried:

-logging in and out of my iCloud

-deleting backups off of my iPad

-restarting my phone

-waiting 10 hours

The pop-up still persists and it’s really bugging me since my photos don’t sync up and I can’t backup my devices. (messages strangely still sync) Thank you!