increasing icloud storage, sharing storage, and an unnecessary icloud account

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increasing icloud storage, sharing storage, and an unnecessary icloud account

I have an icloud account which I share with family members. I recently got a message saying that the account was full and suggesting I upgrade to 2TB. Three other family members are connected with the account and each of them share my current 2GB storage. However, for some reason I realise I am also paying for a separate account for one of these family members - my son. It is also a 2GB storage account. If I upgrade the main account to 2TB, can I stop paying for the extra account, since my son is already set up to share my icloud storage? As I said I have been granting him access to my own icloud storage all this time even though I am paying for a separate account for him. I would like to pay one amount for the whole family. But I also do not want to lose any data from my son's account. I don't know how I managed to mess things up like this. Can I go ahead and increase the family icloud storage on my phone and then tell him to downgrade his icloud account without any risk to his data? By the way, he is now 19 years old and I don't know if this makes a difference to family sharing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

iPhone XS

Posted on Mar 21, 2024 6:23 AM

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Answer 1

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Phil0124

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216,932 points

Mar 21, 2024 7:15 AM in response to ducktrapper

There is no such thing as a 2GB plan. Plans start at the free 5GB plan. I suspect you mean 200GB.

In any case, yes, the 200GB can be full, and yes, you may need to upgrade to 2TB if you need more space, or delete content from your and other family members iCloud accounts.

click here ➜ Manage your iCloud storage - Apple Support

Your son would need to choose to use your shared storage, and then it would automatically cancel his storage subscription. Accounts, different from the subscriptions plans, are individual. Each person should have their own account (Apple ID). You can share the storage plan, so they can all access the storage space.

Follow the steps in the link below to move your son to the shared storage. Once completed his subscription will be automatically cancelled. No data should be lost by doing this.

click here ➜ Share iCloud+ with your family - Apple Support

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Answer 2

Phil0124

Level 10

216,932 points

Mar 21, 2024 1:53 PM in response to ducktrapper

If he has his own subscription in addition to the shared one, you can cancel it(from settings on his own device), and no data should be lost.

The storage is not independent. That is if whatever he has is backed up, it is backed up to his account and uses the combined space of the shared storage and his storage. The location of the data is only one: on iCloud.

You can cancel his subscription, and it should continue to use the shared one uninterrupted with no data loss.

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Answer 3

ducktrapper Author

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Mar 21, 2024 1:38 PM in response to Phil0124

Let me apologise for mixing up 2GB with 200GB. Yes, you are correct. However, I am not talking about separate accounts. As I stated, I am already paying twice. I am paying for one 200GB storage plan with 3 additional family members including my son. I am also paying for an additional 200GB storage plan for the same son. To put it more plainly, my son's account is ALREADY selected as one of the recipients of Family Sharing on my 200GB icloud storage plan. The same son, with the same account, is ALSO being charged for a separate 200GB icloud storage plan. As the head of the family, I pay this charge as well as the charge for my own account. He does not have 2 different accounts. He has a single account. That single account shares my icloud but I also pay for his separate icloud storage. I hope this clarifies matters. What I want to know is if I downgrade HIS icloud plan (as I indicated above) and keep him as the recipient of my upgrading 2TB storage plan, whether it will involve any loss of data. Currently he has his own photos and files on his phone. I do not know whether these are being backed up to both my icloud (and counting towards my storage) PLUS his icloud. It may sound a mess. But this is the situation. Thank you!

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Answer 4

ducktrapper Author

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Mar 21, 2024 5:09 PM in response to Phil0124

Thank you very much for your kind reply. I still don't know how I managed to double up on storage plans in the way I did but at least if I do not lose any of his data everything will be ok. I will now upgrade my plan to the more expensive option, downgrade his, and hopefully all will be resolved. Have a good day and thank you!

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increasing icloud storage, sharing storage, and an unnecessary icloud account

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