iCloud Email Storage Usage Not Updated

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Level 2

365 points

iCloud Email Storage Usage Not Updated

To free up iCloud storage space, I deleted a lot of large emails with attachments. I emptied the Trash. Did this on Mac Mail, and confirmed the large emails were removed. However, looking at the space that Mail is using according to iCloud Preferences > Manage it has not been updated to reflect the smaller space - it's displaying exactly the same number. I got the exact amount of storage space info from Mac Mail, and confirmed it should be considerably less.

I think the iCloud storage space usage values are not being updated - it's been about 20 mins since the delete. Both the Mac and iPhone are still showing the pre-email-removal storage values.

Is this a bug? How do I get the iCloud preferences on the phone and Mac to update?

Posted on Jan 17, 2014 5:23 PM

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Answer 1

randers4

Level 9

63,519 points

Jan 17, 2014 5:49 PM in response to Frank Malloy

Sometimes erasing the deleted mail within Mac Mail will help in cases where you emptied lots of email from your trash. Try opening Mail on your Mac and going to Mailbox>Erase Deleted Items>iCloud>Erase. Sometimes that will trigger the server to finally delete them.

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Answer 2

Frank Malloy Author

Level 2

365 points

Jan 17, 2014 6:03 PM in response to randers4

Thanks so much, but it didn't work. 😟

I confirmed on icloud.com email access and my iPhone that the emails and large attachments are indeed gone, so the main database did get updated.

I have an existing iCloud backup before the big email removal, do I need to delete that backup first?

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Answer 3

randers4

Level 9

63,519 points

Jan 17, 2014 6:11 PM in response to Frank Malloy

No, the backup doesn't contain your email so that shouldn't matter. The only thing I've seen that addresses this is this article on iCloud storage buffering: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4873, which says "Your iCloud Storage allocation will readjust itself automatically, but only once another iCloud feature uses the previously allocated space".

If that's what's going on, you may not see the reduction in storage space until something else you store more data in iCloud and it starts to use the space.

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Answer 4

Frank Malloy Author

Level 2

365 points

Jan 17, 2014 6:14 PM in response to randers4

Interesting, thanks!

Guess I'll take a few iPhone photos?

I can surely see how Apple is in no hurry to release iCloud space back to my account. They'd just rather me upgrade...

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Answer 5

randers4

Level 9

63,519 points

Jan 17, 2014 6:23 PM in response to Frank Malloy

You're welcome. Taking photos won't use your storage as photo stream photos don't use your personal storage plan.

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Answer 6

randers4

Level 9

63,519 points

Jan 17, 2014 6:24 PM in response to Frank Malloy

If you took some photos/videos, then performed a manual iCloud backup, that would use your storage as the camera roll is included in the backup, which in turn is stored in your account.

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