You cancel an iCloud+ subscription by downgrading your storage plan to the free 5 GB tier. Apple treats this as a “downgrade” rather than a traditional cancellation, so the option lives inside your iCloud storage settings, not in the main Subscriptions menu. The change takes effect after your current billing period ends, so you keep your paid storage until the cycle runs out.
Cancel on iPhone or iPad
Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen. Tap iCloud, then Manage Account Storage (on older iOS versions this may say Manage Storage). Tap Change Storage Plan, then select Downgrade Options. You may be asked to enter your Apple Account password. Choose the free 5 GB plan and confirm.
If you don’t see a downgrade option on this screen, check whether your iCloud storage is bundled with an Apple One subscription. Apple One packages iCloud+ storage together with services like Apple Music and Apple TV+. To drop iCloud+ in that case, you would need to cancel the entire Apple One plan and then subscribe individually to whichever services you want to keep.
Cancel on a Mac
Click the Apple menu and open System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS versions). Click your name or Apple ID at the top, then click iCloud. Select Manage, then Change Storage Plan. Click Downgrade Options, enter your password, and select the free 5 GB plan.
Cancel on a Windows PC
Open the iCloud for Windows app. Click Storage, then Change Storage Plan. Choose Downgrade Options and select the free tier. If you don’t have the iCloud app installed, you can manage your plan through a web browser instead.
Cancel From a Web Browser
Go to icloud.com and sign in with your Apple Account. Click your name or profile icon, then select Account Settings. Under the storage section, look for the option to manage or change your plan. Choose to downgrade to the free 5 GB tier.
What Happens to Your Data
Your paid plan stays active through the end of the current billing cycle. Once it expires and you drop to 5 GB, anything stored above that limit becomes inaccessible. iCloud won’t sync changes, won’t update files across your devices, and won’t run automatic backups until your storage use falls back under the free limit.
Apple doesn’t delete your excess data immediately, but it does stop syncing it. Over time, if you don’t free up space or re-subscribe, that data may eventually be removed. Before you downgrade, it’s worth checking how much storage you’re actually using. Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud to see a breakdown by category. Photos, backups, and Messages typically consume the most space.
If you’re well over 5 GB, download anything you want to keep before your plan expires. You can transfer photos to your computer using the Photos app or export files from iCloud Drive to a local folder or an external drive. For backups, consider switching to computer-based backups through Finder on a Mac or iTunes on a PC.
Features You Lose
Dropping iCloud+ removes more than just storage. You also lose access to iCloud Private Relay (which masks your IP address while browsing in Safari), Hide My Email (which generates disposable email aliases), HomeKit Secure Video support for home cameras, Apple Invites, and custom email domain support. Any Hide My Email aliases you created will stop forwarding once the subscription ends, so update any accounts where you used one.
If You Share Storage With Family
When the family organizer cancels a shared iCloud+ plan, every member of the Family Sharing group loses access to the shared storage pool. Each person reverts to the free 5 GB tier unless they purchase their own individual plan. If you’re the organizer, give your family members a heads-up before downgrading so they can back up their own data or buy their own storage.
Getting a Refund
Because the downgrade doesn’t kick in until the billing period ends, you effectively use what you’ve already paid for and there’s nothing to refund in most cases. If you were charged unexpectedly or believe you were billed in error, you can request a refund through Apple’s Report a Problem page at reportaproblem.apple.com. Sign in, find the iCloud+ charge in your purchase history, and submit a refund request. Apple reviews these on a case-by-case basis and typically responds within a few days.
Troubleshooting the Downgrade Option
If the downgrade button is grayed out or missing entirely, a few things could be causing it. An unpaid balance on your Apple Account will block changes to any subscription. Go to Settings, tap your name, then Media & Purchases, and check for outstanding charges. You also can’t downgrade iCloud+ separately if it’s part of an Apple One bundle, as mentioned above.
Occasionally, the option simply doesn’t appear due to a temporary server issue. Try signing out of your Apple Account on the device, restarting it, and signing back in. If you’re on an older version of iOS or macOS, updating your software can also resolve missing menu items.