Apple Temporarily Expands iCloud Storage in iOS 15 for Backing Up Data and Transferring to a New Device

If you're low on iCloud storage but want to buy a new device and transfer your data, Apple is making the process easier in iOS 15 with a temporary storage boost.

icloud
Apple says that the new feature will grant you as much storage as you need to complete a temporary backup for up to three weeks, letting users transfer their apps, data, and settings to a new device using ‌iCloud‌ even when there's an inadequate amount of ‌iCloud‌ storage available.

Now when you buy a new device you can use iCloud Backup to move your data to your new device, even if you're low on storage. iCloud will grant you as much storage as you need to complete a temporary backup, free of charge, for up to three weeks. This allows you to get all your apps, data, and settings onto your device automatically.

For those who have not upgraded past the standard 5GB of storage included with a free ‌iCloud‌ plan, this change should make upgrading to a new device a much more seamless experience.

Apple today also announced that its paid ‌iCloud‌ storage plans are now known as ‌iCloud‌+, with new features that include a Private Relay that hides your browsing activity, a Hide My Email option, and a new feature for personalizing an ‌iCloud‌ Mail address with a custom domain name that can be shared among family members.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Spotlight

Apple Expected to Unveil Five All-New Products This Year

Wednesday January 21, 2026 10:54 am PST by
In addition to updating many of its existing products, Apple is expected to unveil five all-new products this year, including a smart home hub, a Face ID doorbell, a MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, a foldable iPhone, and augmented reality glasses. Below, we have recapped rumored features for each product. Smart Home Hub Apple home hub (concept) Apple's long-rumored smart home hub should...
airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
airtag prime day 2

Apple Developing AirTag-Sized AI Pin With Dual Cameras

Wednesday January 21, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
Apple is working on a small, wearable AI pin equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, and microphones, reports The Information. If it actually launches, the AI pin will likely run the new Siri chatbot that Apple plans to unveil in iOS 27. The pin is said to be similar in size to an AirTag, with a thin, flat, circular disc shape. It has an aluminum and glass shell, and two cameras at the...
smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrous%CC%8Cek

iPhone 18 Pro Leak: Smaller Dynamic Island, No Top-Left Camera Cutout

Tuesday January 20, 2026 2:34 am PST by
Over the last few months, rumors around the iPhone 18 Pro's front-panel design have been conflicted, with some supply-chain leaks pointing to under-display Face ID, reports suggesting a top-left hole-punch camera, and debate over whether the familiar Dynamic Island will shrink, shift, or disappear entirely. Today, Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital shared new details that appear to clarify the ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Apple's Secret Product Plans Stolen in Luxshare Cyberattack

Wednesday January 21, 2026 9:17 am PST by
The Apple supplier subject to a major cyberattack last month was China's Luxshare, it has now emerged. More than 1TB of confidential Apple information was reportedly stolen. It was reported in December that one of Apple's assemblers suffered a significant cyberattack that may have compromised sensitive production-line information and manufacturing data linked to Apple. The specific company...

Top Rated Comments

kenni417 Avatar
61 months ago
how generous. how about raising the 5gb free tier cap? this isn't 2011.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fwmireault Avatar
61 months ago
Thank you for that Apple. Now fix the 5GB free plan. This is ridiculous in 2021

I have the 2TB tier with Apple One sub, so I am willing to pay for this service. But if Apple want more people to eventually subscribe on the paid iCloud subscription, they need to give a little more in the free tiers
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomtad Avatar
61 months ago
Seriously just up the storage limit, 5GB is ridiculous
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Radeon85 Avatar
61 months ago
5gb of free storage is absolutely ridiculous for 2021. Here's 512gb iPhones, 2tb iPads but here's a puny 5gb of storage, it's ridiculous that you actually have more RAM now than cloud storage ?

We pay enough for these devices so Apple could be a bit more bloody genorous, 50GB really should be the minimum free storage and then paid tiers after that, storage isn't exactly that expensive these days.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
countryside Avatar
61 months ago
That is great, glad iCloud is getting more attention. Frankly, it is the highlight of the day for me. Just bring that Private Relay VPN to the entire phone, not just Safari.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dooglekit Avatar
61 months ago
2 iMacs,2MacMinis,1Mabook Pro,3Apple TV's,1iPad,2iPhones.....And they give me 5GB of storage???? How about 5GB for each device? I refuse to pay them a penny more.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)