Apple Notifies Former MobileMe Customers of Impending iCloud Storage Downgrade

Apple today began sending out notices to former MobileMe customers reminding them that their free 25 GB iCloud accounts will be reduced to 5 GB as of September 30. iCloud offers 5 GB of storage for free, but MobileMe customers received an additional 20 GB for free during the first year of iCloud's existence. The offer was initially good through through June 30, 2012, but Apple later extended the bonus through the end of September.

Your iCloud storage will be reduced to 5 GB on 09/30/2012.
However, you are currently using more than 5 GB.

Unless you take action before your downgrade takes effect, backups to iCloud will stop, and apps will no longer be able to save documents to iCloud. You can either free up storage or cancel your downgrade to keep your current storage plan for another year.

With the launch of the iPhone 5 this past weekend, upgraders who have elected to back up their devices to iCloud may find themselves suddenly over the 5 GB limit for free iCloud accounts if their previous iPhone is also being backed up to iCloud. Camera Roll in particular can be a significant contributor to storage needs for iCloud.

free icloud downgrade
Additional information for those seeking to keep their iCloud storage needs below 5 GB can be found in an Apple support document, while those interested in purchasing additional storage space can do so through their iOS device iCloud settings, System Preferences on a Mac, or iCloud Control Panel on a PC. Annual pricing is currently set at $20 for 10 GB, $40 for 20 GB, and $100 for 50 GB. All of the purchased amounts are added to the base 5 GB storage capacity.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...

Top Rated Comments

cbw87 Avatar
175 months ago
Surely it would make a lot more sense, since Apple makes its profit per device, to give users 5GB for each device they purchase and link to their Apple ID?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdlv Avatar
175 months ago
I thought pictures, music and videos didn't count towards the 5 GB?

:confused:
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
throttlemeister Avatar
175 months ago
I don't see the problem? MobileMe was $99/yr and included 25GB storage, right? Icloud is free and includes 5GB storage and an additional 20GB of storage costs $40/yr. So at price that is $60 cheaper, you get the same amount of space.

Sounds like a bargain to me.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shompa Avatar
175 months ago
iCloud is a great idea. But why wont Apple give more space per device their customers buy? 5 gig is ok for 1/2 devices. But its impossible to make cloud backups if you have 3+ devices.

Why not give each customer that register an iDevice 2.5 gig-5gig more for free?

Now when iCloud downgrades the storage space, I have to stop using cloud backup :( Punished for owning to many of Apples products.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scotty321 Avatar
175 months ago
And yet, nowhere in the email does Apple actually tell people how to PAY TO UPGRADE THEIR STORAGE, which I'm sure many people will want to do.

Ridiculous oversight on Apple's part. Nobody seems to be paying attention at Apple anymore tense days.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Gates Avatar
175 months ago
Glad Microsoft let me keep my 25 gigs on Skydrive
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)