iCloud Storage Full: Fix iCloud Mail Not Sending or Receiving
When your 5 GB of iCloud storage is full, iCloud Mail stops sending and receiving. How to see what's using the space, clear it, and the other iCloud Mail limits.
iCloud Mail doesn't have its own mailbox limit — it uses your iCloud storage. When that runs out, you can't send or receive email with your iCloud Mail address, even though everything else on your iPhone may seem fine.
How iCloud Mail storage works
- Every Apple Account gets 5 GB of free iCloud storage.
- That 5 GB is shared with device backups, iCloud Photos, iCloud Drive and other iCloud services — so photos and backups usually fill it long before email does.
- Messages with attachments take up much more space than plain text.
Check what's using your storage
On iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, and tap Storage (or Manage Account Storage). You'll see how much Mail, Photos, backups and Drive each use.
Free up space in iCloud Mail
- iPhone or iPad: in Mail, swipe left on a message to delete it, then open Mailboxes › Trash and delete the messages there too.
- Mac: select messages and click Delete, then choose Mailbox › Erase Deleted Items and pick your iCloud account.
- iCloud.com: select messages, click Delete, then empty your Trash folder.
- Keep mail without using iCloud space: on a Mac, move messages from your iCloud mailboxes to a mailbox on your Mac. Mail stored on the Mac no longer counts against iCloud storage.
Free up space elsewhere in iCloud
If Mail isn't the biggest item, start with whatever is: delete old device backups you no longer need, remove photos and videos from iCloud Photos, and clear large files from iCloud Drive. Any space you free helps Mail, because it's all one allowance.
Get more storage
Upgrading to iCloud+ adds storage for everything in iCloud, Mail included.
Other iCloud Mail limits worth knowing
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Message size (incoming and outgoing) | 20 MB, or up to 5 GB with Mail Drop turned on |
| Messages you can send per day | 1,000 |
| Recipients per day | 1,000 |
| Recipients per message | 500 |
Hitting one of these can look like a storage problem, but it's a separate limit: a message over 20 MB without Mail Drop won't send however much space you have.
After you've freed up space
Sending and receiving work again once you're under your storage limit. If they don't, check the account's settings in your mail app — the iCloud Mail server settings list the correct values, and iCloud Mail not working covers the other causes.
How this guide was checked · October 2026
Verified against 3 official sources
Every step, setting and limit in this guide was checked against the provider’s own documentation on support.apple.com. Anything we couldn’t confirm was left out.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does iCloud Mail have its own storage limit?
No. It uses your iCloud storage, which starts at 5 GB free and is shared with backups, iCloud Photos and iCloud Drive.
Why can't I receive email on iCloud?
The most common reason is that your iCloud storage is full — when it runs out, you can't send or receive with your iCloud Mail address. Check under Settings › your name › iCloud.
What is the attachment size limit for iCloud Mail?
20 MB per message. With Mail Drop turned on, you can send attachments up to 5 GB.
How many emails can I send per day from iCloud?
Up to 1,000 messages and 1,000 recipients per day, with no more than 500 recipients in a single message.
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