Mac 911

RESTORE MISSING PHOTOS AFTER DOWNGRADING iCLOUD STORAGE

iCloud storage isn’t expensive, especially compared to Apple’s competitors. If you use iCloud Photos (the new name for iCloud Photo Library), it’s easy to exceed the 5GB of free storage included with iCloud and then outstrip the 50GB ($1 a month)—and the 200 GB tier ($3 a month).

For folks paying for iCloud storage, it might be tempting to cut out those recurring subscriptions and just store media locally—typically on a Mac. But take care in particular if you’re using iCloud Photos: Downgrading your storage plan doesn’t immediately delete photos and videos, but it does make some of them inaccessible.

It’s not clear when (or if) Apple deletes the content you’ve uploaded in excess of a downgraded iCloud storage plan, but the company doesn’t promise to retain it indefinitely.