How to Free Up Storage on iPhone: 15 Easy Ways to Get More Space

Go to Settings, General, iPhone Storage to see exactly what is using your space. Turn on Offload Unused Apps to remove apps you rarely use while keeping their data. Photos and videos are usually the biggest space hogs, so turn on Optimize iPhone Storage and empty Recently Deleted. Set Messages to keep texts for 30 days or 1 year instead of forever. Deleting downloaded shows, music and podcasts can free up gigabytes in minutes.

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You go to take a photo, update an app or install the latest iOS version, and your iPhone says it again: “Storage Almost Full.”

It is one of the most common iPhone problems. Photos, videos, apps, messages and downloads can fill even a large iPhone over time. A phone that is almost full can also run more slowly and struggle to install updates.

The good news is that you do not need to buy a new phone. Here is how to free up storage on iPhone, with 15 easy tips that can give you back gigabytes of space in minutes.

Check What Is Using Your Storage

Before you start deleting, find out what is taking up space.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap iPhone Storage.

You will see a colored bar showing how much space is used by apps, photos, media, messages and system files. Below it is a list of apps sorted by size, starting with the biggest. Your iPhone may also show recommendations to save space at the top.

This screen is the best starting point to free up storage on iPhone.

15 Ways to Free Up Storage on iPhone

Start with the tips at the top, which usually free up the most space.

1. Offload Unused Apps

Offloading removes an app but keeps its documents and data. If you reinstall it later, everything is still there.

To offload all apps you rarely use automatically, go to Settings, then Apps, then App Store, and turn on Offload Unused Apps. On older versions of iOS, this setting is under Settings, App Store.

You can also offload a single app from the iPhone Storage screen by tapping it and choosing Offload App.

2. Delete Apps You Do Not Use

Scroll through your apps and remove any you have not opened in months. Press and hold the app icon, then tap Remove App and Delete App. Games are often among the biggest apps on your phone.

3. Empty “Recently Deleted” Photos

When you delete photos and videos, they stay in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days. To free up storage on iPhone right away, open Photos, find Recently Deleted under Utilities, and delete everything there.

4. Turn On Optimize iPhone Storage

If you use iCloud Photos, you can keep full quality photos in iCloud and smaller versions on your phone. Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, Photos, and choose Optimize iPhone Storage.

5. Delete Old Videos

Deleting videos is often the fastest way to free up storage on iPhone. Videos take up far more space than photos, especially 4K and slow motion clips. One minute of 4K video can use hundreds of megabytes. Review your videos and delete ones you no longer need.

6. Remove Duplicate Photos

Recent versions of iOS can find duplicate photos for you. In the Photos app, look for the Duplicates album under Utilities, then merge or delete them.

7. Use High Efficiency Photo Formats

Go to Settings, Camera, Formats, and choose High Efficiency. This saves photos and videos in smaller file formats with little loss in quality.

8. Delete Old Messages

Cleaning up Messages is another easy way to free up storage on iPhone. Years of texts, photos and videos in Messages can use several gigabytes. Go to Settings, then Apps, Messages, Keep Messages, and change it from Forever to 1 Year or 30 Days.

You can also review large attachments by going to the iPhone Storage screen, tapping Messages and choosing Review Large Attachments.

9. Delete Downloaded Music, Podcasts and Shows

Downloaded music, podcasts, movies and TV shows from streaming apps can take up huge amounts of space. Remove downloads you have already watched or listened to, and check the download settings in each app.

10. Clear Safari Data

Go to Settings, Apps, Safari, and tap Clear History and Website Data. This removes cached files that build up over time. You will be signed out of some websites.

11. Clear App Caches

Some apps, such as social media and streaming apps, store large amounts of cached data. Some have an option to clear the cache inside their settings. If not, deleting and reinstalling the app can clear it, though you may need to sign in again.

12. Delete Old Voice Memos and Files

Check the Voice Memos app and the Files app for old recordings, downloads and documents you no longer need.

13. Delete Old Email Attachments

Mail apps can store attachments on your phone. Deleting old emails with large attachments, or signing out and back into an email account, can free up space.

14. Back Up and Clear Photos to a Computer

If you do not want to pay for iCloud storage, you can move photos and videos to a computer or external drive and then delete them from your phone. Always check the backup worked before you delete anything.

15. Upgrade Your iCloud Storage

Every Apple account comes with 5GB of free iCloud storage, which fills up quickly. Paid iCloud+ plans offer much more space for a small monthly fee and can be shared with family. With more iCloud space, you can keep full resolution photos in the cloud and use Optimize iPhone Storage on your phone.

How to Free Up Storage on iPhone Without Deleting Photos

Many people do not want to lose their photos and videos. You can still free up storage on iPhone without deleting a single memory:

• Turn on iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone Storage, so full size originals stay in iCloud.
• Use Google Photos, Amazon Photos or another cloud service to back up your library, then remove the copies from your phone once you have checked the backup.
• Move photos to a computer or external drive using a cable.
• Use a USB C or Lightning flash drive made for iPhones to store photos and videos.

How to Free Up Storage on iPhone for an iOS Update

iOS updates often need several gigabytes of free space to download and install. If your iPhone says there is not enough room:

1. Offload a few large apps you rarely use. The update can reinstall them afterwards.
2. Delete downloaded movies, shows and music.
3. Empty Recently Deleted photos.
4. Try updating through a computer, which needs less free space on the phone.

What Is System Data on iPhone?

In the storage bar, you may see a large gray section called System Data (called “Other” on older versions). It includes caches, logs, temporary files and other data that iOS uses.

System Data can sometimes grow very large. To reduce it:

• Restart your iPhone. This can clear some temporary files.
• Clear Safari and app caches.
• Delete old messages and attachments.
• Update iOS to the latest version.

As a last resort, backing up your iPhone, erasing it and restoring from the backup can shrink System Data, but make sure your backup is complete first.

Why Free Up Storage on iPhone?

Keeping some free space helps your phone:

• Run faster and smoother
• Install iOS updates, which often need several gigabytes of free space
• Take photos and videos without warnings
• Back up properly to iCloud or a computer

As a general guide, try to keep at least 10% of your storage free.

How Much iPhone Storage Do You Need?

If you are buying a new iPhone, choosing the right storage size can save headaches later.

Storage	Best for
128GB	Light users who rely on iCloud and streaming
256GB	Most people, including regular photo and video takers
512GB	Heavy video recording, big games and lots of downloads
1TB and above	Professional video and very large media libraries

Free Up Storage on iPhone: Quick Checklist

Task	Typical space saved
Empty Recently Deleted photos	Can be several gigabytes
Delete old videos	Often the biggest saving
Offload or delete unused apps	Hundreds of megabytes to gigabytes
Change Messages to keep 1 year	Can be several gigabytes
Remove downloaded shows and music	Often several gigabytes
Clear Safari data	Usually smaller, but helpful

Tips to Keep Your iPhone Storage Under Control

• Check iPhone Storage every few months.
• Turn on Offload Unused Apps.
• Use streaming instead of downloading when you have WiFi.
• Delete videos you do not need right after recording them.
• Turn on iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone Storage.

If you still have problems, Apple’s official help pages at Apple Support explain each setting in detail. You can also read more about how Apple’s cloud service works on the iCloud Wikipedia page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Apple Support, Apple iOS settings