In this article, we will show you how to free up space on iPhone by deleting unused apps, clearing caches, optimizing photos, and more. Keep your device running smoothly!
We all know the struggle: your iPhone starts warning you that you’re running low on storage. Whether you’re trying to download new apps, snap more photos, or save videos, space on your iPhone can run out quickly.
But don’t worry—freeing up storage on your device doesn’t have to be a headache.
Here, we will guide you through the most effective and simple ways to get more space on your iPhone without losing important data.
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How to Free Up Space on iPhone
1. Check iPhone Storage Usage
Before you start deleting things, it’s helpful to know what’s taking up the most space. To do this:
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Open Settings on your iPhone.
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Scroll down and tap General.
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Tap iPhone Storage.
This section will give you a detailed breakdown of what’s eating up your storage. You’ll see the apps, photos, videos, messages, and other content that occupy space. From here, you can make informed decisions about what to remove.
2. Delete Unused Apps
Over time, we accumulate apps that we rarely use. These apps take up valuable storage space, so it’s a good idea to remove those you don’t need.
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Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
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Browse through the list of apps and see if there are any you haven’t used in a while.
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Tap on the app, then tap Delete App to remove it.
Alternatively, if you want to keep your app data but don’t need the app itself, you can offload it. This means the app will be removed, but all its documents and data will be kept. You can reinstall the app anytime without losing your information.
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3. Clear Safari Cache
If you’re an avid browser, you might have accumulated a lot of cached data in Safari. This can take up significant space over time. Here’s how to clear the cache:
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Open Settings on your iPhone.
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Scroll down and tap Safari.
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Scroll down again and tap Clear History and Website Data.
This will free up space by deleting browsing history, cookies, and other stored data from websites.
4. Manage Photos and Videos
Photos and videos are often the biggest culprits when it comes to taking up space on your iPhone. Fortunately, there are a few strategies to manage them:
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Enable iCloud Photos: By using iCloud, you can store your photos and videos in the cloud and access them from any device. To enable this, go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos, then toggle on iCloud Photos. You can also enable Optimize iPhone Storage, which will keep only smaller versions of your photos on your device, with the full-resolution versions available in the cloud.
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Delete Unnecessary Photos and Videos: Go through your photo library and delete pictures and videos you no longer need. Don’t forget to empty the Recently Deleted album, as deleted photos still take up space until they are fully removed.
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Use Google Photos or Another Cloud Service: If you need more storage than iCloud offers, consider using a service like Google Photos. Google offers free cloud storage for photos (up to a certain resolution) and videos. You can upload your media, then delete them from your device.
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5. Delete Old Messages and Attachments
Text messages, especially with multimedia attachments like photos and videos, can consume a significant amount of storage over time. You can free up space by deleting old conversations or individual attachments.
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Open the Messages app.
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Swipe left on any conversation you want to delete, then tap Delete.
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To delete attachments (photos, videos), go to the Details page of a conversation, tap on Info, then scroll down to see all the media. You can tap and delete items from here.
Additionally, you can change your message settings to automatically delete old conversations. Go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages and select a time frame (30 Days or 1 Year).
6. Remove Offline Content from Apps
Many apps allow you to download content for offline use—think music, podcasts, or video content. These offline files can add up quickly, so it’s worth checking which apps have offline content saved.
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Open the app (e.g., Apple Music, Spotify, Netflix) and remove any downloaded media you no longer need.
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For example, in Apple Music, go to Library > Downloaded Music, and delete albums or playlists.
7. Review and Delete Large Files
Sometimes large files like documents, PDFs, and other media can take up a lot of space without us realizing. To find these files, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, and scroll down to see a list of apps that take up the most space. Tap on the apps that seem suspiciously large and check if there are any files you can delete.
See Also: 4 Methods to Find Deleted Messages on iPhone
8. Backup and Restore Your iPhone
If your iPhone still feels sluggish or you’re unable to free up enough space, consider performing a full backup and restore. This process can sometimes clear out hidden system files that take up space. To do this:
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Backup your iPhone to iCloud or your computer.
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Once your backup is complete, go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
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After your iPhone has been erased, restore from your backup.
9. Use External Storage Devices
If you continue running into storage issues, you can also consider using external storage devices like Lightning-based flash drives or wireless storage options. These devices allow you to transfer photos, videos, and other files off your iPhone to free up space.
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Conclusion
With a few simple steps, you can quickly free up space on your iPhone and keep it running smoothly. Whether it’s deleting unused apps, managing your photos, or backing up your data to the cloud, there are plenty of options available to help you reclaim precious storage. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll never have to worry about running out of space again!
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