iPhone storage full? 9 ways to free up space without deleting photos
When your iPhone says storage is almost full, photos are rarely the only culprit. Start with the space you will never miss.
Step 1: see what is taking the space
Open Settings › General › iPhone Storage. Give it a few seconds to calculate. The colored bar shows the big categories, and the list below sorts every app by size. iOS also suggests quick fixes at the top, such as offloading unused apps or reviewing large attachments.
Step 2: clear the easy wins
The fix
Free space without losing anything important
- 1
Delete downloaded videos and music.
Streaming apps such as Netflix, YouTube and Spotify store offline downloads that can take several gigabytes. Remove them inside each app. You can download them again at any time.
- 2
Offload apps you do not use.
In iPhone Storage, tap an app, then Offload App. To do this automatically, turn on Settings › App Store › Offload Unused Apps.
- 3
Remove large message attachments.
In iPhone Storage, tap Messages, then Review Large Attachments. Swipe left on old videos and files to delete them.
- 4
Keep messages for a year instead of forever.
Go to Settings › Apps › Messages › Keep Messages and choose 1 Year. On older iOS versions it is Settings › Messages. This deletes older messages and their attachments, so only do it if you do not need them.
- 5
Clear WhatsApp media.
In WhatsApp, open Settings › Storage and Data › Manage Storage. Sort by size and delete forwarded videos you no longer need.
- 6
Clear Safari website data.
Go to Settings › Apps › Safari › Clear History and Website Data. You will be signed out of some websites.
Step 3: make photos take less space (without deleting them)
- Turn on Optimize iPhone Storage under Settings › Photos. Full-resolution originals stay in iCloud and the phone keeps smaller versions. This needs enough iCloud storage for your library.
- Open Photos › Utilities › Duplicates and merge the duplicates. The best-quality copy is kept.
- Empty the Recently Deleted album. Deleted photos stay there for 30 days and keep using space until they are removed.
Restart the phone when you are done. iOS often takes a few minutes to recalculate storage, and a restart also clears some temporary System Data.
Frequently asked questions
What is “System Data” and can I delete it?
System Data holds caches, logs and temporary files. You cannot delete it directly, but it usually shrinks after a restart, after clearing Safari data, or once iOS finishes an update.
Does offloading an app delete my data?
No. Offloading removes the app itself but keeps its documents and settings. Reinstall it from the App Store and you carry on where you left off.
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