"Storage Almost Full" always seems to arrive at the worst moment. The fastest way to deal with it is to let your iPhone tell you what is using space, then work through the biggest items first.
See what is using space
Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage. After a moment, a coloured bar shows how storage is divided between apps, photos, media, iOS and System Data. Below it you will see recommendations and a list of apps sorted by size.
Tap an app to see how much space the app itself uses and how much is its Documents & Data, such as downloads, caches and saved content.
Act on the recommendations
iOS suggests actions based on how you use your phone, such as:
- Offload Unused Apps
- Review Large Attachments in Messages
- Review Downloaded Videos in the TV app
- iCloud Photos and Optimize iPhone Storage
Tap Enable or Show All next to a recommendation to use it.
Delete or offload apps you do not use
In the app list, tap an app you rarely use and choose:
- Offload App to remove the app but keep its documents and data. The icon stays on your Home Screen with a cloud symbol, and tapping it reinstalls the app with your data intact.
- Delete App to remove the app and all its data.
Games and apps with downloaded content can be several gigabytes each. See offloading unused apps.
Clear out Photos
Photos and videos are usually the largest category.
- Empty Recently Deleted. Deleted photos and videos stay in Photos > Recently Deleted for 30 days and keep using space. See emptying Recently Deleted.
- Merge duplicates. In Photos, open Utilities > Duplicates. See deleting duplicate photos.
- Review your largest videos. Long 4K videos are usually the biggest items in your library. See reducing video size on iPhone.
Trim Messages
Photos, videos and voice notes in Messages add up over years.
- In Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Messages, tap Review Large Attachments and delete what you do not need.
- Set Keep Messages to 1 Year or 30 Days so old messages and attachments are removed automatically. See reducing Messages storage.
Remove downloaded media
Downloaded music, podcasts, audiobooks and shows from streaming apps are easy to forget. Open each app's downloads section and remove what you have finished with. In Settings > Apps > Music, turn on Optimize Storage to let iOS remove music you have not played in a while when space is low. (On older versions of iOS, app settings are directly in Settings.)
Use iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone Storage
If you use iCloud Photos, choose Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and select Optimize iPhone Storage. Your iPhone then keeps smaller versions of photos and videos and downloads full-resolution originals from iCloud when you need them. See what to do when iPhone storage is full with iCloud Photos.
Clear Safari data
Safari's website data and offline Reading List can grow over time. In Settings > Apps > Safari, tap Clear History and Website Data, or use Advanced > Website Data to remove data for specific sites. See clearing the Safari cache on iPhone.
Restart your iPhone
After clearing space, restart your iPhone. Some temporary files and System Data are only cleared on restart, and the storage figures will update.
Frequently asked questions
What is taking up all my iPhone storage?
Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Photos and videos, Messages attachments, apps with downloaded content and System Data are the most common causes.
Why is my iPhone storage still full after deleting photos?
Deleted photos move to Recently Deleted and keep using space for up to 30 days. Delete them from Recently Deleted to free the space immediately.
Does offloading an app delete my data?
No. Offloading removes the app but keeps its documents and data. Reinstalling the app restores everything, as long as it is still available in the App Store.
How much free storage should an iPhone have?
There is no official figure, but keeping at least a few gigabytes free helps iOS install updates, take photos and run smoothly.
Want this done for you?
spacerecover’s iPhone companion groups repeated photos, makes smaller copies of large videos you can preview first, and pairs with your Mac to keep originals safe. Everything runs on your own devices.