Best Ways to Free Up Space on Your iPhone

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Free up storage space by deleting files, photos, and apps from your iPhone
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Need to clear your iPhone's memory? You've come to the right place! Clearing your iPhone memory can help your phone work better and run faster. Plus, if you've received a "Storage Almost Full" notification, then you might need to clear your storage in order to continue saving texts, photos, and apps. Fortunately, clearing your iPhone storage couldn't be easier, and below, you'll find a complete, step-by-step guide with tips from Apple specialist Josef Storzi. Let's dive in!

What to Know About Clearing iPhone Memory

  • Find and delete large, unwanted apps by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage .
  • You can also free up space by deleting photos, files, and music you don’t need.
  • To completely erase all the data on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content & Settings .
Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Deleting Apps to Clear Up Storage Space

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  1. It's the silver icon that resembles a gear on the home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
  2. It's next to an icon that resembles a gear in the Settings menu.
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  3. It’s near the top of the General menu. In the iPhone Storage menu, you can view a breakdown of how storage is being used on your phone, as well as a list of apps ordered by how much space they are using.
    • According to Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist Josef Storzi, the easiest way to delete apps is to simply press and hold an app icon on your Home Screen, then tap Remove App > Delete App in the context menu. However, deleting apps through iPhone Storage has the advantage of showing you which ones take up the most space.
    • While you’re in the iPhone Storage menu, check the Recommendations section for any other ways you can quickly free up space. For example, you might see an option to review and delete downloaded media you don’t need.
  4. Look for any apps you don't use very often in the list of app and then tap the app’s name. This displays the info screen for the app.
  5. It's the red text at the bottom of the app info screen. This displays a confirmation pop-up.
    • Alternatively, you can tap Offload App on the app info screen. This deletes the app but keeps all the app data in case you want to reinstall it again at a later date.
    • Some apps (such as Music) also give you the option to delete associated files that are downloaded to your device without actually deleting the app.
  6. It's the red text in the confirmation pop-up. This confirms that you want to delete the app and deletes it. Do this for all apps you no longer use to free up as much storage space as possible.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Deleting Photos and Videos to Clear Up Storage Space

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  1. It's the app that has an icon that resembles a flower with different colored petals.
  2. It's in the upper-right corner of the Photos apps.
  3. A blue checkmark icon will appear in the lower-right corner of the image thumbnail. This indicates that the photo or video has been selected.
  4. It's in the bottom right corner of the photos app. This displays a confirmation pop-up.
  5. It's the red text in the pop-up. If you’ve selected multiple photos, you’ll see Delete [number] Photos instead.
    • Any photos or videos you delete will be moved to Recently Deleted , which you can find by scrolling down below your photo library and looking under the Utilities header. They’ll be permanently deleted after 30 days, or you can open the folder and delete them immediately to clear up space.
    • Another way to free up space on your iPhone without actually deleting any pictures is to enable iCloud Photos . Just keep in mind that if you delete photos that are stored in iCloud from your iPhone, they’ll also be deleted from all other devices logged into the same Apple Account.
    • You can also merge duplicate photos with just a few taps if you have iOS 16 or later. You might be surprised how many duplicates you have cluttering up your gallery!
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Deleting Music and Podcasts to Clear Up Storage Space

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  1. Both apps have a very similar layout. The Music app has a pink icon with a white music note. The Podcasts app has a purple icon with a symbol that resembles a microphone.
  2. It's the first tab at the bottom of the screen. It has an icon that resembles a stack of papers.
  3. It's the last option in the Library menu. This displays a list of songs, albums, or podcasts you have downloaded on your iPhone.
  4. This displays pop-up menu over the song or episode.
  5. This displays a confirmation pop-up.
  6. It's the first option in the pop-up. This removes the downloaded song or episode from your iPhone. Repeat for all songs or podcast episodes you want to delete.
    • You can also go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and select Music or Podcasts from the list of apps. Tap Edit above the list of downloaded media to delete songs, albums, or podcasts.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Deleting Files to Clear Up Storage Space

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  1. It's the app that has an icon of a blue folder.
  2. It's the button in the bottom right corner of the Files app. If it opens up to a specific folder, keep tapping the < button at the top left side of the screen until you reach the main Browse menu.
  3. It's the second option under the Locations header. This displays your iPhone's internal storage.
  4. The apps you have on your iPhone have their own folders. Tap the folder for the app that has files you want to delete.
    • Media players and video editor apps are likely to have the largest files.
    • Some apps have a sub-folder called "Files" or "Downloads". If you see either of these folders, tap them to open them.
    • You might also see folders that aren’t associated with specific apps, or files that you downloaded from the web that aren’t in folders at all.
  5. It’s in the top right corner of the screen.
  6. You’ll see it at the top of the context menu that opens up.
  7. This displays a checkmark icon in the circle at the bottom center of each file or folder. This indicates the file or folder is selected.
  8. It's the blue trash can icon at the bottom of the screen. This deletes all files and folders you selected. Go through each app folder in your iPhone or iPad storage and use this method to delete any files you do not want.
    • If you just want to delete one folder or file at a time instead of selecting them in bulk, you can tap and hold the item you want to delete, then tap Delete at the bottom of the menu that opens up.
    • Anything you delete will go into the Recently Deleted folder, where it will be deleted permanently after 30 days. If you want to free up space immediately, go to Files > Browse > Recently Deleted (under Locations ). Go to ••• > Select > Delete All .
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Deleting All Data on Your iPhone

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  1. From the home screen, tap the gear icon application to open iPhone’s general settings menu. This is where all the customizable options can be found.
    • Warning: This will erase everything on your iPhone, including your apps, app data, photos, videos, and audio files. Make sure your phone is backed up and only use this as a last resort.
    EXPERT TIP

    Josef Storzi

    Mobile Phone Repair Specialist
    Josef Storzi is an Apple and Mobile Phone Repair Specialist and the Owner of Imobile LA, a mobile phone repair company based in Los Angeles, California. Josef specializes in repairing screens, charging ports, batteries, water damage, speakers, and microphones on all mobile phone brands including Apple, Samsung, LG, Nokia, and Sony. He also specializes in tablet, laptop, and computer repairs as well as the pros and cons of recent mobile software updates.
    Josef Storzi
    Mobile Phone Repair Specialist

    This is something you might want to do if you're transferring to a new iPhone. You'll definitely want to delete your old data if you plan to sell the old phone. Just make sure to back everything up to iCloud or your computer before you delete your data!

  2. It's next to an icon that resembles a gear. This displays your iPhone's General menu, where you can adjust the general settings.
  3. It's the second option from the bottom of the General menu.
  4. It's the last option in the Reset menu.
  5. You’ll see a screen informing you about which content will be removed from your iPhone, including your apps and data, Apple Account information, Activation Lock settings, and anything in your Wallet. Tap Continue , then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
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  • Question
    How long will it take to clear an iPhone's memory?
    Community Answer
    Assuming you mean complete a factory reset, around 10-15 minutes. Other reset functions will take less time.
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      Warnings

      • Resetting your iPhone or iPad will delete all apps, app info, photos, videos, and audio files from your iPhone or iPad. Be sure to back up your iPhone and only use this as a last resort.
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      1. Unlock your iPhone by pressing the Home button.
      2. Press and hold the Power button until the "Slide to power off screen" appears.
      3. Press and hold the Home button below the screen until the screen flashes.

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