How to Clear Storage on iPhone [Full Guide]

This post will brief you on the best methods to let you know how to clear storage on iPhone. We hope that you find our methods useful and it helps you.

sofia albert
Sofia Albert updated on Jul 24, 2023 | Home > iOS & Mac Topics

Workable Solutions Step-by-step Troubleshooting
Fix 1. Clear Safari's cache All those temporary internet files add up and could take up a lot of space in your web browser's cache...Full steps
Fix 2. Delete non-essential apps Applications that you hardly use and probably don't need are considered non-essential. It consumes...Full steps
Fix 3. Optimize excess iPhone photos You can enable High-Efficiency mode for your photos with your camera on iPhone 7 or later to optimize...Full steps

Today's smartphones have taken on significant importance in our lives, but we frequently experience issues when we cannot clear storage. No matter how much space you have on your iPhone, some unnecessary items still accumulate and slow down the device. 

Your iPhone's apps, pictures, and even text messages may use much storage over time. And when your iPhone is full, it could begin to lag or develop other issues. You must clear the cache in more than one step in iOS because there is no system-level cache cleaner. This article will guide users on how to clear storage on iPhones in simple ways.

Why Is My iPhone Storage Full?

There may be unnecessary items on your iPhone. Finding out what they are is crucial because they consume a lot of valuable space. Some common reasons which may result in storage problems are as follows:

  • Your iPhone may have a large, bloated Photos app overflowing with images and videos.
  • You have many apps that hog the most storage, such as different games and social media apps.
  • You haven't cleared your cache for a long time.

If you need to learn how to check your iPhone's storage, don't worry. We have given steps below to check and control your iPhone's storage:

Note: Over time, your iPhone gathered cache files, and as a result, those caches have grown to an unmanageable size.

Step 1. To access iPhone storage, go to Settings > General.

Step 2. You'll see a color-coded bar at the top that indicates how much space you still have, how much is taken up, and what's using it. 

Photos and Apps are typically the two largest categories depending on your usage. So you begin removing the cache from there.

How to Clear Storage on iPhone?

We present the top 3 simple methods to help you maximize storage space on your iPhone. Follow all the instructions to know how to clear storage on your iPhone.

Fix 1. Clear Safari's cache

All those temporary internet files add up and could take up a lot of space in your web browser's cache. You should be aware that clearing your cache will log you out of all websites you're signed into and delete all your cookies. But you can save dozens of megabytes by doing this. Here's how you can do it:

Step 1. Launch the Settings application.

Step 2. Select "Safari."

Step 3. Then select "Clear Website Data and History."

Step 4. In the popup, select "Clear History and Website Data."

click on clear history and data option

Fix 2. Delete non-essential apps

Applications that you hardly use and probably don't need are considered non-essential. It consumes a significant part of your storage. That's why you should delete them completely.

Step 1. Launch the Settings application.

Step 2. Select "General."

Step 3. Click on "iPhone Storage."

Step 4. Await the apps to load before looking at the graph showing how much storage space is still available. The apps will be listed from the largest to the smallest.

Step 5.  Check the Last Used section below an app's name to see which ones you last used.

select app

Step 6. Click it to check the app's size and how much data it stores on your iPhone if it's been a while since you used it and it's taking too much space.

Step 7. Select whether to permanently delete the app or offload the data from the iPhone.

Note: Offload App deletes the app from your phone but doesn't delete any data. The data will still be present if you reinstall it later, and you can usually use it.

click on delete app option

Fix 3. Optimize excess iPhone photos

You can enable High-Efficiency mode for your photos with your camera on iPhone 7 or later to optimize them. Although there won't be any difference in image quality, each photo will require much less storage space. It's worth checking again, even if it's already on.

Step 1. Launch the Settings application.

Step 2. Select "Camera."

Step 3. Select "Formats."

Step 4. Ensure that High Efficiency is selected for the camera's capture mode. Tap on it if it isn't.

tap on high efficiency

Concluding Thoughts

We get a lot more use out of our iPhones than just as phones. They contain our apps for work, socializing, ordering groceries, transportation, managing finances, and even keeping track of our health, in addition to being the places where we store our photos, books, music, and movies. 

It's simple to quickly use the phone's storage because it's used for many different things, which can be a nightmare. However, keep calm. You're not doomed if you're about to run out of space, and you don't necessarily need to delete all of your photos or upgrade your phone. Why? Explore how to clear storage on your iPhone, and you are done.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What happens when iPhone storage is full?

When the space in your iPhone is full, it automatically starts deleting the cached & temporary files to generate more space.

2. What is the easiest way to clear iPhone storage?

The simple ways to clear your iPhone storage are given below: 

Step 1. Head into Settings, choose "General", and then click "iPhone Storage."

Step 2. Open each app to delete downloads and data files. You can uninstall and reinstall apps to clean up the junk files on your iPhone and update your apps simultaneously.

3. What should I delete when my iPhone storage is full?

When you do not have enough storage in your iPhone, try deleting the following:

  • Delete apps, pictures, and videos to make room on an iPhone.
  • Clear the cache in Safari and delete old messages to make more space available on your iPhone.