Article Summary
Regaining storage space on iPhones and iPads can be achieved through several simple steps. Start by checking storage usage through settings and identifying apps that consume the most space. Consider deleting unused apps or using the 'offload apps' feature to save space. Reduce photo size with 'optimize storage' and manage repeated shots and HDR photos to save space. For videos, adjust resolution and frame rate settings to reduce file size. Apps like WhatsApp have built-in tools to manage media and large files. Apple's Music app can automatically remove unused songs with 'Optimize Storage.' Additionally, manage message retention or delete unnecessary attachments. If these steps are not enough, consider upgrading your device.

If you have an iPhone or iPad that is running out of storage space and you are feeling frustrated, don’t worry, there are several steps you can take to reclaim some storage space. In this guide, we will go over several options and methods available to free up storage space on your iPhone and iPad running iOS and iPadOS.

From iPhoneIslam.com, a smartphone screen showing iPhone storage settings with the text: "Free up space on your iPhone" on a gray textured background. Discover how to free up space on your iPhone effortlessly.


Each new iPhone and iPad model comes with storage capacities ranging from 64GB to 1TB for the iPhone, and 64GB to 2TB for the iPad. While it’s always a good idea to buy the model with the most storage you can afford, even the highest capacity devices can fill up unexpectedly. This can be due to higher video quality and the increasing size and quality of apps and games. From the music you buy and the apps you download, to the videos you shoot and the messages you receive, all of this content is somewhere, either on your device or in the cloud. When your storage space is full, you can’t add more, so the solution is to free up space. Here’s how to do it.

Essential Tips for Saving Storage Space

Apple understands that many users struggle with managing storage on their devices, so it has introduced more tools with successive versions of iOS to help users control which apps and media often take up the most storage space. To check your storage:

◉ Open the Settings app, then choose General → iPhone/iPad Storage.

◉ The storage space used will appear in a colored bar at the top.

◉ A list of recommendations for improving storage may appear, for example by reviewing and deleting large attachments.

From iPhoneIslam.com, two smartphones display the Settings screens. The left screen highlights “General” in the menu, while the right screen focuses on freeing up space under iPhone storage settings, providing a seamless experience for iPhone users who want to manage their devices effectively.

◉ Under Recommendations, you'll find a list of installed apps and how much storage space each app uses. The list also tells you when you last used each app, making it easy to find and delete apps you haven't used in a while.

From iPhoneIslam.com, two smartphone screens show iPhone storage details. The left one shows how to free up storage space with recommendations for large attachments, while the right one organizes how to free up storage space by listing attachments by date and size.

◉ When you delete an app, its icon, data, and all user-generated data are removed. This is convenient if you don’t plan on using the app again, but Apple also gives you the option to offload apps, which frees up storage space while keeping the app icon and user data. If there’s an app you use a lot that’s taking up a lot of space, it’s worth checking if you can clear any cache associated with it.

From iPhoneIslam.com, two smartphone screens show the iPhone storage settings. The left screen shows storage usage by app, with TikTok highlighted. The right screen provides options to offload or delete the TikTok app, helping free up storage space for optimal device performance.

◉ Another option that Apple added to iOS and iPadOS not long ago is the ability to prevent your iPhone or iPad from automatically installing software updates. Previously, new updates were downloaded automatically in the background and then installed through the Automatic Updates feature. But now, the settings include an option that lets you choose whether or not you want updates to be downloaded automatically.

From iPhoneIslam.com, iPhone screens show iOS software update settings, with automatic updates for iOS 18.2 turned on, which helps in saving space efficiently.


Free up storage space from photos

Photos stored on your device take up the lion's share of storage space, and that storage space fills up quickly given its capacity and the amount of content you have.

If you see a message that your storage is full, you should check a setting called Optimize Storage, which is designed to work with iCloud Photos. This feature replaces high-resolution photos with smaller versions that take up much less space, while keeping the full-resolution photos in iCloud.

From iPhoneIslam.com, two smartphones displaying photo settings. The left screen shows a list of apps with photos highlighted, while the right screen shows iCloud Photos options, with “Optimize iPhone Storage” selected to help free up space on your device.

Also, check out the burst mode. Some people may need it to capture a moving scene and then choose the best one. This mode produces a lot of unwanted images, so check it out.

From iPhoneIslam.com, three smartphone screenshots show the process of selecting photos using the iPhone's Burst feature. A castle adorns the scenic background, while red arrows and circles highlight different interface elements to efficiently free up storage space.

If you have an older iPhone, you can also save space by shooting in HDR. On iPhone X and earlier models, when the camera takes an automatic HDR photo, it can also optionally keep the regular shot in your photo library. You can disable this function if you want and thus save some storage space.

In some cases, you may find your photo library growing even when you’re not taking photos on your device. For example, media that others share with you on WhatsApp may be automatically saved to the Photos app. Disable the “Save to Photos” option in your WhatsApp settings.

From iPhoneIslam.com, the smartphone screen displays the chat settings menu with the “Save to Photos” option enabled, allowing you to effectively free up space on your device by managing iPhone storage seamlessly.

If you don't find any of the above, transfer the photos to a computer or somewhere else, then delete them and start over.


Free up storage space from videos

Some of the above photo tips also apply to videos stored in your device's photo library. However, there are other ways to prevent video content from taking up storage space:

◉ You can customize video resolution and frame rate to reduce file size through Settings → Camera → Video recording.

From iPhoneIslam.com, the three smartphone screens show the camera settings, with a focus on video resolution options like 4K at 60fps and 720p at 30fps. To help save space, formatting and stabilization options are also visible, ensuring efficient iPhone storage without compromising on quality.

◉ If you regularly download Apple Fitness+ videos to your iPhone or iPad, check the recommendations in Settings → General → iPhone Storage, and you'll find them listed under Review Downloaded Videos, where you can delete them individually or in bulk.

From iPhoneIslam.com, two smartphone screens show a list of downloaded fitness videos. The left highlights the delete option for “Treadmill with Sam,” offering a way to free up space. The right confirms the changes with “Done,” ensuring your iPhone storage stays optimized.

◉ If you have an Apple TV+ subscription, or have rented or purchased movies, you can download videos using the TV app to watch offline. To save space, go to Settings → Apps → TV, then under Download Options, make sure Fast Downloads is selected. This will result in lower-quality videos that use less storage space.

From iPhoneIslam.com, Three smartphone screens display the TV app settings: The left screen displays general options, the middle screen shows mobile data settings, and the right screen displays mobile data download quality options. Ideal for users looking to save storage space on their phones by optimizing their streaming preferences.


Reclaim space taken up by apps and other media

For example, if you use WhatsApp a lot, it has a built-in media manager that helps you identify, select and delete images, both animated and normal, and videos that may be filling up your storage space.

From iPhoneIslam.com, the three smartphone screens show the settings in the messaging app. The screens highlight options for managing storage, freeing up space, network usage, and chat sizes.

The tool collects large files and media that have been forwarded multiple times, sorts the files by size in descending order, and provides a way to preview files before deleting them. To access the storage management tool, open the app and go to Settings → Storage & data → Manage storage.

If you're an Apple Music subscriber, you can download songs, playlists, and albums from the Apple Music catalog to your iPhone or iPad for offline listening, but this may gradually eat up storage space over time.

The good news is that the Music app includes a useful feature that can automatically turn on when your device's storage space is running low, automatically removing songs you haven't listened to in a while to free up space.

From iPhoneIslam.com, the smartphone's three screens display different settings: the app menu with "Music" settings, audio and storage check options, and optimize storage settings with different music storage levels. Ideal for users looking to free up and manage iPhone storage space effectively.

Go to Settings → Apps → Music → Optimize Storage, and make sure it is enabled.  

Apple Music users can also remove songs and entire albums in the Music app. Just long-press on the item, choose “Delete From Library” from the pop-up menu, then tap “Delete Album/Song.”


Save space from messages

There are several ways to reduce the size of the Messages app. For example, you can set it to ignore old messages that have been on your device for longer than a certain period of time.

From iPhoneIslam.com, the smartphone screens show a text conversation about Northern Lights photos and settings options for a contact named Jared, highlighting how to free up storage space on your iPhone.

Additionally, if you tap on the contact bubble at the top of a message conversation, you can also see every file sent to you in the conversation thread in one easy-to-access place, where you can remove them all at once.

From iPhoneIslam.com, On my smartphone screen, you see the photo albums. The left screen has the distinctive “Select” button, which is ideal for freeing up storage space on your device. On the right screen, the arrow points to the “Delete” icon at the bottom to efficiently free up space on your iPhone.


Free up space from other apps

From iPhoneIslam.com, the smartphone's two screens show file management in action. The left screen displays a list of PDF files, while the right screen highlights "Compress" in the menu options - perfect for freeing up your iPhone and saving storage space efficiently.

Other Apple apps to check out include the Books app and the Voice Memos app. If you listen to a lot of audiobooks, try deleting old ones, and review any old audio recordings to see if you still need them.


Conclusion

These are the basic tips for saving storage space on your iPhone and iPad, but depending on how you use your device, there may be other ways to free up space on your device. For example, if you manage a lot of files in the Files app, consider compressing large files and folders by selecting Compress from the pop-up menu.

From iPhoneIslam.com, two smartphone screens: the left shows a list of files in iCloud Drive with the PDF file highlighted on the iPhone, and the right shows a list with a highlighted “Compress” option for storage space.

If you’re still running low on space and have exhausted all of the above options, it may be worth resorting to the “ultimate” option, which is a clean install, by wiping your device and starting over. If that doesn’t help, it may be time to upgrade your device and get an iPhone with more space.

Have you ever run out of storage space? What's your favorite way to save space? Let us know in the comments.

Source:

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