One may not consider the remaining storage space on their iOS device until encountering a hurdle when attempting to update the operating system or download new applications. Suddenly, every item on the phone becomes invaluable and one is left pondering the cost of purchasing a phone with more memory. Take your time! There are some working tips on how to free up memory on iPhone.
Table of Contents
Ways to Clear Storage on iPhone
#1 Find the apps that take up the most space
When scrolling down under Storage, users will find a list of all their apps, organized based on the amount of space they consume. Upon selecting an app, a new page will display its usage in two parts: the space used by the app itself (shown at the top in light gray) and the space occupied by the app’s data and documents. For instance, downloaded Spotify playlists and podcasts may consume around 1.59GB, while messages can take up approximately 4.3 GB. This information is helpful in understanding that it’s not just the app itself but also the content stored within it, that contributes to space usage. In this case, the largest space occupiers are photos and messages.
#2 Delete apps from the Home screen
As explained above, one can easily locate apps that occupy a significant amount of space by navigating to the iPhone Storage section in Settings > General. From there, the list of apps can be reviewed, sorted by size and last usage date. To delete an app, simply swipe from right to left on the selected app and choose “Delete App.” Alternatively, there is an expedited method of freeing up space by deleting an app directly from the Home screen.
#3 Use a cleaning app
Have you heard anything about smart cleaning? If you are planning to clean up more memory on your device, some applications can automate this process. They are looking for garbage, namely the data that applications accumulate, but they do not carry value for the user. A prime example is the CleanUp app (visit the site to download the app). With it, you can boost your phone, as the work of an iPhone with low free memory will be significantly slowed down.
#4 Delete attachments in Messages
Texting is not limited to just text; it includes sending and receiving various forms of content like memes, GIFs, selfies, and videos. All of this content is stored on an iPhone, even if not saved to Photos, and can quickly accumulate if you engage in frequent texting. To free up iPhone memory by deleting all attachments in Messages, follow these steps:
1. Navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
2. Scroll down and select Messages.
3. You will see different categories, such as Top Conversations, Photos, GIFs and Stickers, and Others. Choose the category that occupies the most space. Note that in Top Conversations, deleting content will remove entire threads, not just attachments. If you wish to keep the conversation intact, focus on deleting Photos and other content.
4. Tap Edit in the upper-right corner.
5. Select all the attachments you want to delete.
6. Tap the Trash icon.
#5 Empty your browser’s cache
To remove unnecessary clutter from an iPhone or iPad, one should consider eliminating the cache for the Safari web browser or any other mobile web browsers in use. In Safari, the user can go to Settings > Safari and then tap Clear History and Website Data. For Chrome on iOS, the user needs to open the app, tap the three dots located in the bottom-right corner, and select History. From there, they can choose to either wipe everything out by tapping Clear Browsing Data or erase specific sites by tapping Edit. Alternatively, users can navigate to Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data, which allows them to delete various data, including browsing history, cookies, and site data, cached images and files, saved passwords, and autofill data, or clear everything at once. To learn more, one can read about how to clear the cache on any browser.
#6 Delete app data and cache
Apple offers the option to remove the app while preserving the data; however, in some cases, it may be the data itself that users wish to delete. For example, users might have outdated videos and books occupying space in an app they still intend to use. It’s worth noting that certain apps may have substantial amounts of associated data that users can delete without having to remove the app itself. To gain further insights into the storage consumed by apps, users can navigate to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and tap on the arrow next to any listed app. This enables users to view the app’s storage usage as well as the additional space occupied by documents and data.
#7 Delete text messages
As mentioned above, users have the option to choose auto-deletion of conversations from the Messages app, allowing them to free up significant storage space. However, individuals may opt not to utilize this feature if they have sentimental messages they wish to retain. Users still have the ability to delete a large number of messages while keeping those they want to preserve. To do this, they can swipe from right to left on any message they wish to delete and select the Delete option. A more efficient approach to filtering and deleting messages includes sorting messages by Unknown Senders. By clicking on Unknown Senders, users can access the Unknown Senders view and tap on the three dots at the top. From there, they can choose Select Messages and then Select All. To ensure important messages are not deleted, a careful review is recommended before tapping Delete. Finally, users can deselect any messages they wish to keep and proceed with the deletion process.
Conclusion
These are a few ways to free up space on an iPhone. For further assistance, Apple Support provides guidance and advice to users who need help with their devices. Moreover, third-party apps can automate some of the steps mentioned above, eliminating the need for users to manually delete files or clear memory each time.