How to Free Up Space on iPhone

Apple names these common sources of storage use: photos and videos, messages, downloaded videos, files and apps. Start by checking which of them takes the most space on your iPhone, then work through the list below.

Check what’s using space

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   Step 1: Open Settings

   Open the Settings app and tap General.

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   Step 2: Open iPhone Storage

   Tap iPhone Storage. The available space is at the top; below it you may see recommendations, then a list of your apps with the space each one uses.

Free up space taken by photos and videos

By default iPhone keeps your photos and videos in their original, high-resolution version, which takes a lot of space. If you use iCloud Photos, Optimize iPhone Storage keeps the full-resolution versions in iCloud and, when needed, stores space-saving copies on the iPhone.

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   Step 1: Open iCloud Photos settings

   Go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud › Photos.

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   Step 2: Turn on syncing

   Turn on Sync this iPhone. In iOS 27 or later, tap iPhone Storage next.

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   Step 3: Optimize

   Make sure Optimize iPhone Storage is turned on.

• Merge duplicates. The Photos app finds duplicates automatically: see how to delete duplicate photos on iPhone.
• Empty Recently Deleted when you’re sure. Deleted photos stay there for 30 days before iPhone deletes them permanently. In our test, 174 MB of deleted photos still took up the same space on the device while they sat in the album. See Recently Deleted on iPhone.

Offload or delete apps you don’t use

Deleting an app you no longer use frees its space, and you can download it again later. Offloading keeps more: iPhone removes the app but keeps your documents and data, and the icon stays on the Home Screen with a cloud symbol so you can tap it to reinstall.

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   Step 1: Open App Store settings

   Go to Settings › Apps › App Store.

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   Step 2: Turn on offloading

   Turn on Offload Unused Apps. From then on, iPhone removes unused apps automatically when storage is low.

CleanX

See what you can clear with CleanX

CleanX scans your library on your iPhone and shows, on one screen, how much space similar photos, duplicates, screenshots, blurry photos and videos take. Nothing is deleted without your approval.

• Counts and sizes for each group of photos and videos
• Video compression replaces the original with the compressed copy
• Scanning is free; deleting and compressing need CleanX Pro

Clear messages, downloads and files

• Messages: delete conversations and attachments you no longer need.
• Downloaded videos: in the TV app and other streaming apps, remove videos you downloaded for offline viewing and have already watched.
• Files: find and delete files you no longer need in the Files app.

Free up space without deleting photos

• Turn on Optimize iPhone Storage (above) so the full-resolution photos are kept in iCloud.
• Turn on Offload Unused Apps, which removes unused apps when storage is low and keeps their data.
• Delete message attachments and watched downloads, which aren’t part of your photo library.

iCloud storage is not iPhone storage

Buying more iCloud storage doesn’t add space to your iPhone by itself. It helps when you use iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone Storage: the full-resolution photos are kept in iCloud, and the iPhone stores space-saving copies when it needs room.