How to free up storage space on your iPhone

Whether you have an older 16GB iPhone or a brand new 256GB iPhone, getting a storage space error message sucks. When you run out of storage space, it halts your ability to enjoy the phone the way you want. Taking photos, downloading music, installing apps, and other everyday tasks on your iPhone require space.

Luckily, there are a few options that streamline the process of deleting files, apps, and other data to make it easier and faster for you to free up some storage space; here's how!

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac (sadly, no public beta for the Apple Watch). While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

How to enable offload unused apps on your iPhone

If you haven't used an app in a long time, it's just sitting on your home screen taking up space. Obviously, you can delete apps individually at any time; however, iOS 12 gives you the option of removing all the apps you haven't touched recently.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap iPhone Storage.

  4. Tap Enable beside Offload Unused Apps.

    Launch Settings, tap General, tap iPhone Storage, tap Enable beside Offload Unused Apps.

This will delete apps that you haven't used in quite some time; however, it will keep all your documents and data so that you won't lose anything too important.

How to disable offload unused apps on your iPhone

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap iTunes & App Store

  3. Tap the Offload Unused Apps switch. When the switch goes gray, that means it's off.

    Launch Settings, tap iTunes $ App Store, tap the Offload Unused Apps switch.

How to review large attachments on iPhone

When you send and receive images, gifs, or other media through messages those create attachments that can take up a lot of memory. iOS 12 gives you the option to review them all in one convenient place.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap General.

  3. Tap iPhone Storage.

    Launch Settings, tap General, and then tap iPhone Storage.

  4. Tap Messages. You may need to scroll down the page to see it.

  5. Tap Review Large Attachments

    Tap Messages and then tap Review Large Attachments.

From here you'll be able to see every attachment you have in your messages and will be able to delete them.

How to review and delete personal videos in iOS 13

If you have any videos you've taken with the camera on your iPhone they may be taking up You can review all your videos on your iPhone in the storage settings and even delete them if you want!

  1. Launch Setting from your Home screen.
  2. Tap General.
  3. Tap iPhone Storage.

  4. Tap ** Show All**.

    Launch Settings, tap General, Tap iPhone Storage, and then tap Show All.

  5. Tap Review Personal Videos.

  6. Tap the video you want to delete.

    Tap Review Personal Videos and then tap the video you want to delete.

  7. Tap the garbage can.

  8. Tap Delete From This iPhone.

    Tap the garbage can and then tap delete from this iPhone.

Any questions?

Let us know in the comments below.

Updated July 2019: Updated for iOS 12 and iOS 13 beta.

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