As the world becomes more digitized, iPhones have become an essential part of our daily lives. We use our iPhones to communicate, work, entertain ourselves, store and share pictures, videos, music, and much more. However, it’s quite frustrating when your iPhone notifies you of insufficient storage. Every iPhone has a limited amount of storage capacity, and it is often challenging to manage your storage effectively. If you want to keep your iPhone running quickly and smoothly, you need to clear some space on it, and this article will show you exactly how to do it.
Video Tutorial:
Why You Need to Clear Up System Storage on iPhone
iPhones come with several storage options, ranging from 16GB to 512GB. However, even with Apple’s cloud storage service, there is always a limit to how much storage you can use. It’s also essential to remember that when your iPhone’s storage is full, the device’s performance can slow down and become less responsive. You may also experience lags while using apps, issues saving photos or videos, and even installation errors due to insufficient space.
Knowing how to clear up the system storage on your iPhone is one way to get your device back to its initial speed and optimize performance. You may also free up some space for additional media files, photos, or apps.
Method 1: Offload Apps
iOS 11 introduced a new feature called "Offload Unused Apps" that allows you to free up storage space quickly. This option deletes the app from your phone but keeps its documents and data on your device. You can always reinstall the app and continue from where you left off. Here’s how:
Steps:
1. Tap the "Settings" icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Scroll down and select "General."
3. Select "iPhone Storage."
4. A list of apps will appear, indicating the amount of space each app takes up.
5. Tap on the app you want to offload, then select "Offload App," and a pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation.
6. Confirm the delete action by tapping "Offload App."
Pros:
– The offloaded app’s data and settings will remain intact.
– The app icon will have a small cloud download icon on it, indicating it can be downloaded at any time.
Cons:
– If you offload an app with no updates, it may not be restored later.
– All app data will be lost if you delete the app entirely.
Method 2: Delete Media Files
Another way to free up space is by deleting media files. This can be in the form of photos, videos, music, and podcasts. You can manually delete individual files or select more than one file and delete them simultaneously.
Steps:
1. Tap the "Photos" app on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Select the photo(s) or video(s) you want to delete by tapping on them.
3. Then tap on the trash can icon located on the bottom right corner of the screen.
4. Select "Delete Photo/Photos" to confirm.
5. To delete music or podcasts, open the "Music" app, press and hold the item you want to delete, and then select "Delete from Library."
Pros:
– You can reclaim a significant amount of storage space by deleting media files.
Cons:
– Important files may be deleted accidentally, so it’s essential to be careful while performing this method.
– You may lose files that cannot be retrieved later, such as photos and videos of cherished memories.
Method 3: Manage iCloud Usage
If you’re using iCloud, managing its usage can save you a lot of storage space. You can activate the iCloud Photo Library, which stores all your photos and videos on iCloud, freeing up space on your iPhone. You can also use iCloud Drive to store your files, data, and documents.
Steps:
1. Tap the "Settings" icon on your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Tap on your name or picture at the top of the screen to open your Apple ID settings.
3. Tap "iCloud."
4. Select the type of data you want to manage, such as "Photos," "Mail," or "Messages."
5. From there, delete the data you no longer need.
6. To enable or disable automatic backup, go to "iCloud Backup."
Pros:
– You can access your files from anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection.
– iCloud storage space is expandable, ranging from 5GB to 2TB.
Cons:
– Once you exceed the free 5GB storage space, you have to pay for additional storage.
– Access to some iCloud features may require you to sign up for a subscription.
What to Do If You Can’t Clear Up System Storage on iPhone
Some iOS users may find it challenging to manage storage effectively, despite using all the methods mentioned above. In such cases, you can try the following alternative fixes:
– Restart your iPhone: This clears the RAM and temporarily improves performance.
– Reset and restore your iPhone: You can erase all the data on your device and restore it from a backup to fix performance issues.
– Erase all content and settings: This option can be used if you want to return your iPhone to its default settings. Before attempting this method, make sure to back up all vital data.
Bonus Tip: Clear App Cache Files
Some apps generate a lot of cache files that consume a significant amount of storage space. Clearing these files can free up space and improve device performance.
Steps:
1. Go to "Settings," select "General," and then choose "iPhone Storage."
2. Select the app for which you want to clear cache data.
3. Tap "Offload App" to keep app data and documents or "Delete App" to remove all data associated with the app, including cache files.
4. Reinstall the app to clear any remaining cache files.
Pros:
– Clearing cache files can reduce clutter and free up space.
– It can also improve performance and speed when using problematic apps.
Cons:
– Clearing cache files may require you to sign in to some apps afterward.
– Some essential data may be lost or inaccessible.
5 FAQs
Q1: Why is my iPhone’s storage full, even after I deleted some files?
A: Your iPhone may still store cached data, log files, and app debris that can take up space. Try restarting your phone to flush out some of this data, or use a third-party app designed to clear cache and junk files.
Q2: Will my iPhone reset if I erase all content and settings?
A: Erasing all content and settings will restore your iPhone to its default settings, but it will not reset your device entirely. After the process is complete, your phone will no longer have any user data, apps, or settings.
Q3: What is the difference between "Offloading" and "Deleting" an app?
A: Deleting an app will remove it entirely from your device, including all of its data and documents. Offloading an app only removes the app, leaving all of its data and documents on your device, allowing you to reinstall the app later.
Q4: How do I enable iCloud backup?
A: Go to Settings, tap on your name, select "iCloud," "iCloud Backup," and toggle the switch to enable automatic backup.
Q5: Can I recover lost data after deleting it?
A: It depends on how the data was deleted. If you deleted the data manually, you may be able to recover it using a third-party data-recovery software. If the data was overwritten or deleted during an iOS update or restore process, the data may be permanently lost.
Final Thoughts
Clearing up system storage on your iPhone can be a simple task or a complex process depending on the scope of the issue. However, with the help of the methods outlined in this article, you can effectively free up space on your device, optimize its performance, and keep your iPhone running smoothly. It’s essential to perform these actions periodically to prevent the accumulation of unnecessary data and keep your iPhone working like new.