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Running out of storage on your iPhone is frustrating, especially when you’re trying to update iOS, download apps, or even capture photos and videos if the situation is really bad. iPhones don’t support expandable storage, so you’ll need to get creative, and maybe a bit cutthroat, if you want to free up space.
The good news is that there are several effective ways to increase the available storage on your device without deleting everything. Here’s how to make the most of the iPhone storage you already have, and when it might be time to consider other options.
More iPhone help: How to turn on AirDrop
What Does “iPhone Storage” Really Mean?
When we talk about iPhone storage, we’re referring to the internal space used to store apps, system files, media, messages, and other data. iPhones don’t allow microSD cards, so whatever storage you bought the phone with is all you’ve got.
That’s why storage management is important, especially on 64GB or 128GB models where you don’t have mountains of space to play with. Often, storage is mainly taken up by large apps and photos/videos taken on your phone.
Step 1: Check What’s Using Up Space
Before deleting anything, see where your storage is going:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Select iPhone Storage.
You’ll see a colour-coded bar and a list of apps and services ranked by how much space they’re using. Apple may suggest actions like:
- Offload Unused Apps: This removes Apps you haven’t used recently from your phone.
- Review Large Attachments: This allows you to view and delete chunky files downloaded to your device received via messages.
- Clear Safari Cache: This clears the browsing data from Safari.
These are quick wins if you’re low on space, but don’t typically free up tens of GBs of space.
Step 2: Delete Unused Apps
Apps, especially games and media-heavy apps, can quickly eat up space.
To delete them:
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Tap any app, then select Delete App.
Or, from the Home Screen:
- Tap and hold the app icon.
- Tap Remove App > Delete App.
If you want to keep your app data, choose Offload App instead. This removes the app but preserves your documents and settings, so if you redownload it in future, you can pick up from where you left off.
Step 3: Clear Safari Cache
Safari stores cached files to help websites load faster, but these can build up.
To clear it:
- Go to Settings > Apps > Safari.
- Scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.
This removes cookies, history, and cached pages—but your saved passwords and autofill info remain.
Step 4: Manage Photos and Videos
Photos and videos usually take up the most space. Start here:
Enable iCloud Photos with Optimised Storage
- Go to Settings > Apps > Photos.
- Turn on iCloud Photos.
- Choose Optimise iPhone Storage.
This keeps lower-resolution copies on your device and stores the originals in iCloud.
Remove Duplicates and Bursts
- Open the Photos app.
- Scroll down until you find the Duplicates folder.
- Manually delete burst shots or duplicate takes.
Empty the Recently Deleted Folder
- Open the Photos app and scroll down until you find the Recently Deleted folder. Open it.
- Tap Select. Then highlight all the photos you want to delete.
- Tap the three dots in the bottom right and tap Delete. Then select Delete From All Devices.
Step 5: Auto-Delete Old Messages
Old text threads with lots of media attached, like photos or videos, can silently hog space.
Change Message Retention
- Go to Settings > Apps > Messages.
- Under Message History, tap Keep Messages.
- Select 30 Days or 1 Year instead of Forever.
Obviously, selecting 30 Days or 1 Year means messages will be deleted after those periods.
Review Attachments
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Messages.
- Tap through Photos, Videos, and Documents.
- Delete anything large or unnecessary.
Step 6: Remove Offline Downloads
Streaming apps like Spotify, Netflix, and Podcasts can store gigabytes of downloaded content.
- Open each app and find your Downloaded or Offline section.
- Remove anything you no longer need.
You can also manage this from iPhone Storage by tapping the app name and reviewing downloaded files.
Step 7: Use Cloud Storage Services
If you’ve run out of iCloud storage, or don’t want to pay for more, you can use alternatives like:
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- OneDrive
Upload large files (especially videos and documents), then delete them from your iPhone. Most services have free plans with cross-platform apps. For example, any Google account gets 15GB of cloud storage for free. You could upload you photos from your iPhone to Google Photos to save on-device space.
✅ Related: What does SSD storage and unified memory do?
Step 8: Clear Trash in Mail and Notes
In Mail:
- Open the app and go to Trash or Bin.
- Tap Edit > Delete All.
In Notes:
- Open the Recently Deleted folder.
- Tap Edit, then select the notes. Tap Delete in the bottom right.
These files aren’t fully gone until you manually remove them.
Bonus Tip: Restart Your iPhone
A quick reboot can sometimes free up cached system files:
- Hold Power + Volume Down (on models with Face ID).
- Slide to power off.
- Turn the phone back on after 10 seconds.
What About External Storage?
You can’t add a microSD card to an iPhone, but you can use an external drive.
Options include:
- Lightning-based flash drives (for older iPhones)
- USB-C drives (for iPhone 15 series and later)
- Drives that support the Files app or have their own companion apps
You can use any external hard drive that can connect to your iPhone’s charging port via the right cable. We recommend the Samsung T9 SSD, which is portable and reasonably priced!
✅ Related: Find out about the best iPad accessories for more external storage info
Final Thoughts
You can’t expand your iPhone’s storage internally, but you can manage it smarter. With a few tweaks, like using cloud storage, deleting large media, and clearing cached data, you can reclaim valuable space and avoid constant “Storage Almost Full” warnings.
If you’re still running out regularly, it might be worth investing in an iPhone with more built-in storage next time or purchasing more iCloud storage space. Nobody likes that latter suggestion, but sometimes needs must.
