{"id":49141,"date":"2023-12-01T01:26:26","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T01:26:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/?p=49141"},"modified":"2025-02-27T13:29:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T13:29:07","slug":"how-to-clean-junk-files-on-your-iphone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cleverfiles.com\/howto\/clean-junk-files-iphone.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Clean Junk Files on Your iPhone"},"content":{"rendered":"

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but when it comes to junk files on iPhone, there’s nothing attractive or enticing about them. They take up both storage and system space that you may need for more important items. Let’s look at what these files consist of and walk through several methods to clean junk files on iPhone.<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>Identify Junk Files on Your iPhone<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

What exactly are junk files on iPhone? The items listed below are normally considered “junk.” Take a look at each item and its description to decide if it’s something you can remove.<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Photos and videos<\/td>\r\nDuplicate or similar photos and videos along with those you no longer need take up space. Fortunately, you can quickly clean these up using a third-party tool like the Clever Cleaner app<\/a> ✅ or the built-in Duplicates feature in Photos<\/a>, which helps you merge duplicate photos while keeping the highest quality versions.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
App cache<\/td>\r\nApps like social networks and media streaming services store temporary files to load quicker and retrieve items faster. You can clear your caches by either restarting your iPhone<\/a> or manually through each app’s settings<\/a>.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Messages and attachments<\/td>\r\nOld text messages and large message attachments you don’t need can needlessly consume space. Review and remove these through your iPhone Storage settings<\/a>, where you can easily manage large attachments and set automatic message deletion timeframes.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Downloaded files<\/td>\r\nFiles you’ve downloaded and either already used or saved elsewhere can often be safely removed using the Files app<\/a> or your preferred file manager.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Browser cache<\/td>\r\nSimilar to app cache, web browsers like Safari, Chrome, and Firefox store caches for the websites you visit. You can easily access Safari’s cache clearing through Settings<\/a>, or use each browser’s built-in options like Chrome’s Clear Browsing Data feature.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Unused apps<\/td>\r\nApps from Apple or third parties that you don’t need or have stopped using take up unnecessary space. Either delete them completely<\/a> or use the Offloading feature<\/a> to keep your data while removing the app itself.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Duplicate Contacts<\/td>\r\nWhile they don’t take up a significant amount of space individually, duplicate contacts can become annoying, so you should use your iPhone’s built-in duplicate detection feature<\/a> to merge and clean up your contact list.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

<\/div>\r\n

To check your storage settings and see what consumes the most space, open the Settings<\/b> app, choose General<\/b>, and select iPhone Storage<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n

View the graph at the top for a summary of used and available storage, the list of apps sorted by size, and the exact amount of System Data usage at the bottom. System Data includes items like caches, logs, and other resources.<\/p>\r\n

\"iPhone<\/p>\r\n

<\/span>Methods to Clean Junk Files Manually<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

Once you take a peek at your device storage, it’s time to clear the junk from your iPhone. If you’re ready to make room for the items you really need, here are several methods for de-junking your device.<\/p>\r\n

💡 Pro Tip<\/b>: Before you use any of the methods listed below, consider backing up your device<\/a>. This allows you to restore items<\/a> you may remove accidentally.<\/div>\r\n

<\/span>Method 1:<\/span> Restart Your iPhone<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n

When you restart your iPhone, this removes the temporary files, or caches, that consume system storage. While the system data refills as caches are created and resources are needed, and your system normally takes care of temporary files itself, you can manually free up a bit of space temporarily.<\/p>\r\n

Restart your iPhone using the steps below depending on your device model:<\/p>\r\n