It\u2019s not really true that your iPhone storage is going up \u201cfor no reason.\u201d Aside from obvious sources (like taking photos or downloading apps), iOS generates many different types of data while you use your device.<\/p>\r\n
If you haven\u2019t cleaned up your iPhone for some time, keeping track of them all just off the top of your head is impossible. So we prepared a complete list of the different types of files you\u2019ll find on your iPhone and where they come from, which should give you a better idea of how to approach cleaning your device.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Photo library:<\/b> iPhone photos and videos are huge storage consumers; a single 4K video can easily \u201ccost\u201d a few gigabytes. Your photos can also add up to hundreds of megabytes over a short period, especially with advanced camera features and high-resolution settings.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Downloads & attachments:<\/b> Files that you download from the internet or receive as attachments through messages and AirDrop transfers (including photos and videos) get saved in the Files app and stored locally on your device until you manually delete them.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Temporary files & caches:<\/b> Your iPhone\u2019s operating system, as well as any apps you use, generate temporary data for some of their processes. This data can include large files, and it doesn\u2019t always get cleared automatically (or it takes too long for iOS to clear it).<\/li>\r\n\t
- App data:<\/b> Aside from temporary files, apps themselves cost a lot of storage space. Aside from installation files, some apps let you download content to your local storage. System files: The operating system itself tends to increase in size with every update; it\u2019s made up of files that your iPhone requires to run.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
You can find out what type of data takes up the most storage space on your iPhone by checking the iPhone Storage page<\/a> (Settings app > General > iPhone Storage). The colorful bar at the top shows you whether you need to clean up your photos, messages, apps, downloads, or System Data<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n
![\"iPhone](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/iOS-iPhone-Storage-482x500.png\")
<\/p>\r\n<\/span>How to Deal With iPhone Storage That Keeps Filling Up<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
In this section, we\u2019ll cover 10 different ways to free up space on your iPhone<\/a> and prevent it from getting full (where you\u2019ll start encountering bugs). We start with the methods that are both convenient and make the most impact on storage, so we recommend moving your way down until you\u2019re satisfied with the results.<\/p>\r\n
💡 You don\u2019t have to use every method on this list, and you can use the storage bar in the iPhone Storage page to help you prioritize cleanup areas more efficiently.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>Method 1:<\/span> Empty Recently Deleted in Photos<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Before trying any cleanup methods, make sure you\u2019ve emptied the Recently Deleted album in the native Photos app. This is where iOS keeps all deleted photos and videos for 30 days before permanently deleting them, which is why it can feel like your iPhone keeps filling up storage even after cleaning your library.<\/p>\r\n
⚠️ Once you empty the Recently Deleted album, recovering your deleted photos<\/a> becomes a lot harder<\/b>. So make sure you don\u2019t accidentally perma-delete anything important.<\/div>\r\n- \r\n\t
- Open the Photos app.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Navigate to the Collections page, then scroll down to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In the top right corner of the screen, tap Select<\/b>.
![\"Recently](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Photos-Recently-Deleted-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Tap the photos you want to permanently delete. Then, tap the menu button<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In the pop-up that appears, select Delete<\/b>. Make sure to confirm when prompted.
![\"Confirmation](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/iOS-Photos-Permanently-Delete-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method 2:<\/span> Remove Large Videos and Similar Photos<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
iPhone photos and videos consume massive amounts of storage (e.g., a single 4K video can instantly cost you a few gigabytes)\u2013so cleaning up your library is step 1. We recommend starting with duplicate photos and old, large videos, so you can free up a lot of storage space without losing anything important.<\/p>\r\n
The native Photos app has several tools that can help, like the Duplicates album<\/a>, but we found that using a third-party app is faster and more effective. For example, we\u2019re featuring an app called Clever Cleaner<\/a>, which has a feature called Similars<\/b>; it can detect duplicate and similar images in your library, while the native app only recognizes exact duplicates.<\/p>\r\n
The app also has a powerful cleaning feature for Video<\/b>; it can sort them by size and lets you compress your videos instead of deleting them (both features that iOS Photos lacks). But if you really need to free up a LOT of space fast, you can also use the Smart cleanup<\/b> tool, which instantly eliminates different types of clutter at once\u2013we\u2019ll show you a quick demo.<\/p>\r\n
💡 Clever Cleaner has a super generous free version, so anyone can follow this guide. You can pretty much use all of its features for free to clear several gigabytes per day\u2013if you hit the daily limit, you can just resume the next day.<\/div>\r\n- \r\n\t
- Download Clever Cleaner: AI CleanUp App<\/a> from the App Store.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Run Clever Cleaner. At the very top of the app\u2019s main page, tap Smart cleanup<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Select Remove \u2018Similars\u2019<\/b>, Convert<\/b> \u2018Lives\u2019<\/b>, and Compress \u2018Screenshots\u2019<\/b>. Then, tap Clean up now<\/b>.
![\"Using](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Clever-Cleaner-Smart-Clean-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Wait for Clever Cleaner to finish processing your photos.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Finally, tap Delete<\/b> or Delete For All Participants<\/b> in the pop-up dialog box to confirm the action.
![\"Confirming](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Clever-Cleaner-Delete-Confirmation-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nOnce you\u2019re done cleaning up your similar\/duplicate photos and large videos, keep going! If you have a huge library, Clever Cleaner can make a huge dent in your storage. It can help you delete and even compress screenshots, as well as convert Live Photos.<\/p>\r\n
The app also has other useful features to help keep your library organized (which can also improve storage management), like the ability to Favorite your photos and skip photos and videos you don\u2019t want to include in the cleanup, which you can view in the Settings page.<\/p>\r\n
And thanks to the app\u2019s generous limits, most users will never need a subscription. The Swipe feature\u2013which lets you use swipe gestures to clean your library\u2013is completely free for everyone. You only need to close the Pro banner once while using it (there are no other ads or pop-ups, even in the free version).<\/p>\r\n
⚠️ Don\u2019t forget to delete your photos and videos again from the Recently Deleted album in the Photos app (which we covered in Method 1<\/a>).<\/div>\r\n<\/span>Method 3:<\/span> Review and Delete Large Message Attachments<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Messages are one of the biggest \u201csilent killers\u201d of storage space on iPhones. With a 100 MB file size limit and enough talkative contacts, you can accumulate gigabytes’ worth of photos, videos, GIFs, and voice notes in just a few weeks. Here\u2019s the fastest way to clean them up:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Open the Settings app.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap General<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap iPhone Storage<\/b>. Then, scroll down to the list of apps and select Messages<\/b> (you can use the search bar at the bottom to locate it faster).<\/li>\r\n\t
- Select the Top Conversations<\/b> you want to review.
![\"Viewing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Messages-Attachments-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Tap Edit<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Select the attachments you want to delete. Then, tap the trash button 🗑️<\/b>.
![\"Deleting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Delete-Message-Attachments-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n💡 Alternatively, you can also delete attachments from specific conversations. Open the Messages app > open any conversation > tap your contact\u2019s icon > select Photos from the menu. A gallery of all the attachments sent between you and that contact should appear, where you can delete photos and videos individually.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>Method 4:<\/span> Clear App Caches Where Possible<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Certain apps can store a surprising amount of temporary data in their cache. The best examples are messenger and social apps, which can save hundreds of thumbnails, gifts, and other small files that add up over time.<\/p>\r\n
Unfortunately, even though many users have tried to look for one<\/a>, a universal \u201cclear all app cache data\u201d doesn\u2019t exist in iOS. However, some apps have this feature built in. We\u2019ll show you what Telegram\u2019s cache management tool looks like, so you can try looking for it in other apps.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Open the Telegram app or any app you want to clean up.<\/li>\r\n\t
- From the bottom menu, tap Settings<\/b>. Then, scroll down the menu and select Data and Storage<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Select Storage Usage<\/b>.
![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Telegram-Storage-Settings-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Tap the Clear Entire Cache<\/b> button.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Finally, tap Clear Entire Cache<\/b> again in the pop-up dialog to confirm the action.
![\"Clearing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/iOS-Telegram-Clear-Cache-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method 5:<\/span> Reinstall Apps With Bloated Data<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
While Telegram has a handy clear cache button, many apps unfortunately don\u2019t. In this case, the most practical solution is to reinstall the bloated app, which instantly clears cache files, temporary downloads, previews, old media, and other \u201cDocuments & Data\u201d that iOS may not remove on its own.<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Locate the app you want to delete on your home screen or App Library.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap and hold the app\u2019s icon until a menu appears. Then, tap Remove App<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In the pop-up that appears, tap Delete App<\/b> to confirm the action.
![\"Uninstalling](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/iOS-Home-Uninstall-App-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Once your app is uninstalled, reinstall it from the App Store. You can search for it by name or via Apps & Purchases. To review the latter, tap your Apple Account icon in the top right corner of the screen.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In your Apple Account page, tap Apps & Purchase History<\/b>.
![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/App-Store-Purchase-History-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Tap Your Apps<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Finally, open the Not on this iPhone<\/b> page and tap the download button<\/b> \u200b\u200b☁️ beside the app you want to redownload.
![\"Redownloading](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/App-Store-Redownload-Apps-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n⚠️ If the app stores any important data, make sure that your files are backed up or synced to the app\u2019s cloud server. Offloading the app won\u2019t help as an alternative, as that feature retains the app\u2019s documents and data. Deleting an app removes the app together with its stored data.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>Method 6:<\/span> Remove Offline Downloads From Streaming Apps<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Media streaming apps, like Netflix, Apple Music, and Disney+, often have a feature called \u201coffline downloads.\u201d It lets you store media locally on your device (which you still access through the app), so you can view them even without an internet connection. Some apps even do this automatically (e.g., Netflix\u2019s Smart Downloads).<\/p>\r\n
One downloaded HD movie can \u201ccost\u201d gigabytes of storage space\u2013even downloaded songs can quietly add up. If you don\u2019t need offline access to your media, this feature is a huge waste of storage. We\u2019ll show you how to delete downloads in the Music app, but the steps should look the same in most media streaming platforms.<\/p>\r\n
💡 To use this method more efficiently, you can view your apps in the iPhone Storage page (Settings app > General > iPhone Storage). Here, you can sort all your apps by size and determine which of them take up a lot of storage space.<\/div>\r\n- \r\n\t
- Open the Music app or any app you want to clean up.<\/li>\r\n\t
- From the bottom menu, select Library<\/b>. Then, tap Downloaded<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap Songs<\/b>.
![\"Viewing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/iOS-Music-Downloaded-Songs-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Tap the menu button<\/b> beside the song you want to remove from your downloads.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In the menu that appears, tap Remove Download<\/b>.
![\"Removing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/iOS-Music-Remove-Downloaded-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nDon\u2019t worry! Deleting offline downloads doesn\u2019t remove any saved playlists or delete content from your library; it only removes the local copy of the media from your iPhone.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>Method 7:<\/span> Clear Safari Website Data<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Website data is another quiet storage killer; you can\u2019t control how it gets generated, and it relies on system intervention to clean it automatically. This data can include resource-heavy assets, like large images or even video clips from recently visited websites.<\/p>\r\n
iOS can typically keep website data in check, but garbage cleaning can sometimes be delayed, and you may want to reclaim the storage manually. We\u2019ll show you how to do it for Safari.<\/p>\r\n
💡 If you don\u2019t mind losing your browsing history, clearing it is also a faster way to delete website data. Open Safari > tap the menu button > tap the history button > tap the menu button > tap Clear. You can check Apple\u2019s official guide<\/a> for a visual reference.<\/div>\r\n- \r\n\t
- Open the Settings app.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Apps<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Locate and select Safari<\/b>.
![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/iOS-Settings-Apps-Safari-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap Advanced<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap Website Data<\/b>.
![\"Finding](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Safari-Website-Data-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Remove All Website Data<\/b>. Alternatively, you can tap Edit<\/b> and choose the website data you want to delete.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Finally, tap Remove Now<\/b> in the pop-up window to confirm the action.
![\"Removing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Safari-Remove-Website-Data-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThird-party browsers, like Google Chrome or Firefox, also provide cache management features, but you\u2019ll usually find them in the in-app settings page.<\/div>\r\n<\/span>Method 8:<\/span> Clean Up the Files App<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Whenever you download files through Safari, Mail, Messages, and even AirDrop, they remain on your device after you view them (and continue to take up storage space). Fortunately, you can find most of your downloads in the Files app, where you can conveniently review and delete them:<\/p>\r\n
- \r\n\t
- Open the Files app.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Navigate to the main Browse<\/b> menu. Then, if you have iCloud enabled for Files, tap iCloud Drive<\/b>. If you don\u2019t, tap On My iPhone<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Open the Downloads<\/b> folder (or whatever folder you want to review).
![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Files-App-Downloads-Folder-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Tap the menu button<\/b> in the top right corner of the screen.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap Select<\/b>.
![\"Selecting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Files-Downloads-Select-Files-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select the files you want to delete. Then, tap the trash button<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Finally, return to the main Browse<\/b> menu (step 2) and select Recently Deleted<\/b>. Delete your files again from this folder to permanently remove them from your iPhone.
![\"Removing](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FIles-App-Recently-Deleted-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method 9:<\/span> Delete Old Voice Memos and Podcasts<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
Even though voice memos and podcasts \u201ccost\u201d less storage than videos (because they\u2019re only audio files), they can quietly take up more and more space on your iPhone\u2013especially files with long durations. Here\u2019s how to clean them up:<\/p>\r\n
Deleting episodes in the Podcasts app is similar to removing downloads from the Music app (Method 6<\/a>); navigate to your Library > Downloaded, then remove your downloads.<\/div>\r\n- \r\n\t
- Open the Voice Memos app, which should open the All Recordings page. If it opens the main Voice Memos page, tap All Recordings<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In the top right corner of the screen, tap Select<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Select the recordings you want to delete and tap the trash button<\/b> 🗑️. Then, tap the back button <<\/b> to navigate to the main menu.
![\"Selecting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Voice-Memos-Select-Files-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Select Recently Deleted<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap Select<\/b> in the top right corner of the screen. Then, tap the recordings you want to remove and tap Delete<\/b>.
![\"Deleting](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Voice-Memos-Delete-Files-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>Method 10:<\/span> Factory Reset Your Phone<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\r\n
If you\u2019ve tried every other method in this guide, and your iPhone storage still appears full or doesn\u2019t match how much data is actually stored on the device, you might be experiencing a bug. Based on experimenting on our own devices, as well as researching other user stories<\/a>, we found that the most effective solution in this scenario is performing a factory reset.<\/p>\r\n
Resetting your iPhone wipes everything on your device and installs a fresh instance of iOS, which completely eliminates the bug.<\/p>\r\n
⚠️ This method will erase all local data from your iPhone. Only use it if the other fixes in this guide don\u2019t work, and make sure to back up important files or migrate your data first (like transferring your photos from your iPhone to your Mac<\/a>).<\/div>\r\n- \r\n\t
- Open the Settings app.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Tap General<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Scroll down to the bottom of the General page, and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone<\/b>.
![\"Finding](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Reset-iPhone-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t- Tap Erase All Content and Settings<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Review the data to be deleted, then tap Continue<\/b>. Proceed with the wizard\u2019s instructions.
![\"Erase](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Erase-Content-Settings-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/span>How to Stop iPhone Storage From Filling Up Again<\/span><\/h2>\r\n
After cleaning up your iPhone with the methods we just covered, we strongly recommend going one step further into maintenance and prevention\u2013otherwise, it won\u2019t take long before you\u2019re back here again.<\/p>\r\n
In this section, we\u2019ll cover a few optimization tweaks to your device settings, as well as a simple way to keep your storage space in check as you use it.<\/p>\r\n
<\/span>Turn On Optimize iPhone Storage for Photos<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
If you have a big photo library, using iCloud\u2019s storage optimization feature can help you instantly reclaim gigabytes of local storage space. Once activated, iOS automatically starts uploading the high-resolution copies of your photos and videos to Apple\u2019s servers. Then, only lower-resolution copies\u2013which are much smaller in file size\u2013are stored locally on your iPhone.<\/p>\r\n
💡 Don\u2019t worry! iOS automatically downloads the high-resolution versions of your media whenever you try to view them (as long as you have a stable network connection).<\/div>\r\n - Scroll down to the bottom of the General page, and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone<\/b>.
- In the top right corner of the screen, tap Select<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Open the Downloads<\/b> folder (or whatever folder you want to review).
- Locate and select Safari<\/b>.
- Tap Songs<\/b>.
- In the pop-up that appears, tap Delete App<\/b> to confirm the action.
- Select Storage Usage<\/b>.
- Tap iPhone Storage<\/b>. Then, scroll down to the list of apps and select Messages<\/b> (you can use the search bar at the bottom to locate it faster).<\/li>\r\n\t
- Run Clever Cleaner. At the very top of the app\u2019s main page, tap Smart cleanup<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In the top right corner of the screen, tap Select<\/b>.
- Downloads & attachments:<\/b> Files that you download from the internet or receive as attachments through messages and AirDrop transfers (including photos and videos) get saved in the Files app and stored locally on your device until you manually delete them.<\/li>\r\n\t
![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Apple-ID-Menu-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Enabling](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-iCloud-Photos-Optimization-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n![\"Opening](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Apps-Messages-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n\t![\"Using](\"\/howto\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Settings-Keep-Messages-Duration-482x500.png\")
<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n