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iPhone Storage Full: How to Free Up Space

Short answer: When iPhone storage is full, apps crash and photos won't save. iOS includes tools to find what is using space.

TL;DR: quick fix

Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see a breakdown and Apple's recommendations.
Turn on Offload Unused Apps.
Delete large videos, then empty Photos > Recently Deleted (items stay there for up to 30 days).

Is iPhone down?

Before you change settings, check Apple System Status. If there's an outage, wait it out.

How to fix it: step by step

Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see a breakdown and Apple's recommendations.
Turn on Offload Unused Apps. It removes apps you rarely use but keeps their data.
Delete large videos, then empty Photos > Recently Deleted (items stay there for up to 30 days).
In Messages, set Keep Messages to 1 Year or 30 Days if you don't need old attachments.
Turn on iCloud Photos with "Optimize iPhone Storage" to keep smaller copies on the device.

FAQ

What is "System Data"?

Caches, logs, and other temporary files iOS manages. It often shrinks after a restart or update.

More iPhone fixes

Last checked Oct 2026 against the official help page: Apple Support. Menus can differ by app version; follow the official page if a step doesn't match.