Storage is a desirable feature on any iPhone and if you have found yourself living without much of it, your user experience suffers. A lack of storage can result in a lack of ability to use your phone the way you’d like and will limit you in terms of the files you can save, photos and videos you can take, and apps you can download. “iPhones come with a limited amount of storage, and as you add files, photos, and apps, it can quickly fill up,” says Tech Expert Rick Costa at Houselectric.com. “Luckily, there are several hacks that you can use to free up storage on your iPhone.”
Here are Costa’s top tips for freeing up storage.
Delete Unused Apps
The first and easiest way to free up storage on your iPhone is to delete any apps that you no longer use, according to Costa. “While it’s easy to forget about an app right after you download it, it’s important to keep track of what you have on your phone and delete any apps that you don’t need,” he said.
Clear Your Cache
“Your iPhone stores small pieces of data from apps in a cache,” Costa said. “This cache can take up a large amount of storage, and it’s a good idea to periodically clear it out. To do this, go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Safari.’ At the bottom of the page, tap ‘Clear History and Website Data.’”
Update iOS
If you haven’t updated iOS in a while, Costa urges you to do so. “As Apple releases new versions of iOS, they often remove features that are no longer needed, which can help free up storage space,” Costa said. “To update your iOS, go to ‘Settings,’ ‘General,’ and then ‘Software Update.’”
Offload Unused Apps
Take inventory of the apps you have and the ones you actually use and make some difficult decisions for the sake of your storage. “If you’re using apps that you don’t use very often, you can offload them to free up storage space,” Costa said. “To do this, go to “Settings” and then “General”. Tap “iPhone Storage” and look for apps that you don’t use frequently. Tap the app and then choose ‘Offload App.’”
Transfer Photos to iCloud
“If you have a lot of photos stored on your iPhone, you can transfer them to iCloud to free up space,” Costa said. “To do this, go to “Settings”, “Photos”, and then “iCloud Photos”. Tap “Download and Keep Originals” and then select “Optimize iPhone Storage.”
If you’re having issues with your phone’s storage or want to ward off a potential future problem (and that all-annoying Storage Full pop-up) try these hacks to gain back valuable space.
