iPhone Storage Guide

Part 1 — Find the problem

First, let's see how much storage is left and what is using the most space.

1

Open Settings

Look for the grey gear icon on your home screen. Tap it.

2

Scroll down and tap General

It is in the middle of the Settings list.

3

Tap iPhone Storage

Wait a few seconds. You will see a coloured bar at the top and a list of apps below it.

4

Check the bar at the top

It shows how much space is used (coloured part) and how much is free (grey part). If the bar is almost full, you need to free up space. The apps using the most space are listed from largest to smallest.

What to look for: WhatsApp, Photos, and Videos are usually the biggest. Note the top 2–3 apps in the list — that tells you where to focus.

Part 2 — Clear WhatsApp storage

WhatsApp automatically saves every photo, video, and voice note people send you. These pile up quickly.

1

Open WhatsApp

Find it on your home screen and tap it.

2

Go to Settings → Storage and Data

Tap the Settings icon at the bottom right of WhatsApp. Then tap Storage and Data.

3

Tap Manage Storage

You will see how much space WhatsApp is using, and which chats are using the most. Chats with lots of photos or videos show large numbers.

4

Delete large items from big chats

Tap on any chat that shows a large size. You will see photos and videos. Tap Select, choose items you don't need, then tap the trash icon to delete. Start with videos — they take the most space.

5

Turn off automatic saving of media

Go back to Storage and Data. Under Media Auto-Download, change all three options (Mobile Data, Wi-Fi, Roaming) to No Media. This stops new photos and videos from being saved automatically.

Don't worry: Deleting media from WhatsApp storage does not delete your chats or messages. You can still see old messages. It only removes the saved photos and videos from your phone.

Part 3 — Clear photos and videos

The Photos app is often the second biggest storage user. Old videos especially take a lot of space.

1

Open the Photos app

Tap the colourful flower icon on your home screen.

2

Find and delete old videos

At the bottom, tap Albums. Scroll down to find Videos. Tap it. Long videos take the most space. Tap any video you don't need, then tap the trash icon at the bottom right.

3

Delete duplicate or blurry photos

Go to Albums and scroll down to Duplicates. If you see this option, tap it. Tap Merge on each set — it keeps the best copy and deletes the rest automatically.

4

Empty the Recently Deleted folder

Deleted photos stay in a trash bin for 30 days. Go to Albums → scroll to the bottom → tap Recently Deleted. Tap Select at the top right, then Delete All. This frees the space immediately.

Part 4 — Remove apps you don't use

Many apps take up space silently, even if you never open them.

1

Go back to Settings → General → iPhone Storage

Look at the list of apps again. Find any app you haven't opened in months.

2

Tap the app name, then tap Offload App

Offload App removes the app but keeps your data. If you ever need it again, it will come back. This is the safe choice. Delete App removes everything — only use this for apps you are sure you don't need.

Good apps to remove: Old games, apps that came pre-installed but you never use, or duplicate apps (two maps, two browsers etc.)

Final check

After finishing all the steps above, go back to Settings → General → iPhone Storage. The coloured bar should now be shorter, with more grey (free) space on the right.

If the phone is still very full, the biggest remaining step is to move old photos and videos to a computer or a family member's phone for safekeeping, and then delete them from the iPhone.

Free up space on your iPhone