Phones · Repair guide

How to fix iPhone storage full

Error messageStorage Almost Full

8 fixes, easiest first4 min readUpdated November 2026

Quick fix

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see what's using space, then follow the recommendations there, such as turning on Optimize iPhone Storage for photos and offloading apps you don't use.

What it means

The Storage Almost Full alert means the iPhone's own built-in storage is nearly used up, so it may not be able to take photos, install updates or download apps. It is about the space on the phone itself, which is separate from iCloud storage. Photos, videos, message attachments and large apps are usually the biggest users.

Common causes

  • Large photo and video libraries kept in full resolution on the phone
  • Old message threads with photos, videos and attachments
  • Apps and games you no longer use, and their downloads
  • Deleted photos and messages still held in Recently Deleted for up to 30 days
  • Downloaded music, podcasts, shows and offline maps
  • Temporary files and system data that iOS usually clears on its own

How to fix it

Work down the list. Each fix is safe to try before moving on to the next.

01See what's taking up spaceEasy

  1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
  2. Wait a moment for the colored bar at the top to load. It shows how much space is used and by what.
  3. Scroll down to the list of apps, which is sorted by size, biggest first.
  4. Tap any app to see how much space the app itself uses and how much its documents and data use.

Why it helps: Knowing the biggest space users tells you where to clean up first instead of deleting things at random.

02Use the built-in recommendationsEasy

  1. In Settings > General > iPhone Storage, look at the recommendations under the storage bar.
  2. Tap Show All to see every suggestion.
  3. Tap Enable to turn on a suggestion, or tap a suggestion to review what it would delete before deciding.

Why it helps: The iPhone suggests the cleanups that will free the most space for the way you use it.

03Turn on iCloud Photos with Optimize iPhone StorageEasy

  1. Go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, then tap Photos.
  2. Turn on Sync this iPhone.
  3. In iOS 27 or later, tap iPhone Storage on that screen.
  4. Make sure Optimize iPhone Storage is selected. Full-size photos and videos stay in iCloud and smaller copies stay on the phone.
  5. Every Apple Account gets 5 GB of free iCloud storage. A large library may need a paid iCloud+ plan, or you can copy photos to a computer instead (see below).
  6. Let the iPhone upload on Wi-Fi while plugged in. Space frees up gradually after uploading finishes.

Why it helps: Photos and videos are usually the largest thing on an iPhone, and this keeps the full versions in iCloud instead.

04Empty Recently Deleted in PhotosEasy

  1. Open the Photos app, tap Collections at the bottom if you see it, then scroll down to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted.
  2. Tap View Album and unlock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
  3. Check there is nothing you want to keep. Anything deleted from here cannot be recovered.
  4. Tap Select and choose the items, tap the More button (three dots), then tap Delete or Delete All and confirm.
  5. Deleted photos otherwise stay here, still using space, for 30 days.

Why it helps: Deleting a photo only moves it to Recently Deleted, so the space isn't freed until it is emptied or 30 days pass.

05Offload apps you don't useEasy

  1. To offload one app: in Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap the app, then tap Offload App. This removes the app but keeps its documents and data.
  2. To delete an app and its data completely, tap Delete App instead.
  3. To let the iPhone do this automatically, look for the Offload Unused Apps recommendation in Settings > General > iPhone Storage and tap Enable.
  4. An offloaded app keeps its icon with a small cloud symbol. Tap it to download it again with your data intact.

Why it helps: Offloading frees the space an app takes up without losing your saved data, logins or documents in it.

06Clear out old messages and attachmentsEasy

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages, scroll to Message History and tap Keep Messages.
  2. Choose 30 Days or 1 Year. Conversations older than that, including their photos and attachments, are deleted automatically.
  3. To remove attachments by hand, open a conversation in Messages, tap the name or picture at the top, tap a category such as Photos, tap Edit, then Select, choose items and tap the delete button.
  4. Deleted messages stay in the Messages app's Recently Deleted for up to 30 days. To clear them sooner, tap the Filter menu in Messages, tap Recently Deleted, select the conversations and tap Delete. This can't be undone.
  5. If you use Messages in iCloud, deleting a message removes it from all your devices.

Why it helps: Years of photos and videos sent in texts can quietly fill several gigabytes.

07Remove downloaded videos, music and podcastsEasy

  1. In Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap streaming, music and podcast apps near the top of the list to see how much downloaded content they hold.
  2. Open those apps and delete downloaded episodes, shows, playlists or offline maps you have already watched or no longer need.
  3. Delete long videos in the Photos app that you have already backed up or no longer want, then empty Recently Deleted.
  4. You can download things again later when you need them.

Why it helps: Downloaded shows, music and long videos are large files that are easy to forget about.

08Copy photos and videos to a computer, then delete them from the iPhoneMedium

  1. Use this if you don't use iCloud Photos.
  2. Mac: connect the iPhone with a cable, open the Photos app and choose Import All New Items. Windows: install the Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store, connect the iPhone and import with the Microsoft Photos app.
  3. Unlock the iPhone and tap Trust or Allow if it asks.
  4. Open the copied photos on the computer and check they are all there and open properly.
  5. Only then delete them from the iPhone, and empty Recently Deleted.
  6. Keep a second copy, such as on an external drive, before deleting anything you can't replace.

Why it helps: Moving your library to a computer frees the most space without paying for cloud storage.

Check it's fixed

  • Settings > General > iPhone Storage shows more free space at the top.
  • The Storage Almost Full alert stops appearing.
  • You can take photos, install apps and download software updates again.

When to get help

If storage still shows almost full after removing large items and restarting, or a huge 'System Data' figure won't go down, contact Apple Support before erasing anything. Do not erase the iPhone to free space without a complete backup.

Questions

Why does my iPhone say storage is full when I have iCloud storage?

iCloud storage and iPhone storage are separate. The alert is about the space on the phone itself, so turning on Optimize iPhone Storage or removing things from the phone is what fixes it.

I deleted lots of photos but storage didn't go down. Why?

Deleted photos stay in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days. Empty Recently Deleted in the Photos app, then wait a few minutes for the storage figure to update.

Does offloading an app delete my data?

No. Offloading removes the app itself but keeps its documents and data, and the app comes back with your data when you reinstall it. Delete App removes the data too.

Should I use a cleaner app to free up space?

No. The tools built into Settings > General > iPhone Storage do the job, and the iPhone clears temporary files on its own when space runs low.

Related fixes

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