iPhone Storage Almost Full? Easy Fixes to Free Up Space

*Collaborative Post

Did you notice that your iPhone storage is almost full? If you’ve never kept an eye on it, that’s not too surprising. Whether you have 128GB or 1TB, your storage can run out. But don’t worry- it’s easier to fix than you might think. In this article, you’ll learn how to get rid of that “iPhone storage almost full” notification.

How to Check Why You Have the iPhone Full Storage Problem

When an iPhone displays the message that storage is almost full, it signals that only a small slice of available space, nearly 10 percent, remains. A completely filled storage space can hinder an iPhone’s performance and make simple actions like capturing a picture or installing a new app impossible. To avoid this situation, you should manage your storage by deleting unnecessary files.

But before you start, it will be better to check your iPhone storage to see which files take up the most space. That’ll help you know where to start cleaning. Here’s how to do it:

1. Tap the ‘Settings’ icon visible on the home screen of the iPhone. 
2. Scroll further downwards and locate the ‘General’ option in the menu. 
3. Select the ‘iPhone Storage’ section. The device will briefly analyze and then reveal detailed information. 
4. A bar graph, segmented with colors, appears at the top of the screen. It visually separates space used by categories like: Apps, Photos and System Data. 
5. Underneath this graph a list shows the apps alongside their data usage. The largest space consumers are at the top, arranged by size in descending order.
6. In this way, you identify starting points for clearing space on your iPhone. Pay attention to applications and files that consume significant storage but aren’t unnecessary for everyday use.

A little warning, if you do not respond to this notification in time, your iPhone will continue to fill up with new files. This will lead to a message that your iPhone’s storage is full.

How to Clear Full Storage on Your iPhone

An iPhone holds a mix of data in different forms. The largest chunks often come from photos and videos, apps and messages. These quickly consume storage depending on usage. By tackling them first, you’ll free up space fast and get rid of the “iPhone storage is almost full” notification. Once this immediate cleanup is done, a more detailed tidy-up can follow when time allows.

1. Delete Unnecessary Files in the Photos App

Let’s be real – cleaning up the Photos app isn’t the most enjoyable task, especially when it’s hard to decide what to delete. But in most cases, the biggest space-wasters are duplicate or nearly identical photos, forgotten screenshots, accidental Live Photos, and videos you recorded at the moment but never watched again. The good news? You can delete all of this directly in the Photos app using built-in iOS tools, but it just might take some time.

For a more efficient alternative, consider using an iPhone сleaner app, which automates the process of identifying all these files, requiring only a few taps to delete them. While the App Store offers many options, we will explain the operation principle using the Clever Cleaner: AI Cleanup App. This free app provides all the necessary features for managing the above file types:

• Similars feature scans your photo library to detect duplicates and similar images. The app groups these images, automatically selects the best-quality photo from each group, and displays the rest for deletion.
• Screenshots collects all your screenshots and allows you to delete them quickly.
• Lives option converts Live Photos into still images by removing motion effects and sounds, which reduces the storage they consume.
• Heavies function identifies the largest videos in your library and offers you the chance to review and delete them as needed.

Let’s detail the process using the Similars feature, but remember, the steps for utilizing other features are similar.

1. Download Clever Cleaner for iPhone from the App Store.
2. Open the app and grant it access to your photo library. Wait for the app to complete the initial scan.
3. To remove all duplicates and similar photos at once, tap the ‘Smart Cleanup’ button.
4. If you wish to selectively remove duplicates, tap on any grouped photos, select the images you want to delete, and choose ‘Move to Trash.’
5. The selected photos will move to the app’s trash. Review these and restore any pictures if necessary before final deletion. To delete them, slide the ‘Slide to Delete.’

6. All marked copies will then move to the ‘Recently Deleted’ album, which you should also clear to free up your iPhone’s storage fully.

2. Delete Apps You No Longer Use

On your iPhone, there are certainly applications you no longer require, from messengers and social networks to games. Keep in mind that besides the application file itself occupying space, over time these apps also save data such as cache and game history. The easiest method to eliminate iPhone’s storage issues is to remove apps that are no longer in use.

1. Locate the app on the home screen or through the App Library. 
2. Touch and hold the app icon until it starts to move slightly, signaling that it is ready to be edited. 
3. A small mark will appear above the app icon. Tap this mark to begin removing the app. 
4. A message will pop up, asking for confirmation. Select ‘Delete App’ to remove both the app and it related data from the iPhone. 
5. Repeat this process for any other app you wish to remove.
6. To leave the editing screen, press the home button or touch any empty part of the display. 

3. Clear Up Irrelevant Conversations in the Messages App

The final topic we will discuss is the management of messages. You undoubtedly have messages that you can delete. These are not necessarily only from other users; they often include automated messages from delivery services, mobile operators, and other notifications.

1. Navigate to the Messages app on your iPhone.
2. Tap ‘Edit’ in the upper left corner of the screen and tap on “Select Message.”.
3. Tap the circles next to the conversations you want to delete to check them.
4. After selecting the desired conversations, tap ‘Delete’ at the bottom of the screen to remove them. Confirm your action if prompted.

Just like in the Photos app, the Messages app also has a ‘Recently Deleted’ folder where messages remain temporarily after deletion. You should also clear this folder to free up space fully:

1. In the Messages app, tap ‘Edit’ again and tap “Show Recently Deleted.”
2. Choose ‘Delete All’ to clear these messages from your device.

Final Word

Now you know how to quickly get rid of the “storage almost full” notification on your iPhone. This guide covers only quick solutions, but if you are able, you can do even better by deleting other unwanted files, like downloaded reports, old notes, unused contacts, and clearing web data or browser cache.

You can also free up space by deleting downloaded material from apps like YouTube Music, Spotify, YouTube, Netflix, and Books. However, system files stay untouched. They’re managed behind the scenes by iOS, working efficiently without any manual interference.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.