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iPhone & iPad • Everyday Basics

How do I clear my iPhone storage without deleting my photos?

Direct Answer

You can free up 10GB to 30GB of iPhone storage without deleting photos by turning on "Optimize iPhone Storage" in iCloud Photos, offloading unused apps, clearing Safari browser caches, deleting old text message video attachments, and clearing offline podcast/music downloads.

Why You Might Want to Do This

  • To stop "iPhone Storage Almost Full" pop-ups without sacrificing cherished family photos or memories.
  • To clean out invisible "System Data" caches and temporary files that slow down your phone.
  • To free up space so your phone can install software updates, download new apps, and take crisp videos.

Before You Start

  • Have your iPhone near you and unlocked.
  • Be connected to home Wi-Fi if turning on iCloud Photo optimization.

Offloading an app removes the app itself to save space, but keeps all your documents, saved games, and personal data 100% safe for when you reinstall it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. 1

    Check your storage breakdown in Settings > General > iPhone Storage

    Open Settings, tap "General," and tap "iPhone Storage." Wait 5 seconds for the colored bar to load showing what is using your space (Photos, Apps, Messages, or System Data).

    👀 Colored storage bar chart showing Photos, Apps, and System Data.

  2. 2

    Turn on "Optimize iPhone Storage" for iCloud Photos

    In Settings, tap your name at the top, tap "iCloud," tap "Photos," and check "Optimize iPhone Storage." This keeps your full-resolution original photos safely in iCloud while keeping smaller, space-saving versions on your phone screen.

    👀 Checkmark next to "Optimize iPhone Storage" option.

    3. ✅ Success Checkpoint: You're Doing Great

    If your screen matches the description above, you have followed the steps correctly. Continue to the next step.

  3. 3

    Offload unused apps automatically

    Go back to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and tap "Enable" next to "Offload Unused Apps." Apple will automatically remove large apps you haven't opened in months while preserving all your saved data and settings.

    👀 Row labeled "Offload Unused Apps" with blue Enable button.

  4. 4

    Clear Safari browser web history & cache

    Open Settings, scroll down and tap "Safari," then tap "Clear History and Website Data." Confirm by tapping "Clear History." This instantly reclaims 1GB to 5GB of temporary web junk.

    👀 Red text button labeled "Clear History and Website Data."

  5. 5

    Review and delete large text message video attachments

    Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > "Review Large Attachments." Here you can see a list of old video clips and heavy photos sent via text message and delete them without deleting the text conversations.

    👀 List of text attachments sorted by file size (MB/GB).

  6. 6

    Clear downloaded podcast episodes and offline streaming movies

    Open the Podcasts app or Netflix/Prime Video apps and delete downloaded episodes you have already finished watching or listening to.

    👀 Downloaded episode list with trash can icon.

If You Don't See It / Troubleshooting

If "System Data" (the gray bar at the bottom) takes up over 20GB...

Simply restart your iPhone (turn it off completely and turn it back on). Restarting flushes hidden temporary system log files and rebuilds index caches.

Good to Know

  • Deleting text message video attachments in Settings does NOT delete your photo library photos.
  • iCloud Photos with "Optimize Storage" gives you virtually unlimited phone space while keeping all photos viewable at a moment's notice when on Wi-Fi.