It’s one of the most common issues right now for iPhone users. The super annoying iPhone almost full storage notification that popups up 10 times a minute on your iPhone! You know, the one that says ‘Storage Almost Full: you can manage your storage in Settings’.
My iPhone storage is almost full
One of the reasons behind your iPhone memory shrinkage (not an official term), aside from your music, photos and videos, is your cache. Cache is simply storage of old data for memory. Your apps accumulate a lot of cache, especially if they do not self-clean.
It’s suggested by Apple, that iOS app developers build apps that have a self-cleaning function which clears your app cache every so often. Unfortunately, not all developers do this! That sucks, especially because unlike Android phones, iPhones do not have a ‘clear all cache’ button.
Common issue
I’m going to go ahead and assume there are a lot of people experiencing this iPhone storage issue. I think this is safe to say after reading thousands of complaints on Twitter, and having general face-to-face conversations with family, friends and colleagues!
Find out how to get rid of the iPhone ‘Storage Almost Full’ message right now. Simply follow the tips below to fix your iPhone storage problem.
So full I can’t even open WhatsApp!
If you’re at this level of iPhone storage capacity, you only have a few moments left till your phone explodes…only joking! But that’s what it sometimes feels like when the ‘storage almost full’ popup interrupts your every move. Work your way through the tips below, each suggestion will free up space on your iPhone 6/6s/6 Plus/SE/5S/5C/4S or 4. The first few you may have already tried but bear with me. I need to list all options I’ve found.
Get rid of iPhone storage full popup
Although there actually is no real ‘Go away’ option on this popup, there is a way to make it disappear. Find out how to fix the iPhone storage problem below:
1. Delete unused apps
Go through every single app that you have downloaded. See if there are any apps that you no longer need or no longer use. If you find any lurking on your home screen, delete them now.
Go to Settings > General > Usage > Manage Storage > tap and delete any unwanted apps
2. Delete unwanted photos and videos
Boo! It’s never the favourite option when trying to clear space on your iPhone. But it will help massively, even if you just delete a few iPhone photos or videos.
- You may have a screenshot you no longer need
- You may have two selfies that look exactly the same (come on, we all do it!)
- You may have accidentally taken a cluster of identical pics with the shutter mode on your camera
3. Clear Safari cache
Similar to most web browser apps, Safari stores data (cache) to cut down time spent accessing frequently visited sites. Over time, this cache builds up quite a bit. See if you can free up some iPhone space by deleting your Safari internet cache. This is a great tip. Some users have cleared over 2GB of space from their iPhones after trying tips 3 and 4.
Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data
Now restart your iPhone
Press home button and lock button together and hold for 10 seconds (or until iPhone switches off) > then turn iPhone back on
4. Delete and re-install Facebook app.
No this won’t delete any of your data, just your cache. The Facebook app is one of the apps mentioned earlier that does not automatically clear its cache. Tut tut! If you delete Facebook and restart your device, you should see an immediate difference in your iPhone storage.
Hold down Facebook app for 1.5 seconds > (your apps will start to jiggle about) > tap X on the Facebook app > tap delete
Now Restart iPhone
Press home button and lock button together and hold for 10 seconds (or until iPhone switches off) > then turn iPhone back on
5. Reset all settings
Resetting your settings will not erase any of your data, just your settings and preferences. So your music, photos, contacts and calendar events will be safe.
To Reset All Settings – Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings
6. Backup and restore
There are two ways to backup and restore an iPhone. One is through iTunes. The other is through iCloud. Backing up your device simply means making a copy of your iPhone’s data and settings in a file. Restoring your iPhone means replacing all your current data and settings, with all the data and setting within a previous iPhone backup file.
7. Backup without iTunes or iCloud
Some people have problems backing up to iTunes or iCloud. They may get an ‘iCloud Storage Full’ notification on their iPhones. Or iTunes may hit them with an ‘iTunes could not backup the iPhone’ error message.
Download Enigma Recovery and the application will copy existing data on your iPhone’s database to your computer. You can then happily delete things that have been backed up from your phone, knowing they are saved to your PC or laptop. Click the download button above from your Windows or Mac computer and follow these steps:
- Download & install software
- Select iOS Device
- Connect iPhone to PC
- Start scan
- Export iPhone data to PC
- Delete data saved to your computer from your iPhone
Something extra!
Here’s a bonus! Enigma Recovery can also recover deleted iPhone data during the process above. Enigma Recovery is a smartphone recovery and retrieval system, compatible with both Android, iPhone and other iOS devices. It can successfully copy the contents of your iPhone database (including deleted items) to your Mac or PC.
The software can create a backup of your device on your computer. During which it can capture deleted text messages, iMessages, contacts, call logs, WhatsApp history (including attachments), calendar entries and notes!
8. Turn off iCloud drive
iCloud drive is a cool feature that allows you to access files from your mac or any other iOS device connected to iCloud. To create more space on your iPhone, turn off iCloud Drive:
Go to Settings > iCloud > iCloud Drive > Off
9. Newsstand apps
Some magazine apps from your newsstand may not automatically delete old issues or copies. Generally, most magazine apps keep the latest 3 issues in the app. Old issues are deleted as new ones appear. However, there are some that will just store the entire history of old issues within the app. This could cause your iPhone memory to reach its capacity sooner.
Open your magazine app now to check if this is happening to you.
10. Tweet @AppleSupport
If none of the above methods worked for you, try this Twitter tip! If you have a Twitter account, tweet @AppleSupport letting them know of your iPhone storage issue. Then keep an eye on your direct messages. They should get in contact and find a solution for you. The response rate it pretty good, not 100%, but it’s worth a try!
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excellent…I did the first few option and I got half of my storage back…THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!
Chiara
Toronto, Canada
You’re welcome Chiara! Glad it worked for you 🙂
Thanks! One more tip is to clear iMessage large correspondence. If you send lots of photos and videos via iMessage it quickly reduces your memory space. (resource – https://nektony.com/blog/clear-iphone) And also I use interPhotos to clear photo storage.
That’s a great tip!
Thanks Asya 🙂
Where is iMessage then? Can you spell out how to do this operation?
Hi Lee,
Thanks for commenting 🙂
I think Asya was referring to a separate application that can do this for you.
Sarah,
Thanks so much, wish I had found your page before Apple tech had me delete all apps! And still were not able to fix the “storage” problem!
Geri
Hi Geri,
You’re very welcome 🙂
Oh dear!! Well I’m glad you’ve got the problem fixed now. Hope you we’re able to download your apps again.
Thank you Tahank you so much you’ve made a grown man v happy ?? been bugging me for months and I’ve now got over 2:5gb of free space and I know what to do in the future to clear space ??????
Your welcome Bill! 🙂
My iPhone immediately getting on whenever I used to switch off it…No storage available popup also showing al the time..kindly resolve my problem
Hi Shiva 🙂
Have you tried all the tips above?
I tried that , nothing works
Hi Zac 🙂
If you’ve tried all the tips above, try tweeting @AppleSupport with the problem. They should be able to get back to you with a way to solve it!
Brilliant…thank you!
Attended to photos, apps and Safari….more storage now available..
Very grateful!!
Hi Sheila,
Thanks for commenting 🙂
That’s awesome! Glad it worked for you.
Wow! I did 3 and 4 and now have tons of storage again! You are a genius, clearly.
Hi Eileen,
Kool! I’m glad it worked for you.
😉 you are too kind
Actually i have 1.5 gb memory in my iphone6 but it shows 599 mb available and then 0bytes available
i have also tried clearing my phone cache by opening iTunes Store app then try to download a movie which is larger in size than your available phone memory we’ll get a popup that cannot download there is not enough space click ok then you can see the storage increased.
What should i do?
Hi Sai,
Try all the tips above and work your way down the list.
If your iPhone says there is available space but won’t let you download something that should fit on the phone, you may have to restore your phone.
Create a backup in iTunes or iCloud, then restore your phone to that backup. Here’s a tutorial.
Even if i delete as many pics n. Vedios my occupied storage space for images remains 7gb
Plz help
Hi Kanika,
If you are deleting video and pictures and your storage space is not budging, you may need to restore your iPhone.
1st create a backup, then restore to that backup. I hope the links are helpful!
im so glad it works
Hi rin,
Thanks for commenting, I’m glad it worked for you 🙂
Hi, I followed these easy steps and it worked for me. Thanks
Hi Darryl,
That’s great 🙂 thanks for commenting!
I would love to try these tips, but now my phone seems to be stuck on the black screen with white apple. I’ve tried the hard restart and the Apple will go away and come back on, but then it seems like it powers off.
A few days ago all my text message threads disappeared and last night I received the storage almost full messages.
Hi Debra,
It sounds like your phone is stuck in recovery mode, follow our tutorial How to Fix an iPhone Stuck in Recovery Mode
If your text messages are still missing, follow our guide on Recovering Deleted Messages from an iPhone.
Hope that helps 🙂
Remember to check and see if you are storing old text messages. Go to Settings>Messages>Keep messages and switch from ‘forever’ to 30 days or 1 year…
Hi Anna,
Thanks for commenting! Great tip 🙂
My storage has been full for the last few days despite deleting several apps. Most of my photos but not all have come across to my computer on iCloud but not videos. I’ve been too busy to deal with this and was planning to clear all the photos off via iTunes this morning, get rid of old texts etc. I put it (i-phone 6s) on charge last night but this morning I can’t open it. Can you help?
Hi Amanda,
Is your phone showing an error message?
I have a 16GB iphone 5c, my storage says I’ve used 4.9GB and have 62.9MB available. Where is the rest of the storage?
Hi Alison, what else does it say in your ‘Manage storage’ section?
Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Manage Storage
my problem is with the Mail app, I get a ton of pictures from my security cameras and altho I delete them, and they are deleted from my server, the Mail app still seems to keep them in it’s mind so to speak. I have to restore the OS and this seems to finally give me some room back but it builds up again in a few weeks. Apple should have a trash can that can be emptied just like on the Mac OS.
this is great!! it has saved me!
yesterday my phone 6s decided to bomb out of every application i could not even make a phone call. the battery usage would dissapear in a matter of minutes. i have never had any issues like this with my iphones.
i heard lots of stories that this is apples way of trying to get people to get iphone7
anyway after backing up my phone to pc. then restarting it over and over. its finally back to normal. luckily did not have to restore to factory settings.
i seem to only be having issues since ios 10 downloaded into my life.
your tips helped. as i have deleted so many apps all my music. i have minimal images and videos. but still my storage is non existent. i only have 12g phone. after the tips opened up 3 gig.
so ja! heres to getting bigger gig phone next time round! i will not go android!!!!!
Hi Lare,
Wow 3g? That’s awesome lol! So glad the tips worked for you, thanks for commenting 🙂
Where specifically are deleted text messages hiding? I have deleted hundreds of them and the storage they are taking up does not budge!
Hi Jessica,
If you have deleted text messages from your iPhone, they should not be taking up your internal memory.
To see what is using up your storage the most, go to:
Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage > Storage > Manage Storage
Hi, I’ve deleted almost everything on my iPhone, I have 16GB iPhone 6s, but it days I’ve used 11.6GB and I have no storage left what so ever, I deleted every app on my phone as I went to a concert last night and I needed storage but that’s till didn’t seem to work? What can I do please! Help is very needed?
Hey Teegan,
Sounds like you may have to try Number 6, backup your iPhone and restore to that backup.
If your phone isn’t registering the new space once you have deleted items, a restore should work.
P.S. Make sure that you have also deleted any photos/videos from your Recently Deleted folder as well as from your Camera Roll, otherwise it won’t clear any space
Hope that helps!
Thanks Sarah!! Do you mean complement reset my phone as I will go to that option, but I can’t send my photos anywhere? Do you know any way I can save my photos as this is my second phone and I don’t want to loose my photos again? But do you know for sure if it will completely give me full storage back!!! Much thanks
Hi Teegan,
No not a reset, I mean the process I have mentioned in Number 6 in the blog – to backup and then restore the iPhone. This is usually the step that is taken when your iPhone storage isn’t recognising that you are deleting data.
This means to create a backup of your phone in iTunes or iCloud and then restore your phone to that backup. You won’t be losing any of your data as long as a full backup it created:
How to backup your iPhone
How to restore from a backup
I hope that helps!
OMGosh, thank you thank you!!!!
I did the first 5 above and turned it off and back on. I got 1/3 of my memory back.
I again am one of those that wishes i would have seen this earlier this week before I deleted pictures and apps. Oh well, learn something new everyday.
I’m still not able to I wish I could get more tips! plz help me out!
Hi Emily,
Oh dear 🙁
which tips did you try?
All I did was uninstall Facebook and reinstalled it and went from 114mg of available storage to 1.8 g. Thank you so much.
I have to say that I only have one app and don’t even use any of their pre-loaded things and deleted all my messages and favorites and events and notes and photos and it still says I have zero space available.
One app. I never ever have used safari and don’t use mail or newstand or itunes or health or videos or calender or games or look at stocks or any of what they won’t let me get rid of. Do I seriously have to get rid of my only app and can’t get rid of theirs?
I just wanted to take one photo of something at Home Depot and it says it can’t take a photo.
I can take photos again, thank you so much!
Hi,
My iPhone 6 keeps telling me my storage is full – I have deleted apps, photos, text messages but it still tells me I have less and less space. I read some of your tips above so I have backed up my phone on iTunes but when I try to restore from a backup it tells me I don’t have enough space to do that. What can I do? I am getting desperate….
Thank you!
Been struggling with the problem for awhile especially as Mac says I have loads of storage, Did not want to do a full restore.
had 170mb. signed out of I Tunes Restarted I phone had 5.6gb signed back into I tunes checked storage and still have 5.6gb.
Simple solution to my problem
So I deleted like my whole phone and my pictures. So I only have snap chat and Instagram. I deleted half of my snap chat and it still says storage almost full.
Omg, I got 9Gs of storage back from step 6! I knew something wasn’t right. Thank you so so much!
Octavio
It was really helpful!So many thanks!!You just got me from buying a new phone.My current iPhone 5s is suffering from this problem for over 5 months.
What is my memory is mostly in my mail, but all of the files in my mail are empty… including trash?
Hello
My iPhone 5s have some issues Whatsapp showing 2.4 GB need for history optimisation
And I deleted almost apps and pics
But iPhone storage still showing 11 GB used only 387 MB available and all apps I deleted
I cloud 4GB still free but Whatsapp not opening what I will do please suggest
thanks so so much!! ive struggled for memory for months now and had to delete so many memories and photos of my phone.. even went to the apple shop and they were as much use as a chocolate teapot…
you’ve just sorted my memory on my phone!!! whoever you are thank you!!!
The big find for me was that when I deleted photos they stayed in a “recently deleted” folder for 29 days. So deleting photos seemed to have no impact. I now go to the photos app and delete all these photos every time I delete a bunch of photos. Hey presto – lots of storage now available. .
This was very helpful. I am also thankful for your clear additional pieces to each instruction i.e. Shut down phone & restart … and specifying to hold home button and power button. A lot of younger generations automatically know what to do when you say “power down” or “reset” but for us rusty older generation…explaining exactly what buttons to press etc is extremely helpful.
Thank you!
Kelly M Pratt
Some of the apps will not allow deletion (Health, Notes), and photos and videos that I deleted, are still there. I’ve rebooted and tried everything I know, and all the tips here that sound great and work for a lot of people. I’ve stopped all notifications. Still I get the beeping and the running-out-of-storage. I’m about to throw this iPhone 6 through the window or give it away or trash it.
One more chance is what I’ll give it: Why aren’t the photos and videos deleting. Why can’t I delete apps Health and Notes?
My iphone gave me two messages: one that my storage was full and that it could no longer take pictures. I used the tip 3 regarding clearing the safari cache. It worked great! Thanks. Glad I googled this problem.
Sarah, what will the restore option do? will it erase all the data, or reset it? and will it give my iphone a lot more space or just by a few MG?
Thanks Sarah
Just got back 5 gigs!
Kinda feel like I’ve won something lol
I did a cimplet factory reset after i did a backup of my phone. I got 8GB back! Thank You! I’ve had this problem for over a year… this was my last attempt before buying a new phone… now i can wait!
Hi
I was getting the full storage message and the available storage increased a little. I had already deleted all my photos (uploaded into Photos on my iMac and selected the delete all photos after upload button). On my iPhone my Photo Library was still huge. What??? I have just discovered that my lovely iPhone had not actually deleted the photos. They were in an Album of recently deleted, where I could recover one or all of the photos. I have now deleted them from my phone and have recovered half of my storage!! I will be doing the other things listed above. Thought I would share in case anyone else has this issue.
Thank you for the above list of ways to increase storage.
This was great. Another tip. Clear your old messages. Settings -> Messages -> Keep Messages. You can choose Forever (which I believe is default), 1 year, or 30 days. I cleared up a ton of space just by changing it from forever to 1 year. You might want to update the article to include this step. It made more of an impact for me than anything else I tried. So glad I can take pictures again 😉
Really helped thanks