How to Free Up Space on iPhone and Mac

Storage problems won’t trouble you any more on Apple devices as this article answers how to free up space on iPhone and Mac with ease. 

Storage problems and Apple devices seem like inseparable twins. Whether we talk about the iPhone or Mac, the storage gets filled quickly. Then we have no room left to store our crucial files and other such things. Moreover, various device performance issues also come our way. Along with the no so smart in-built storage management on Apple devices, our habit of keeping unnecessary apps, photos, and videos is also a culprit behind the shortage of space and poor performance of the device. But, the good news is that you can effortlessly reclaim the lost space. This article elucidates how to free up space on Mac and iPhone.

Without further dawdling, let’s begin with the first part of this typewritten note, i.e., how to free up space on an iPhone.

Part I: How to Free up Space on iPhone

It is a piece of cake to free up space on iPhone. All that you need is an implementation of the tips shared below. After that, we will learn how to free up space on Mac.

Tip 1: Delete the Unneeded Applications

To be honest, we do not actually need all the applications present on our iPhone. We have even forgotten about many of the apps after downloading them or used them only once or twice. These unneeded applications are nothing but space killers. Therefore, delete them with the help of the steps shared below.

• Tap and hold the unwanted app’s icon.
• Wait for a second till all the icons on your screen begin to jiggle.
• Now, tap on the small “X” that appears on the application’s icon.
• Lastly, tap on “Delete” to get rid of the app.

Tip 2: Delete the Stock Apps

There was a time when we had no option other than to keep the unnecessary stock apps that came preinstalled with iPhone. But, beginning with iOS 10, Apple gives users the option to delete some of the stock apps. Therefore, if you have iOS 10 or above, then go through this detailed guide to do it.

Tip 3: Delete the Unrequired Data

Many times the data used by an app takes up a whole lot of space on your iPhone. Therefore, delete the unneeded app data to give the memory some breathing space. String along the steps shared here to do it.

• Go to the “Settings” of your phone.
• Tap on “General.”
• Select “iPhone Storage.”
• Tap on the arrow located beside the apps. It shows the data used by the app.
• Lastly, go to the app that uses the most data and delete the unnecessary documents and data that it contains.

Tip 4: Offload the Applications that you Don’t Use

Sometimes, a particular application remains unused, but we want to use it in the future. In such a case, you can “Offload” the application, i.e., delete the app but keep its data. Here is the way to do it.

• Go to the phone “Settings.”
• Select “General.”
• Choose “iPhone Storage.”
• Tap on the arrow present next to the app that you wish to offload.
• At last, tap on the “Offload App” option.

Tip 5: Delete Old Messages

We agree that keeping the messages saved is a way to keep memories fresh and alive. But, old messages are also one of the iPhone space killers. Therefore, if you are searching for how to free up space on iPhone, then delete the not so important message chats from your phone with the below steps.

• Go to the “Settings” of your device.
• Choose “Messages.”
• Tap on “Message History.”
• Select “Keep Messages.”
• Choose a time range.
• Tap on “Delete.”

Tip 6: Delete Unneeded Photos

There is a photographer in each of the millennials who clicks multiple photos, many times even from the same angle. And then forgets to delete the not so perfect clicks. If the same is what you do, then delete the unwanted photos from your phone to make room for other crucial things. You can take the help of Photo Cleaner

Part II: How to Free up Space on Mac

Above we learned how to free up space on iPhone, now let’s discuss how to do the same on Mac. Here’re the tips to recover the lost Mac space.

Tip 1: Search and Delete old iOS Backups

For all those users who are searching for how to free up space on Mac, it is crucial to note that the old backups take most of the space on their device. Hence, you need to find and delete the space killing backups to liberate the Mac space. Here’re the simple steps to do it.

• Click on the “Apple button” located on the top left.
• Choose “About this Mac” from the on-screen options.
• Click on the “Storage” tab to view a graph that shows how much space each file category takes on your Mac.
• If iOS files take up a whole lot of space, then select the “Manage” option.
• Choose “iOS Files” from the left pane.
  
• Highlight the unneeded backup files and click on “Delete.”
• Click on “Delete” again to confirm your action.

Tip 2: Store data in iCloud

Instead of filling up your Mac with documents, photos, and messages, you can transfer the same to the iCloud and save the Mac space. If you do this, then only the recently used documents, messages, and photos will show up on your Mac so that you can work offline with ease. However, if the iCloud space also gets filled up, then you can buy additional space directly via your Mac.

Tip 3: Remove watched shows and movies

This tip is particularly for the movie buffs and binge-watchers. If your Mac contains even the movies and shows that you have already watched, then deleting them is the perfect answer to your question, i.e., how to free up space on Mac.

Tip 4: Change the mail settings

In case your mail automatically downloads all the attachments, then these downloaded files hog up the device space. Hence, change the mail settings and turn off the automatic attachment download. You can manually download the attachments that you need when you open the mail by clicking on it.

Tip 5: Empty the trash

Trash in Mac contains the files that you have deleted so that you can get them back if you need them. But, if the unwanted deleted files accumulate in the trash, then it hogs up the Mac space. Hence, follow these steps to empty the trash.

• Go to the trash.
• Click on the “Empty” button located in the top-right corner of the Finder screen.
• Select “Empty Trash” to permanently delete all the files present in the trash.

Tip 6: Delete unneeded pictures

Do you know what takes up a huge chunk of the space on your Mac? Well, it the duplicate and unnecessary pictures. Therefore, delete them with the help of the best duplicate photo finders and removers.

Now that you know how to free up space on Mac and iPhone, let’s answer a few questions that most of the users have to clear all your doubts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How to know which apps are taking up the most space on the iPhone?

Finding space hogger applications on the iPhone is an easy task. Follow the steps given below to accomplish it.

• Go to “Settings.”
• Select “General.”
• Choose “iPhone Storage.”
• Tap on “Manage Storage.”

After you complete the above steps, a list appears showing you the space taken by various apps.

Q2. How to find out how much storage is available on the Mac?

Finding out available storage on Mac is also not a tough task. Below is how to do it.

• Go to the Apple Menu.
• Select “About this Mac.”
• Choose “Storage.”

A bar appears showing you the space occupied by various file categories. Move the pointer over a category to view its details.

How to Free up Space on iPhone and Mac: The Complete Guide

Above was the manual that answered your question, how to free up space on iPhone. Along with this, it also elucidated how to free up space on Mac. We hope that you no longer face storage problems on your device. In case you require more assistance, feel free to contact us via the comments section. We would be pleased to receive your comments and suggestions on this post.