Shiny
How to free up storage on iPhone
Updated: November 2026
When your iPhone says storage is almost full, start by finding out what's using it. For most people it's photos and videos, then messages and a few large apps.
1. See what's using space
Open Settings › General › iPhone Storage. The bar at the top shows space by category, and the list below shows each app by size, including its documents and data. Under it, iOS may show recommendations, such as reviewing large attachments in Messages.
2. Empty Recently Deleted
Photos and videos you delete stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days and still take up space. Open Photos, go to Utilities › Recently Deleted, tap Select, then Delete All. Only do this once you're sure you don't need anything in it.
3. Deal with large videos
Video is usually the biggest single cost. According to Settings › Camera › Record Video, a minute of 4K at 60 fps takes about 440 MB. Delete the long videos you don't need, and consider recording everyday clips at 1080p.
Shiny lists your videos largest first, with filters by size and age, and finds duplicate videos and old screen recordings.
4. Let iCloud Photos keep the originals
If you use iCloud Photos, turn on Optimize iPhone Storage in Settings › Apps › Photos (Settings › Photos before iOS 18). Full-size originals stay in iCloud and your iPhone keeps smaller versions, downloading the original when you need it. This needs enough iCloud storage for your whole library.
5. Clear old Messages attachments
In Settings › General › iPhone Storage › Messages, review large attachments and delete the ones you don't need. To stop old messages building up, set Keep Messages to 1 year in Settings › Apps › Messages (Settings › Messages before iOS 18). This deletes older messages and their attachments.
6. Offload apps you don't use
Offloading removes an app but keeps its documents and data, so you can reinstall it later and carry on. Tap an app in iPhone Storage and choose Offload App, or let iOS do it automatically with Offload Unused Apps in the App Store settings.
7. Remove duplicates, similar shots and blurry photos
Use the Duplicates album in Photos for exact copies. For similar shots, blurry and accidental photos, old screenshots and Live Photos you don't need moving, Shiny finds them across your whole library and lets you review them before anything is deleted.
What doesn't help
Apps that promise to "boost" or "clean memory" don't free storage. iOS manages memory by itself, and restarting your iPhone won't free space either. Storage only comes back when files are deleted.
