How to Add More Storage to Your iPhone (Without Paying)

Every iPhone user eventually runs into low storage, but not everyone knows how to fix it without spending extra money. In this article, we'll show you how to get more storage on your iPhone for free, with detailed steps to help you continue to capture photos, download apps, and receive emails without interruption.

Is It Possible to Add More Storage to My iPhone for Free?

Unlike many Android devices, iPhones don't support micro SD cards for extra storage. Instead, Apple offers iCloud optimization or external storage options like USB drives. But here's the thing - these options aren't free. iCloud only gives you 5 GB for free, which barely covers anything if you've got a lot of photos and videos. That's why plenty of people end up paying $0.99 a month for 50 GB or more. And if you're thinking about external storage, even a basic USB drive starts at around $25.

Don't worry - if you want to free up storage on your iPhone without spending money, you still have a solution: manually clearing out unnecessary files. That's exactly what this article will cover.

If you don't want to just start deleting stuff at random, check your iPhone's storage first. See what's eating up the most space and tackle that first - it'll make the biggest difference without you accidentally getting rid of something important. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Settings on the iPhone.
2. Scroll down and select the General option.
3. This will open a detailed breakdown of what is consuming your device's storage.
4. The iPhone will take a few moments to calculate, and then a bar graph of your storage allocation will be displayed by file type. Your storage check results will vary based on how you use your iPhone.

How to Get More Storage on iPhone Without Paying

In this section, we'll cover different ways to free up storage based on the most common space-consuming categories on your iPhone - photos, videos, apps, and more. Each section breaks down a specific method to help you identify and remove unnecessary files. Go through all the options and choose the one that fits your needs. If you want to maximize storage, try using all these strategies in sequence for the best results and smoother iPhone performance.

1. Declutter Your Photos and Videos

If your storage check revealed that photos take up the most space, this section is for you. Freeing up storage usually means deleting a large number of photos and videos from your Photos app, but don't overlook other files like screenshots, blurry images and duplicates. We'll concentrate more on the latter in more detail below.

There are many tips to erase duplicate photos on iPhone using built-in features, but sorting through them can be time-consuming. A more convenient option is to use third-party cleaner apps. The App Store offers a variety of choices, both free and paid, with different features. We chose the Clever Cleaner app for this demonstration. This app concentrates on managing your Photos app and includes all the necessary tools: it detects and deletes duplicate and similar photos - which are more common on your iPhone than exact duplicates - removes screenshots, and for Live Photos, it keeps the still version while deleting the original with motion effects and sound. It also finds large videos to delete. And the best part? The app is completely free and has no third-party ads, unlike many other cleaners.

Here's how you can quickly remove duplicates and similar photos:

1. Download Clever Cleaner: Free iPhone Storage Cleaner App from the App Store.
2. Open the app and grant it full permission to access your photo gallery.
3. The app automatically opens in the "Similar" tab and begins scanning your gallery. It then displays the results in groups of found duplicates and similar photos.
4. Review several groups of photos. If satisfied with the app's selection, press the 'Smart Cleanup' button to delete all images marked automatically for deletion.
5. For more control over which photos to delete, tap on a collection, manually select the photos you want to remove, and repeat these steps for each group. Then, select 'Move to Trash.'



6. All photos will be moved to the app's trash where you can review and restore any if necessary. After reviewing, move the 'Slide to Delete' slider.
7. The app will prompt you to clear the Recently Deleted folder in your Photos app immediately to reduce the amount of storage occupied. If you prefer not to empty this folder, it will auto-clear after 30 days.

We've outlined the steps for using the "Similars" function in Clever Cleaner to demonstrate how to make more storage on your iPhone. If you want to use other features, we recommend watching a video tutorial. The process is similar across functions, but a visual guide can make it even easier to follow.

Video Tutorial

2. Clean Out Your Downloads

If you frequently download files to your iPhone, keep in mind that not everything ends up in the Photos app. Photos and videos from browsers, messages (depending on your settings), and messaging apps often get saved in the Files app. Other downloads, like PDFs, also pile up there. If your storage check showed that the "Media" category is taking up the most space, it's a good idea to go through the Files app and delete anything you don't need.

Here are the steps to manage and delete unnecessary files in the Files app:

1. Find and open the Files app on your iPhone.
2. If a file is stored in iCloud Drive, choose the 'iCloud Drive' option. For a file saved directly on the device, select 'On My iPhone.'
3. Open the 'Downloads' folder to view downloaded content.
4. Tap 'Select' at the upper corner, then choose the file or document to remove. To clear everything in the folder, use 'Select All.'
5. Once the selection is made, tap the trash icon below to remove the file. There might be a prompt asking to confirm this action.
6. 

The Files app, much like the Photos app, has a 'Recently Deleted' folder where removed files are temporarily kept. If immediate removal is needed, instead of waiting for the automatic 30-day cleanup, clear the folder manually.

3. Clear Your Browser's Cache

Over time, your iPhone's browser cache builds up. This cache keeps images, scripts and other stored files, making web pages load faster during future visits. While iOS handles the system cache automatically the browser cache requires manual clearing. Caching enhances browsing by cutting loading times and saving bandwidth but occupies storage and may retain outdated information.

Since Safari serves as the primary browser within iOS, here's how to clear its cache:

1. Open the Settings icon on the home screen and find the 'Apps' section.
2. Locate and select 'Safari' from the list of apps.
3. Scroll down to find and select 'Clear History and Website Data'.
4. A prompt will appear. Confirm by selecting 'Clear History and Data'. This clears browsing history, cookies, and cached files. The process logs out most websites and browsing might feel slower initially as the cache rebuilds.

For browsers like Chrome or Firefox the method differs slightly. Instead of using iPhone settings, clearing is done via the browser's own settings. Look within the app, under options such as 'Privacy' or 'History', to find the tool to remove cached data.

4. Remove Your Apps Cache

Besides browsers, many other apps on your iPhone also store cache data. This includes things like user preferences, session data, and media files that help apps load faster but can also take up a lot of storage over time.

Some apps let you clear their cache directly within their settings. For example, Telegram, TikTok, and Facebook offer this option, but it's best to check each app individually.

We'll walk you through clearing the cache in Telegram, and you can look for a similar feature in other apps if they support it.

1. Launch the Telegram app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the 'Settings' icon at the bottom right corner and tap 'Data and Storage'.
3. Scroll down to find 'Storage Usage'. Tap on it, then you will see a breakdown of the cache by chat. Here, you can clear cache by selecting 'Clear Entire Cache'.

If the application you want to clear the cache for does not have a built-in function to do so, below is an alternative method.

5. Delete Unnecessary Apps

If your storage check shows that apps are taking up the most space on your iPhone, the easiest and most effective way to free up more storage on iPhone is to delete them. Removing an app gets rid of both the app itself and any data it has stored on your device.

1. Access the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on 'General' and choose 'iPhone Storage'. This displays a list of all your apps along with the amount of space each one occupies.
3. Find the app you want to delete and tap on it.
4. Scroll down and hit 'Delete App' at the bottom. When the confirmation pops up, confirm to permanently remove the app and all its data.

Another method is to press and hold the app icon on the Home screen and pick 'Remove App'. However, managing apps through Settings provides clarity on storage usage, allowing better decisions.

For apps you often access but need storage space, consider switching to their desktop version. This lets you enjoy all features without using iPhone storage.

6. Clear the Large Attachments from Your Messages

If the 'Messages' section uses considerable storage, large multimedia files in conversations could be the reason. Clearing out these attachments is a good way to reclaim space.

While you likely know how to delete messages, we'll show you how to keep important conversations intact while quickly removing all the large attachments.

1. Tap on the Settings icon on your home screen and scroll down and choose 'General'.
2. Wait a moment for your device to calculate the storage usage.
3. Scroll through the menu to find 'Messages' and open it.
4. Inside, sections like 'Photos', 'Videos', 'GIFs and Stickers' and 'Other' appear, each showing its storage usage.
5. Choose the section you wish to manage. A list of attachments will be visible in that section.
6. To remove one, swipe left and tap 'Delete'. For removing multiple items, select 'Edit,' pick the items, and use the trash icon. Deleting is final. Once done, it cannot be reversed.

We’ve gone over the most common ways to free up space on your iPhone, but the more you clear out, the more storage you get back. Beyond what we’ve already mentioned, take a look at books, notes, voice memos, emails, and contacts - you’d be surprised how much extra stuff piles up.

Maintaining storage does not have to be a difficult task. Small, consistent efforts can prevent the need for an overwhelming overhaul later. A little attention now keeps everything running smoothly with ease over time.