How to Free Up Storage on Your iPhone or iPad

We all need to go on a data diet every once in awhile.

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How frequently have you encountered that dreaded message on the iOS device what you you're running out of safe-keeping, Unless you've recently upgraded your iPhone or iPad, this can be likely perhaps the most common occurrence. But don't worry—you're one of many. Since the discharge of iOS 8, users of 8 GB and 16 GB iOS devices have struggled using this problem, especially when it comes to updating to newer versions of iOS.

In fact, Apple developed a point of using recent iOS 8 updates in an attempt to lower the amount of free space necessary to update. The only problem is that you need free space to perform that update—sort of your catch-22.

Fortunately, there are several workarounds, and we've build a guide to help you free up space. Here's how to liberate your iOS device through the shackles of insufficient storage.

Check Your Storage Usage

The Usage screen will show you which apps are eating your storage. View Larger

First, we need to know what we're working with. Plug your iOS device in your computer and load up iTunes. Open up on your device's profile in iTunes to check out the storage meter down the bottom of the window. It will break up your storage into Audio (music), Photos, Apps, Books, Documents & Data, and "Other." The most likely culprits are Photos, Documents & Data, and Other. If you use your phone just as one iPod, music can also be a major hog.

But before we get into that, we must figure out, more precisely, where your data is being stored. Load inside the Settings app on your own device, then navigate to General > Usage > Manage Storage (under "Storage," not iCloud). A list of all the apps on the device will show up in order in the amount of space used by each item. The most likely culprits allow me to share Messages, Photos & Camera, Mail, and possibly Voice Memos, Podcasts, or even a music app, depending in your habits.

Below, is often a more precise guide for streamlining content for each with the above storage hogs.

Photos and Media

For most iOS users, photos constitute one from the biggest chunks of storage date. The easiest option would be to upload them to your computer or back them up to and including cloud storage service Once that is certainly done, it is possible to delete all of the unnecessary photos from the device. Some programs like iPhoto may even prompt you to delete photos after importing them.

All media purchased through iTunes or Podcasts may be streamed. Tweet It

As for other media, the best choice is to stream content as an alternative to housing it permanently in your device. You may want some movies or books downloaded for subway rides or plane trips, but otherwise you don't have to keep your personal media on the device. Let it live in the cloud!

All podcasts or media purchased through iTunes might be streamed simply by deleting it from your iBooks, Podcasts, and Videos apps. Once you do, you will have a little cloud symbol indicating it's available for streaming.

Music

If you might be a music lover, you most likely have hundreds—if not thousands—of songs on the iOS device. But if you purchased your music through iTunes, the identical steps above apply.

All you must do is swipe left to reveal a delete button next to each song. Like videos and books, it will not disappear. Instead, the song will have a cloud symbol next to it indicating that it's stored on iCloud and designed for streaming.

iTunes music that is available for streaming could have a cloud symbol close to it.

If your music had not been purchased through iTunes, you have a few different options. You can sign up for iTunes Match, that will store your entire music on iCloud; it is possible to use a free service like Google Play Music to store and stream music in your device; or you are able to subscribe to a streaming music service like Spotify or Beats Music.

Apps and Documents & Data

This section is the place your device's storage usage list comes in handy. Check to see which apps consider up the most space. They can range in the obvious (Messages) for the surprising (Google Maps, in my case).

For system apps like Messages, Mail, and Voice Memos, enter into those apps and delete messages, text threads, and memos that you no longer need. These can undertake a lot of space, especially because of large attachments. You can also schedule messages to delete after a certain period of time. Go to Settings > Messages > Message History. From there, you can select whether to keep your messages for 1 month, annually, or forever.

For 3rd party apps that are taking up a lot of space, visit them individually. If the Documents & Data for the app less complicated larger than the app size, you must delete unnecessary data inside that app. If that isn't possible (as is also the case with Google Maps), you simply must delete and re-download the app.

And needless to say, if you can find large apps that you no longer use, just delete them. You and I both know that you stopped playing Angry Birds years back. Just let it go.

The Dreaded "Other"

The mysterious "Other."

This storage section has puzzled many a tech writer and developer. But iMore writes that Other is made up of things like cached iTunes content (streamed movies, for example), Mail data, and Safari website data.

You can try and delete a few of this data, unfortunately it is not always possible. In fact, there doesn't appear to be a way to delete cached iTunes content.

The best way to effectively delete "Other" data is to backup and restore your device with iTunes. This process will retain all of your apps inside the cloud while deleting any extra junk files that will exist. You will lose some data like game save files, however it is the best way to reclaim lost storage.

The above methods will still only help a lot, but until you upgrade for an iOS device with greater storage capacity, they're virtually all you've get. You can check into buying a storage device , but as of this writing they are all third-party, meaning you will end up severely limited when it comes to what kinds of data you are able to back up. Frustrating, I know.

The latest updates for iOS 8 were a step inside the right direction, but Apple may have to have to take bigger steps to streamline storage space on iPhones and iPads.

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