Free Up Space on Your iPhone Instantly with This Hidden Feature

Is your iPhone storage full? It's time to declutter, especially in your photos and videos. For immediate results, there's a handy trick.

Not all iPhones are created equal when it comes to storage capacity! While Apple offers impressive models like the Pro Max versions with up to 1TB, most devices typically come with 256GB or 128GB, and older models might have as little as 64GB. Given today's focus on high quality photography and videography, it's easy for that limited space to fill up fast with larger, more detailed files.

When you're running low on storage, your instinct might be to delete photos and videos, since they take up the most room. This seems straightforward, especially if you've set up automatic cloud backups with services like iCloud, Google Drive, or OneDrive. However, even after clearing out dozens of images, you might find your iPhone still resisting software updates due to insufficient space, a frustrating yet common scenario.

Apple has built in safeguards for your deleted content. When you remove photos or videos, they aren't instantly erased; instead, they linger in a sort of recycle bin for 30 days, allowing you to recover them if you change your mind. Luckily, you can bypass this waiting period by manually and permanently deleting items to free up space immediately, though this option isn't highlighted in the iPhone's system.

To clear out those deleted items, open the Photos app, scroll down to the "Albums" section, and look for "Recently Deleted" under "Other Albums." Tap on it, authenticate with Touch ID or Face ID, and you'll see all your deleted photos and videos. Select them, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner, choose "Delete," and confirm. Now, your storage space should be freed up!

To keep your iPhone running smoothly, make it a habit to regularly check your cloud storage for unnecessary backups, and activate the "Optimize iPhone Storage" feature to store lower resolution versions of photos. You might also explore third party apps like Google Photos for more efficient organization. By periodically removing unused apps and using iTunes or Finder for easier file transfers, you can effectively manage your storage and avoid issues down the line.