How to Free Up Storage Space on Your iPhone 8

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Running out of space on your iPhone 8? You’re not alone. Photos, videos, apps, and system files can add up fast—especially after using your phone for a while. Luckily, there are plenty of smart ways to free up storage without deleting everything you love.

Here’s a complete guide to optimizing your iPhone 8 storage when it’s nearly full.

Check Your Storage First

Before deleting anything, see what’s eating up space.

  1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
  2. You’ll see a breakdown of what’s using your storage—apps, media, system, and more.
  3. Tap on any app to see more details and available actions like Offload or Delete.

This overview helps you target the real space hogs.

Optimize Your Camera Settings

Photos and videos take up a huge chunk of storage—but you can reduce the file size without sacrificing quality.

  1. Go to Settings > Camera > Formats.
  2. Choose High Efficiency to save photos and videos in smaller file formats.
  3. Under Record Video, select a lower resolution like 1080p at 30 fps instead of 4K.

You’ll still get sharp media, but it’ll take up far less space.

Offload Unused Apps

Let your iPhone automatically remove apps you rarely use:

  1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
  2. Enable Offload Unused Apps.

App data is saved, so if you reinstall later, your info comes back too.

To do it manually:

  • Tap an app in the list and choose Offload App or Delete App.

Use iCloud Photo Library

Instead of storing full-size photos on your phone:

  1. Go to Settings > Photos.
  2. Turn on iCloud Photos.
  3. Choose Optimize iPhone Storage.

Your full-res images will be stored in iCloud, with lightweight versions kept locally.

Delete Message Attachments

Old images and videos from texts can pile up.

  1. Go to Settings > Messages.
  2. Under Message History, choose Keep Messages and set it to 30 Days or 1 Year.
  3. To delete attachments manually, open Messages, tap and hold a file, then tap Delete.

Transfer Photos to Your Computer

Free up tons of space by moving your media to your computer.

  1. Connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC via USB.
  2. Use the Photos app (Windows or Mac) or Image Capture (Mac) to import images.
  3. Delete the photos from your phone after confirming the transfer.

Stream Instead of Download

Avoid storing massive media files on your device.

  • Use Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube for streaming.
  • Avoid downloading videos unless you really need offline access.
  • Stream games with Apple Arcade instead of downloading huge game files.

Clear App Cache and Temporary Files

Some apps hoard temporary data that bloats over time.

  1. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
  2. Tap on an app and review its Documents & Data size.
  3. If it’s large, delete and reinstall the app to clear the cache.

Update to the Latest iOS

Sometimes updates clean out system junk and improve storage efficiency.

  • Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates.

Reset All Settings

Still having issues? Try resetting system settings:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.
  2. Tap Reset All Settings.

This won’t delete your files but will reset system preferences like Wi-Fi and notifications.

Last Resort: Restore Your iPhone

If all else fails, a full restore wipes your iPhone clean and can fix deep-seated storage bugs.

  1. Connect your iPhone to a computer.
  2. Open iTunes or Finder, and click Restore iPhone.
  3. Set up your device from scratch or restore from a backup afterward.

Need More Storage? Here’s What You Can Do

  • Buy a model with more built-in storage if you’re upgrading.
  • Use a Lightning flash drive for photos and videos.
  • Offload files to iCloud Drive or another cloud service.
  • Switch to a newer iPhone model with more base storage (like the iPhone 13 or 14).

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