iOS 18 has officially launched for public users, bringing exciting new features that are set to transform iPhone customization. Among the key updates are improved options for customizing both the home screen and lock screen, allowing for flexible app and widget placements along with personalized designs. The update also introduces a revamped Control Center and a new password management application. Here’s how you can download iOS 18.
With numerous updates included, it’s likely that iOS 18 will require significant storage space on your iPhone, which could increase the chances of installation failures. In our previous article, we provided a step-by-step guide on what to do before installing iOS 18. Now, we’ll share tips on how to free up space on your iPhone without losing your data.
iOS 18: Freeing Up Space on Your iPhoneiPhones are often known for their limited storage, but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade to iOS 18. Here are five steps to help you create more space on your device:
# Analyze Your Storage: Before deleting anything, determine which apps or items are consuming the most space. Go to General Settings and select iPhone Storage. The top bar will show what is taking up your iPhone's space. While you don’t need to analyze the numbers in-depth, it's wise to reserve at least 10GB for iOS updates and keep an additional 2GB free for regular activities like taking photos and installing apps.
# Offload Unused Apps: Once you identify space hogs, you can choose to delete them permanently or offload them. Some apps may rarely be used and only occupy space on your iPhone. To free up space while retaining app settings, utilize the Offload App feature:
- Go to your iPhone's storage list.
- Select the app you wish to offload.
- Tap Offload App.
# The app will remain on your home screen, but its data will be removed. You can easily re-download it by tapping the icon.
# Check Photo and Video Storage: Photos and videos often occupy a significant amount of storage space. To address this, consider optimizing photo storage.
# Navigate to the Storage settings and find Photos. You’ll see a toggle for Optimize iPhone Storage. Activating this feature may take some time, especially with a large media library, but it can free up a considerable amount of space. Optimizing photos will reduce them to smaller, lower-resolution versions, which are also easier to upload to iCloud.
# Remove Old Messages: While text messages and iMessage threads don't take up much space, their attachments can. If you frequently send emojis or photos, the total size can add up. To save space, go to the Messages app to delete individual messages or entire conversations, starting with the Unknown Senders folder.
# Delete Mail Attachments: Like messages, mail attachments can consume a lot of storage. You can either delete all emails with attachments in a few clicks or set a custom size limit (e.g., 15MB) to remove emails with larger attachments. This targeted method allows you to efficiently clear out space-hogging emails.