6 Free Up iPhone Storage Without Deleting Apps or Files

Fix iPhone Storage Full Without Removing Apps 

Free Up iPhone Storage Without Deleting Apps or Files? 

iPhone storage is completely full. 

You cannot delete apps or files (all are important). 

In this situation, the goal is to free up invisible or non-critical storage without touching your important data. Here are the solutions: 

Free Up iPhone Storage Without Deleting Apps or Files

Step 1: Clear System Cache & Temporary Files 

• Go to Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data (this won’t delete passwords/bookmarks, just cached junk). 
• Restart the phone — iOS clears some temporary files automatically during reboot. 

Step 2: Offload Unused Apps (without deleting data) 

• Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Enable Offload Unused Apps. 
• This removes the app itself but keeps your documents and data. When you reinstall, everything comes back.  

(Safe because your files/settings inside apps won’t be lost.) 

Step 3: Optimize Photos & Videos (Biggest Space Saver) 

• Turn on iCloud Photos → Optimize iPhone Storage. 
• Your full-resolution photos/videos move to iCloud, while smaller versions stay on your device. 
• (You don’t lose photos — just full versions are in the cloud.) 

If you don’t want iCloud, connect your iPhone to a computer/external drive, transfer the photos/videos there, and keep only compressed versions on the phone. 

Step 4: Remove “Other/System Data” Junk 

• The “System Data” (cache, logs, updates) often takes GBs. To clear: 
• Back up your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes. 
• Do a factory reset (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset → Erase All Content and Settings). 
• Restore from backup. 

This shrinks the “System Data” without deleting your important files. 

Step 5: Use External Storage (Without Deleting Anything) 

• Plug in a Lightning OTG USB drive (many brands available, like SanDisk iXpand). 
• Move big files (videos, PDFs, offline maps, etc.) to the drive. 
• Access them anytime via the companion app. 

Step 6: Cloud Options (No deletion, just relocation) 

• iCloud Drive / Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive → Move heavy files there. 
• Access them on demand without keeping them fully on the device. 
• Quick Hidden Trick: “Force iPhone to Create Space” 
• Try to rent a large movie from the iTunes Store (larger than your available space). 
• iOS will attempt to make room by deleting temporary/junk files. 
• Cancel the download → you’ll notice free space appears. 

👉 So, you don’t have to delete apps/files — instead, you’re reclaiming hidden space, compressing media, and relocating big files.