By Anna Sherry

Updated on 2025-01-13

100 % Helpful

iPhone Tips

iOS 18 Storage Bug: Free up Space When iOS 18 Storage Full

By Anna Sherry

2025-01-13 / iOS 18

Rate now!

Apple's iOS 18 is set to launch soon! Like others, you must be excited, right? However, if you want to experience its ultimate real benefits, you must know how much space does iOS 18 take up and why does iOS 18 take up so much storage? One more thing - how can you free up space to update to iOS 18?

Well, don't worry if you don't know the answers to these queries; this post has completely covered you. Read it to learn the methods to free up space to update to the iOS 18 without hassle.

Part 1: Overview of iOS 18 Storage

Part 2: How to Free up Space When iOS 18 Storage Full

1.One Click to Free up Space When iOS 18 Storage Full HOT
2. Uninstall Less Frequently Used Apps
3. Delete Unwanted Photos and Videos
4. Transfer Files to External Storage
5. Clear Caches of Safari and Apps

Part 3: Additional Tips for Managing Storage to Update to iOS 18

Part 4: FAQs About Freeing Up Space to Update iOS 18

Part 1: Overview of iOS 18 Storage

1.How Much Space Will iOS 18 Take up

Usually, you will need at least 5 to 17 GB of free space to update to the iOS 18 version. These are the general iOS 18 space requirements, but different devices may need different storage in various environments.

You don't need to worry about iOS 18 continuously eating up more and more storage with each update. The initial downloads may be large, but the installed updates should have a similar storage footprint to iOS 17, ensuring your available storage remains manageable throughout the beta testing period.

2.How to Check Which File Is Consuming More Space on iOS Device

Now you have received the information about iOS 18 space requirements and storage size. But before updating, kindly check that your device has enough storage to avoid update failure. Firstly, determine which files take up all that space on your iPhone. Follow the steps given here below:

Open settings and go to General.
Click on iPhone Storage.
You will see a breakdown of your storage usage, which will assist you in identifying what's taking up the most space.
This way, you can find files that occupy most of your device space.

Part 2: How to Free up Space When iOS 18 Storage Full

If you receive an alert indicating free up space to update to iOS 18. It is crucial to identify which files are consuming the most space in order to free up space and proceed with the installation of iOS 18. The following methods will help you in this regard:

Method 1. One Click to Free up Space When iOS 18 Storage Full

If you're struggling to free up enough space to install the iOS 18 update, Tenorshare iCareFone offers a convenient and efficient solution. This powerful tool allows you to back up all data from your iOS device running iOS 18/17 or earlier versions to your computer with just a single click, and it's completely free to use. Then it's simple to prepare your iPhone for iOS 18 by backing up to a PC and registering for the developer beta.

Key Features

Free to back up and free up space on your iOS 18 device
1-Click to transfer photos from iPhone to PC/Mac
Transfer/manage contacts, music, videos, messages between iPhone/iPad and PC/Mac.
Selectively backup iPhone to computer and restore to device/external drive.

Steps to Free up Space to Update iOS 18

Download and install Tenorshare iCareFone to your computer. Connect your phone to the computer using a USB cable.

Open iCareFone and select the “Backup & Restore” tab from the left bar.

Select all the files and data types you’d like to backup. In this case, you want to select photos and videos. Then, hit the Backup button in the corner.

Wait for the process to complete, and your photos and videos will be successfully backed up to your computer. Then you can prepare your iPhone for iOS 18 by backing up to a PC and registering for the iOS 18 developer mode.

Method 2. Uninstall not Frequently Used Apps

To free up space to get rid of the notification that iOS 18 more storage required, you can also delete less wanted and unused apps. By removing unused apps, you'll be able to free up valuable storage space and successfully update to iOS 18 by creating iOS 18 storage. For this purpose, follow the here below steps:

Quickly find the app you want to uninstall or delete on your home screen.
Click and hold the app icon for a few seconds.
Click on the remove app.
Finally, confirm that you want to delete the app by clicking Delete App.

Method 3. Delete Unwanted Photos and Videos

Photos and videos have a significant amount of storage space on your device. To free up space and to make sure easy to update to iOS 18, follow these steps to delete and erase unwanted media files:

Open the "Photos" app on your phone or PC.
In the second step, search through your albums and pick the photos or videos you no longer need or want to delete.
In the third step, carefully click the "Select" button to choose the items for deletion.
Click the trash can icon to shift the selected items to the "Recently Deleted" album.
Finally, ensure the deletion of items by tapping Delete in the pop-up window.

Method 4. Transfer Files to External Storage

If you want to free up space on your phone for the iOS 18 update but don't want to delete and erase important files, transfer them to an external storage device. Here's how:

Connect your phone to a computer using a compatible cable.
Open iTunes or the Finder app on your PC in the second step.
Select your device from the list of connected devices.
Pick the files or folders you want to transfer or shift, such as photos, videos, or documents.
Transfer carefully the selected files to an external hard drive, USB drive, or cloud storage service like iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

Method 5. Clear Caches of Safari and Apps

Clearing the cache of Safari and other apps makes the system clean and helps clear memory, improve performance, and protect the device. It helps you to forget the thought of why does iOS 18 takes up so much storage.

Clearing the cache in Safari and the third-party app is a simple and easy method to free up system memory. Following are some simple steps to clear the Safari and apps cache.

Open Settings, scroll down and click simply on Safari.
Scroll down again, click on Clear History and Website Data, and click on it again to make sure and confirm.

Part 3: Additional Tips for Managing Storage to Update to iOS 18

Managing storage to update to iOS 18 is tedious yet crucial; below are some more tips to simplify the process.

1.Regularly Clean Your Device

Regularly or periodically cleaning your phone or device is necessary to maintain storage space and ensure easy and smooth update to the iOS 18 version.

First, you must set a reminder to check and manage your storage regularly, usually once a week. It is for identifying and recognizing apps, files, and data that are taking up the most storage and space. Then, delete unused and unwanted apps, games, and files that are no longer needed or required.

2. Enable Automatic Downloads Wisely

Automatic downloads can be convenient but can also quickly consume storage space. To manage storage effectively, consider adjusting your automatic download settings wisely. By disabling automatic downloads for items you rarely access, you'll prevent unnecessary storage consumption and reduce clutter on your device. This will help you free up space and ensure a smooth update to iOS 18.

3. Use Tenorshare iCareFone for Backups

Instead of relying on local backups, which can quickly fill up your device's storage, consider using Tenorshare iCareFone to prepare your iPhone for iOS 18 by backing up to a PC and registering for the developer beta. This not only frees up space on your device but also provides a secure and reliable backup solution for your data.

Part 4: FAQs About Freeing Up Space to Update iOS 18

Q1: What happens if you don't have enough space for iOS 18?

If there isn't sufficient storage to download and install an update, the software on your device will try to make space. It will remove only app data that it can download again and doesn't remove or change the location of any of your data. If your device still doesn't have enough storage, you can use your PC to update it.

Q2: What happens when iPhone storage is full?

When the storage of your iPhone device is full, it will make your device's performance noticeably slow while opening the apps or browsing online. Your device will not install apps, and iCloud Photo Library will struggle to sync incoming files. It will be easy to get rid of it once you clean it up.

Q3: Why does iOS 18 use so much space?

The iOS uses so much space because the update takes up space on your device. System files and logs can take up space on your device. Moreover, bugs in the beta software can cause it to use more storage space than necessary. The beta software may be storing additional data for testing and development purposes.

Conclusion

Preparing your iPhone for the iOS 18 update by freeing up storage space is essential for a smooth and successful installation process. By following the methods outlined in this guide, such as using Tenorshare iCareFone, uninstalling unnecessary apps, deleting unwanted files, and enabling automatic downloads wisely, you can ensure your device has ample space to accommodate the exciting new features of iOS 18. So be one of the users who are fully prepared to unveil the magical features of the iOS 18.