Want to update your iPhone or upgrade to the latest iOS version, but you have low storage space? Whenever a new iOS version is released, it comes with new bug fixes, features, emoji, and much more, but the excitement of upgrading to it can be spoiled by inadequate room on your iPhone to update or upgrade the device.
If you want to install updates directly to your iPhone through wireless connection and your phone’s storage is low, maybe there are apps and media files eating up space, you’ll get a warning that the update can’t continue owing to low free space.
However, you can still use a few options to upgrade to a new iOS version with a few tips we’re going to show you here on what to do about low storage space. These tips work for all devices running any iOS version and iTunes version.
Update iPhone When You Have Low Storage Space
Use iTunes
If you already sync your iPhone using your computer, you can do this for the iOS update as well because the installation software will be downloaded to the computer and not your iPhone. Only necessary files will be installed to your phone thus cutting down the storage needed to update.
iTunes understands what’s on the iPhone and the space left on it, so it can use the data to create room for updates without deleting anything.
To download and install iOS updates using iTunes, delete apps that are hogging up space. You can remove built-in apps though this doesn’t really clear space; they’re just hidden from normal view.
In iPhone Storage area on iOS 12 settings, you can get recommendations on how to free up space including deleting texts that are older than a year or storing photos to iCloud. You can also offload unused apps to gain more storage.
More tips to get more storage for iOS update installation
- Delete apps you don’t use like games or very old apps you forgot about
- Clear deleted or old voicemails
- Remove photos you don’t need or already deleted
- Delete podcast episodes you downloaded but haven’t listened to as they eat up storage space
- Delete non-HDR photos and then clear deleted photos
- Clear out large or old emails including those in the trash folder, to gain more space for the update
These tips should help you clear enough disk space to upgrade or update your ios version. Try to update again once you have cleared some room and see if it works. If it does help, and you want some of the data or apps back, you can download them again.
Elsie is a tech writer with 8+ years professional experience. For Tech News Watch, she brings rich experience contributing to topics such as Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS among others. In her spare time, she loves checking out the latest tech trends, gadgets, and news, listening to music and cars.
Leave a Reply