I’m certain this sounds acquainted: You’re making an attempt to put in the most recent iOS launch, improve to a brand new iPhone, take images or report video, or simply obtain that cool app everybody’s speaking about, and your iPhone says the storage is full.
You’ve already deleted each app you don’t assume you want, and there’s nonetheless not sufficient area in your iPhone. So that you open Settings, faucet Normal, then iPhone Storage, and, certain sufficient, your iPhone is full. Worst of all, a big chunk of it’s simply listed as Different (renamed System Information in iOS 15). What’s that purported to imply? How do you eliminate it? The System Information/Different storage sections are mysterious and complicated, and there’s nobody reply that works for everybody, however hopefully, this information will assist you take care of this downside.
Newest iPhone launch: iPhone 16e (March 2025), iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Professional and 17 Professional Max (September 2025)
Newest iOS launch: iOS 26.2 (December 2025)
Newest iOS beta: N/A
How you can view your iPhone storage
To see how a lot storage all of your apps and knowledge are taking over in your iPhone’s storage, open the Settings app, choose Normal, then iPhone Storage. On the high, you’ll see a bar graph exhibiting your complete iPhone storage and which kinds of knowledge are filling it up. Beneath that, you’ll discover a record of purposes in your cellphone and the way a lot room they take up, each for the app itself and its saved knowledge.
It could take a number of seconds in your iPhone to point out the graph, because it takes time to scan and analyze its storage. Even after the chart first seems, you’ll wish to wait a number of seconds extra for it to stabilize, because the app record and storage sizes can change whereas your cellphone completes its evaluation.
You’ll discover your iPhone storage particulars just a few layers deep within the Settings app.
What’s System Information (or Different) on iPhone?
Your iPhone Storage menu will divide that bar up high into acquainted classes like Apps, Media, Pictures, and Mail, but in addition a System Information (iOS 15 and later) or Different class that’s typically very giant. It’s widespread for System Information to be within the 5GB to 20GB vary, but when it’s method over 20GB, it has in all probability grown uncontrolled. You’ll be able to scroll all the way in which all the way down to the underside of the app record the place you will note iOS, that are the recordsdata required by the system and are often round 10GB, and System Information, that are recordsdata apart from apps and downloads which might be collected by iOS. Faucet on System Information to see how a lot area it’s taking over.
The System Information/Different class is large and diversified as a result of it’s an actual catch-all class. It contains system caches, logs, Siri voices (for those who’ve downloaded a couple of), updates, and a lot extra. One of many largest culprits for System Information/Different rising out of hand is streaming a lot of music and video. If you obtain video or music from the iTunes Retailer, TV app, or Music app, it’s listed as Media. However streams have caches used to make sure clean playback, and people are categorized as System Information/Different.
Safari’s caches can begin to develop fairly giant, too. And for those who ship tons of texts with pictures or video, the caches for that may begin to replenish loads of area. Your iPhone is meant to handle these caches to maintain your storage from changing into utterly full, however it doesn’t all the time do an important job.
Clearing your Safari knowledge would possibly cut back the dimensions of Different.
We focus on tips on how to delete Different storage on a Mac and tips on how to delete System Information on a Mac separate articles.
How you can cut back the dimensions of System Information/Different on an iPhone
You’ll be able to’t eliminate System Information/Different fully, however you’ll be able to typically cut back its measurement.
First, let’s attempt clearing your Safari caches. Open Settings > Safari and select Clear Historical past and Web site Information. In case you have a lot of Safari tabs open in your iPhone, you would possibly wish to shut most of them, too.
You may also wish to change Messages to save lots of fewer outdated messages. Open Settings, then Messages, and scroll all the way down to the Message Historical past setting. By default, Maintain Messages is about to Ceaselessly, however chances are you’ll wish to change it to 1 12 months and even 30 Days to cut back the information that the Messages app caches. Simply beware that doing it will imply outdated messages will probably be deleted–so when you’ve got any messages you wish to maintain discover a approach to again them up.
In case you’re a heavy texter, your Messages app may be filling up your storage with a lot of information.
Lastly, return to iPhone Storage and take a look at the apps record. A lot of the apps retailer knowledge that’s categorized as Apps, however some will maintain caches which might be categorized as System Information/Different. If, say, the Podcasts app is taking over a few gigabytes of area, it’s probably largely cached knowledge. Deleting the app and re-downloading it would put a dent within the System Information/Different class.
How you can release area taken up by iOS
Whereas Apple enables you to delete inventory iOS apps that you just don’t wish to release area, the system nonetheless takes up fairly a little bit of room, in some circumstances 25GB or extra. Nevertheless, for those who’re operating an iPhone 15 Professional or later and have Apple Intelligence enabled, it’s taking over greater than 10GB of area. Merely turning it off will assist you reclaim it. Head over to the Apple Intelligence & Siri tab in Settings and flip the toggle. The free area received’t present up in storage instantly, however the system will have the ability to use that area to put in updates and apps. And you may all the time flip it again on later.
The nuclear choice: Backup and reset your iPhone
You’ll be able to undergo your iPhone making an attempt to delete each little cache that would develop the dimensions of System Information/Different storage, however for those who actually wish to make it as small as doable, it’s essential again up your cellphone and reset it. This could take a short time. One of the best ways to do that is to make use of your Mac or PC.
On a Mac operating macOS 10.15 Catalina or later:
- First, join your iPhone to your Mac with the bundled USB-C-to-Lightning cable.
- When prompted in your iPhone, faucet “Belief” and enter your passcode.
- Within the Finder sidebar in your Mac, choose your iPhone underneath Areas.
- Click on the Normal tab.
- Choose “Again up the entire knowledge in your iPhone to this Mac.”
- To encrypt your backup knowledge and defend it with a password, verify the “Encrypt native backup” field.
- Click on Again Up Now.
- Notice: You may as well join your iPhone to your laptop wirelessly for those who arrange syncing over Wi-Fi.
Foundry
On a Mac operating macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, or a PC
On a PC or a Mac with macOS 10.14 or earlier you should use iTunes to again up your cellphone. After you join your iPhone to your Mac or PC, choose your iPhone by clicking the little cellphone icon within the higher left, and underneath Backups, select “This Pc” and verify the “Encrypt native backup” field to guard your backup with a password. Then click on the button to Again up now.
Reset and restore
When the backup is completed, disconnect your iPhone, head to Settings > Normal > Reset, and choose Erase All Content material and Settings. This may return your iPhone to its manufacturing unit settings, similar to while you took it out of the field. When it restarts and it’s within the preliminary setup course of, re-connect it to your laptop with iTunes open, and observe the directions on the display to revive your machine.
That is the longest and most concerned approach to cut back the dimensions of System Information/Different storage, however it’s additionally the very best. There’s simply no approach to get it any smaller than will probably be after a recent reset and restore.
