Starting with iOS 11, Apple began offering a new feature that provides suggestions on how you can save space on your iOS device. These built-in space-saving suggestions, which can be found in the Settings app, can help you free up space on your iPhone when storage space is running low.

Toggling on Space Saving Suggestions

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap on "General."
  3. Choose "iPhone Storage."ios11iphonestorage
  4. Tap "Enable" on any of the suggestions Apple provides to turn them on.

Offload Unused Apps

One of Apple's suggestions is to automatically delete unused apps when the storage space on your device is low. If you enable this feature, Apple will delete apps you don't use often, while saving the documents and data so you can download them again and pick right back up where you were if necessary.

ios11offloadapps
You can also offload individual apps by selecting them from the list of apps located just below all of Apple's suggestions.

Auto Delete Old Conversations

With "Auto Delete Old Conversations" enabled, Apple will automatically delete all messages and attachments that were sent over a year ago. This can save significant space, but be aware that once gone, there's no getting those messages back.

Review Large Attachments

The "Review Large Attachments" feature lets you see a list of the largest files on your device, located in Photos, Mail, and Messages. A tap will let you view a file up close, and a swipe to the left on an item in the file list will bring up an option to delete it. You can mass delete files by tapping on the "Edit" button in the upper right corner of the device.

ios11storageattachments
Along with these three options for storing space, the Storage section of the Settings app also displays all of the apps you have installed, with the app using the most storage space at the top. It also lets you know how long ago the app was last used, making it easy to cull items that aren't used often.

Depending on what's installed on your device, you may or may not see all of these storage options, but if you're getting low on space, they should appear.

Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

ArtOfWarfare Avatar
97 months ago
Offloading your apps sounds risky to me. It ends with "if the app is still available in the App Store" - not sure about you guys, but when MacRumors tells me something will likely be remove from the App Store, I jump on it.

IE, I have Floppy Cloud on my iPhone, the app that has a secret NES emulator in it - just put an NES ROM in Dropbox and the app will load up and run the game. I also have a "flashlight app" on my iPhone that actually enables tethering without paying your carrier.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M.PaulCezanne Avatar
97 months ago
Welcome features. Thanks for the tips!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HalGumbert Avatar
97 months ago
Is there any way to 'select all' rather than tapping each large attachment?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ediks Avatar
97 months ago
Would be better if we could delete the apps cache
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fede777 Avatar
97 months ago
I don't understand why my System says 6GB while some friends report just 1GB. What's going on?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
greekappi Avatar
97 months ago
Should this only delete the attachment in the message, and not from the photo library?
Yes, this is only to clear up space associated with each app, so getting rid of the image/video/pdf attachments in Messages will not remove them from the photo library.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...