I've got an iPhone 14 with 128GB of storage, but it's constantly almost full, making it super sluggish. My photos take up about 37GB and my messages around 13-14GB, but my system data is hogging a whopping 55GB! I've attempted clearing caches and deleting/reinstalling apps, but nothing seems to work. Is there any way to reduce this system data?
3 Answers
What iOS version are you on? I've read that Apple might cache updates on your device until you upgrade the OS. Since you have a lot of photos, do you use iCloud with the optimization feature? If so, that could be storing data locally as well. I went through my own photos and deleted duplicates to save space. Also, check apps like WhatsApp and Spotify; sometimes they keep a lot of stored data. Head to Settings > Storage > Manage Storage to take a look.
Yeah, I'm curious about this issue, too. Are you scheduled to visit an Apple Store for help? That might give you some insights!
Yes! I'm heading to an Apple Store tomorrow to ask for assistance. I'll keep you posted!
It sounds like you might be dealing with a caching issue, especially if you're not on the latest iOS version (iOS 26.2.1). How much storage do you currently have free?
I'm still on iOS 18.5 and can’t update due to no available storage. I have around 3000 photos, and I used to manage up to 8-10k photos without issues. I've been regularly checking my camera roll. I deleted WhatsApp before to free up some space, and my Spotify only takes up 1GB. I don't think I use iCloud much since my phone is linked to my family's account, so I keep most stuff local. Thanks for your tips!