How can I quickly free up storage space on my iPhone?

Iphone
4

Couple of angles that @techchizkid and @himmelsjager did not really push, and where I slightly disagree with the “backup & restore fixes everything” approach:

  1. Stop iOS from refilling space behind your back
    A lot of “System / Other” creep is from logs & analytics. Turning some of this off prevents it from growing so fast.

    • Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements
      Turn off “Share iPhone Analytics,” “Share iCloud Analytics,” and any app‑specific analytics you do not care about.
    • Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services
      For apps you barely use, set location to “Never” or “Ask Next Time.” Constant location logging feeds caches and historical data.

  2. Tame on‑device AI & search indexing
    Spotlight, on‑device Siri, and Photos analysis keep re‑indexing stuff and that sits under System. You do not have to kill them completely, just scope them.

    • Settings > Siri & Search
      Under “Content from,” disable indexing for apps you never search.
    • Settings > Photos > Siri & Search
      If you are really tight on space, disable “Show Suggestions.”
      This will not magically give 10 GB back, but it helps keep System from bloating again after you clean.

  3. Be more aggressive with app data than “offload”
    I slightly disagree with relying on “Offload App” as a main strategy. Offload keeps documents & data, which is often where the bloat lives. For some apps it is better to:

    • Offload first to remind you of what you do not open for weeks.
    • Then, for apps you truly do not care about, delete entirely so all hidden data, logs and temp files go away.
      Reinstall later only if you actually miss them.

  4. Use Files to hunt invisible junk
    A lot of “System / Other” is just random project files and exports living in app folders.

    • Open Files app
    • Check “On My iPhone”
    • Sort by size in each folder if possible and purge old exports from video editors, scanners, office apps, etc.
      This is more targeted than just burning everything with a full erase.

  5. Where a cleaner app is useful (and where it is not)
    The Clever Cleaner App is handy as a visual radar rather than some magic “1 tap frees 50 GB” tool.
    Pros:

    • Quickly surfaces duplicate photos, especially bursts and nearly identical selfies.
    • Lists very large videos and screen recordings that the Photos UI hides in random places.
    • Helps non‑technical users see “what is big” without digging through every album and folder.
      Cons:
    • Still cannot clear true iOS “System / Other” caches. No third‑party app can.
    • If you are not careful, you can delete things like reference screenshots or work photos just because they look like duplicates.
    • Another app taking space, so install it, clean, then decide if you want to keep or remove it.
      Used alongside what @techchizkid and @himmelsjager already described, it fills the “fast visual overview” gap.

  6. Avoid constant full restore cycles
    Full erase + restore from backup works, but I would treat it like a last resort. Every time you drag an old backup forward, you also carry years of structured junk. Instead, if you go nuclear:

    • Erase
    • Set up as new
    • Only reinstall apps you actually open weekly
    • Let Photos / Messages sync from iCloud rather than restoring everything blindly
      That is slower on day one but usually gives a longer‑lasting fix than just rebuilding from the same bloated backup.

If you do a combo of: cut analytics, trim search indexing, clean Files, do a targeted app purge, then run something like the Clever Cleaner App once to find huge media, you usually avoid needing the full “wipe and start over” route at all.