How to Clear Your iPhone Memory

Everyone who uses an iPhone frequently has probably seen the dreaded message pop up at one time or another: “Out of memory”. This could be caused by a number of things, but it is usually being caused by the phone running out of storage space that it uses for the programs on it. This is a type of memory that should be distinguished as something separate from the RAM that the phone uses to actually complete tasks. Memory can build up in a number of ways. Simply using the phone to do day to day tasks will build up a lot of files which are no longer needed but remain on the phone until being deleted. This is especially true of programs that you use. Social media is a big one. Beyond social media, consider how many maps you look at, all the websites you visit, and all the games that you play on your phone every day. This isn’t even counting the images you take with the camera, videos you may be recording, or the hundreds (or thousands) of text messages that you get every day.

Manually Clear iPhone Memory

So what do you do to clear your iPhone memory? Here are some options:

• First, follow this direction: Go to Settings > General> Usage. This will show all of your documents and apps based on space usage, with the highest being at the top.
• Delete any applications that you have not used in the last six months. Chances are you will find a lot of them. All they are doing it taking up space and using your RAM, in case they automatically start when your phone is cut on.
• Delete videos you have downloaded through the Videos app. This includes anything you have downloaded when you were watching them on a website. Make sure you transfer anything you want to save to a computer prior to deleting.
• Manage your pictures. Same as above. Transfer anything you don’t want to lose to your computer before you delete them. These area huge space-waster that most people overlook. A lot of people don’t believe that pictures take up a lot of space but, with the high resolutions now being taken on phone cameras, they can be megabytes in size.
• Clear your browser history. This is a huge one. It could be gigabytes or more in size.

The nuclear option

If all else fails, you can do a factory reset on your phone and wipe all of the data. It should be noted that this method will also delete all your login information and contacts, so it should only be used as a last resort. This is useful if the impaired memory of your phone is making it so you are not able to clear the memory any other way. Remember, there is no going back with the above option! Tap Settings and navigate to General. Scroll down until you find Reset. Tap it and select “Erase All Content and Settings”. You will be asked to confirm. Do so and you are all finished.