A lack of available storage on your iPhone or iPad can lead to a plethora of issues, including your Ultimate Backup being unable to back up your files. There are a few methods in which you can easily free up space on your iOS device, and this guide will cover the most common ways.
METHOD 1: OPTIMIZE STORAGE
If you have enough iCloud storage, one of the easiest ways to free up space is to use a feature called Optimize iPhone Storage, which can be found in Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos.
- Open your Settings app and tap on your name at the top:
- Tap iCloud, and then tap Photos:
- Ensure Optimize iPhone Storage is checked, and not Download and Keep Originals:
- Take note of the Status as well:
- If it says Synced Just Now, your photos have all been uploaded to iCloud.
- If it says Syncing ## Items, it's not done, and may be stuck due to the lack of available storage.
METHOD 2: PHONE STORAGE AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Look over your iPhone storage usage and recommendations in Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Return to the main Settings screen, tap General, and then tap iPhone Storage:
- This screen will show you how much storage is used, recommendations for freeing up space, and a list of every app installed on your iPhone, from largest to smallest. Consider the listed Recommendations on this screen (there will be an explanation for each) and look over the larger apps listed here:
- Tapping on any app listed here will show you the size of the app (App Size - e.g. the Photos app itself) and the size of the personal data stored within the app (Documents & Data - e.g. all of your pictures and videos stored within the Photos app):
- Most apps here will also give you an Offload App option (which frees up the App Size listed) and a Delete App option (which frees up both the App Size and Documents & Data listed). Consider offloading apps (even just temporarily) to free up space, as the icon (along with all of your data) will remain on your phone, ready for the next time you tap to open the app, which will automatically cause the app to reinstall:
Once you've freed up space, give the backup another try to see if you have different results. For more help regarding iPhone storage, I would suggest contacting Apple support.
**If you need any additional assistance, please contact Ultimate Backup support.