It’s so weird when you find out that your iPhone storage is almost full, and the culprit is the system data.
The question will be how to clear system data on iphone.
It can be annoying checking your iPhone storage and seeing 130GB in system data.
So annoying, especially if you can’t get rid of it.
Now listen, I have been in this type of situation a couple of times, and I will explain how you can go about it.
How to clear system data on iphone
To clear system data on an iPhone, simply delete a file, then turn off your phone. Wait a few seconds and turn it on; the large amount of system data on your iPhone will be cleared.
I know many will tell you to reset your phone. Seriously, that’s crazy because this usually occurs (for me), and does it mean I will be resetting my iPhone very often?
No way.
In my situation, I deleted unwanted photos and videos those I did not like on my iPhone.
Mostly, I deleted photos and one or two videos. After deleting the photos, I removed them from the trash bin on my iPhone, or probably “Recently Deleted” making sure they are no longer available on my phone.
Next, I switched off my phone for a few seconds and powered it on.
I went back to check my iPhone storage to see if the system data still had a huge file size. I was amazed that it went the size reduced drastically.
The other time it happened I was so furious because I wanted to update my phone, I went ahead with the update.
During the update, it stopped at one point because my storage was full, and I had to restart my phone.
And that was it, the system data size went from 133GB to 1.07GB.
This made me to believe that updating your iPhone will help to clear system data in your iPhone.
Talking about resetting of your iPhone;
The very first time this happened to me, i had to reset my phone, and that worked.
However, it happened again, and resetting the phone did not work.
Only a few gigabyte was removed and I left it like that.
At one point, my phone was almost full. I had to delete a photo, shut down the phone, and that was it.
The system data went from 115GB to 5GB.
Ever since then, I have no longer reset my phone if my iPhone system data gets huge.
I don’t recommend resetting the phone or erasing all content and settings, because this issue happens very often for me.
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What triggers huge system data on iPhone
In my case, I noticed that if I shoot a lot of videos and photos on my iPhone, especially using a third-party app, the system data usually increases in size.
If i go ahead and delete the photos from my phone, it helps to clear the system data, and this includes deleting or transferring videos to my SSD.
Another thing I noticed is that uninstalling or offloading some apps from my phone does absolutely nothing to the system data, especially for apps I use most, like Instagram, X (Twitter), WhatsApp, and YouTube.
But if I delete some photos and videos, or transfer them to another phone or SSD drive, then turn my phone off and on again, the system data is cleared.
Talking about how to clear system data on iphone, simply delete some photos and videos on your iPhone, turn off your phone forca few seconds, and turn it on.
The large system data will be cleared or reduced drastically.
Other methods
Clear Safari Cache
- Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
- Confirm to clear cached data.
Delete Unused Apps
- In iPhone Storage, identify apps with large data. Tap and delete unused apps.
Offload Unused Apps
- Go to Settings > App Store > Enable Offload Unused Apps.
- This removes app data but retains app settings.
Restart Your iPhone
- A simple restart can clear temporary system files.
Press and hold the power button, then slide to power off. Turn the phone back on.
If all the methods did not work for you, then I recommend this very last option.
Reset System Settings
Mind you, doing this will not delete all apps, photos, and videos on your phone because you are not erasing the data on your iPhone.
To do so;
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
- This resets system settings without deleting personal data.
Doing this will likely clear system data on your iPhone, but this method does not always work.
But there’s no harm in trying, as it doesn’t entail wiping data from your iPhone.
Now listen, i don’t recommend this method of Erase All Content and Settings.
Reason being that this issue might occur repeatedly in my experience. So will you be erasing data from your iPhone whenever it happens?
That’s a whole lot of stress for me.
I don’t do this or resetting my phone.
How to delete system data on iphone without resetting
To delete system data on an iPhone without resetting, simply update your phone, delete unwanted photos and videos, and restart your phone. This will delete system data files from your phone.
I’m saying this based on my experience because sometimes I have this issue with having large system data files on my iPhone.
And this is how I fixed the problem.
What is actually system data on iphone & iPad?
System Data (previously called “Other”) on an iPhone refers to miscellaneous files that don’t fall into specific categories like Apps, Photos, or Media.
It includes temporary files, system caches, logs, and other system-related data essential for the device to function. This category can grow over time as you use your iPhone.
What Does System Data Include?
- Caches: Temporary files stored by apps, such as streaming data, Safari web cache, or app-specific cache.
- Logs: Diagnostic and usage logs generated by the system or apps.
- Temporary Files: Files created temporarily by apps or the system, like incomplete downloads.
- System Updates: Partially downloaded or leftover update files.
- Siri Data: Siri voices, language files, and other related content.
- iCloud Sync Data: Files stored temporarily for syncing data with iCloud.
- Other Background Processes: Miscellaneous system functions that accumulate data over time.
Why Does System Data Grow?
- Frequent app usage and streaming can lead to the accumulation of cached files.
- System updates may leave behind temporary files.
- Safari and other browsers may store large amounts of website data.
- Messaging apps and social media may cache images, videos, and other content.
How to Manage System Data?
- Restart your iPhone to clear temporary files.
- Clear caches for apps (like Safari and others with manual options).
- Delete unused apps or reinstall apps with large caches.
- Manage iMessage and other messaging app storage by deleting old conversations.
If System Data takes up an excessive amount of space, these steps can help minimize its size. However, some portion of System Data is essential and cannot be entirely removed.
So when asking how to delete system data on iphone, simply restart your phone as it helps to get rid of cached files, update your phone, and get rid of unwanted photos and videos which afterwards restart or reboot your phone.
