YOUR latest iPhone update might have just eaten up 7GB worth of storage overnight.
Apple’s new AI-powered feature, Apple Intelligence, is switched on by default on all compatible devices in iOS 18.3.
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It brings a bundle of new features, like a smarter Siri, custom emoji, message summaries and image generation.
But all those new features require more space on your phone – if your device is eligible.
Apple Intelligence is available on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Now, you can choose to disable Apple Intelligence entirely, and free up a whopping 7GB.
You can do this in Settings, by going to the new Apple Intelligence & Siri section.
From there, you can toggle off Apple Intelligence.
Doing so will prompt a confirmation, after which the system will remove nearly all AI features.
Although, some new AI tools like the Clean Up feature in the Photos app may remain available.
It’s an easy fix, that only takes a few seconds.
But if you want to make use of the new AI-powered features, then you may need a few extra storage tricks up your sleeve.
Offload unused apps
If you have apps that you rarely use but don’t want to delete permanently, you can offload them.
This means the app is removed but the documents and data are still intact – so it takes up less storage than a fully installed app.
- Go to Settings tap on General
- Select iPhone Storage
- Scroll down and tap on the app you want to offload, and choose Offload App
Optimise photos and videos
Photos and videos can take up a significant amount of storage space.
But a nifty button in Settings can save the high-resolution versions of this media to iCloud.
They’re still on your device, but in a lower resolution until you click on them and load the high-res versions.
To optimise storage, enable the Optimise iPhone Storage option in Settings > Photos & Camera.
Clear Safari Cache
Over time, Safari accumulates cache – just like the internet browser on your PC or laptop does.
To clear this, simply follow these steps:
- Open Settings tap on Safari
- Select Clear History and Website Data
- Confirm your choice by tapping Clear History and Data
This will also remove offline reading list data and free up storage space.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best…
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen, then tap in the bar and type a currency (like €200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you’re due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you’re down to 80% capacity. If you’re below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
