It’s easier than it should be to lose valuable iPhone storage without even realizing it. Between app downloads, automatic updates, media files, and more, your device can fill up fast, and this slows down performance and leaves you scrambling to free up space. If you’ve ever tried to take a photo or download an app only to get a “Storage Almost Full” warning, you know how frustrating it can be. You may be able to gain back a good chunk of storage just by reevaluating the apps you’ve got on your phone—especially the ones you barely use.
While some apps are essential, others take up space without adding much value to your daily routine. Identifying and removing these space-hogging culprits can make your iPhone feel faster and more functional. If you’re ready to clean your phone up and free up storage, here are six iPhone apps many people consider useless and why deleting them might be a smart move.
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1. Games
Games are some of the biggest storage users on an iPhone, especially high-graphic titles like Call of Duty. These apps often take up several gigabytes, not just for the game itself but also for updates and saved data. If you’re no longer playing a game regularly, deleting it can instantly free up a large chunk of space.
2. Streaming Apps
Streaming apps like Netflix, Spotify, or Disney+ may not seem like storage hogs at first, but they often store a lot of downloaded content and cache data in the background. If you tend to download shows, music, or podcasts for offline use, these files can build up quickly. Deleting the app—or at least clearing the downloads within it—can help reclaim space and reduce clutter, especially if you switch between platforms or rarely rewatch content.
3. Social Media Apps
Social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok constantly cache images, videos, and other data to make your experience faster. Over time, these background files can consume tons of storage. If you're tight on space, consider deleting these apps and using their web versions through Safari.
4. Messaging Apps (like WhatsApp)
Messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram often store years of conversations, media files, voice messages, and shared documents. If you’re not careful, this data can take over a large portion of your storage. You can either delete the app entirely or clear out older chats and media within the app’s settings.
5. Map Apps
Navigation apps such as Google Maps or Waze can also take up more space than expected due to offline maps, saved locations, and cached route data. If you don’t rely on these apps daily, removing them can free up extra room. Apple Maps comes pre-installed if you need an alternative.
6. News Apps
News apps like Apple News or CNN keep refreshing articles, images, and videos in the background, which adds up over time. Using Safari or another browser to check the news can be a more storage-efficient option. Deleting news apps you don’t use often is a simple way to clear space without sacrificing access to information.
