Skip to main content
Tired woman showing effects of lack of sleep.
Delicious banana nice cream dessert for healthy eating.
Jennifer Lopez stunning in Defaience at AMAs 2025.

Tech

The Surprising iMessage Setting That Destroys Your iPhone's Storage

December 20, 2019 by Lisa Cupido
shefinds | Tech
Featured image

It’s so common – yet so frustrating: you may not be sure what to do when that little message pops up on your iPhone letting you know you’re almost out of storage.

Here’s what not to do: don’t panic. There’s a solution for that.

More so than ever before, one of the biggest culprits behind loss of data is iMessages. This is the surprising iMessage setting that destroys your iPhone’s storage.

house unit img
Women Are Swapping Their Boring Water For This Ice Pop Electrolyte Mix!
iphone

If you do a quick check in iMessages you may be shocked to learn that those text exchanges add up fast. And we aren’t just storing verbal exchanges, we are sharing images and videos with friends and family - files that take up a lot of storage space.

iphone

You may be thinking: sure, I need note storage space, but I also really need most of my texts. Deleting them will obviously help with storage, but it is not the only way out.


According to Apple Tool Box:

 

"For those of you who have messages that you absolutely need to save, I have a couple of suggestions:

Create a backup of your iPhone to save those very important messages (VIMs)
Take screenshots of your VIMs by pressing the power and home buttons at the same time
There’s an app for that of course!  So try our PhoneView, iExplorer, or TouchCopy to archive your messages."

iphone

Another temporary solution is to save your text messages to iPhoto by taking a screenshot of the most important texts and saving them to your photo app. This will help you keep part of them secure, while still being able to delete the message thread that is taking up storage space.

iphone

If honing in on iMessages is not solving your storage dilemma, do this to see if this app is even a problem. To check how much storage iMessages is using:

Go to Settings > General
For iOS 11 and above choose iPhone (or iPad) Storage
For iOS 10 and below see Storage & iCloud Usage. Tap Manage Storage
If your available storage is under 10GB, its time to get cracking on finding out which other apps are taking up space (and it’s never a bad idea to start with a Facebook).

Read More

Author:

Lisa Fogarty is a lifestyle writer and reporter based in New York who covers health, wellness, relationships, sex, beauty, and parenting.

iPhone 17 showcasing sleek design and advanced features
Woman working on a laptop, focused and productive
Smartphone plugged in, indicating charging status
iPhone apps displayed on the screen for user navigation
Close-up of male hands holding an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Using an iPhone to access apps and features
Holding iPhone with various apps visible on the screen
Woman texting on a smartphone, engaged in conversation
Android phone displaying a variety of applications
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 smartphone in a stylish setting
Woman enjoying a fresh summer watermelon salad outdoors
Holding an Android phone, showcasing its app interface
iPhone 14 with multiple apps open on the screen
iPhone settings screen indicating battery needs charging
Sony headphones, iPad, and laptop set up for productivity
Using an iPhone to browse or communicate
iPhone apps displayed in a colorful digital layout
iPhone storage full notification on the screen
Holding an iPhone, ready to make a call or text
iPhone screen showcasing various applications for user access
iPhone 17 showcasing sleek design and advanced features
Woman working on a laptop, focused and productive
Smartphone plugged in, indicating charging status
iPhone apps displayed on the screen for user navigation
Close-up of male hands holding an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Using an iPhone to access apps and features
Holding iPhone with various apps visible on the screen
Woman texting on a smartphone, engaged in conversation
Android phone displaying a variety of applications
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 smartphone in a stylish setting
Woman enjoying a fresh summer watermelon salad outdoors
Holding an Android phone, showcasing its app interface
iPhone 14 with multiple apps open on the screen
iPhone settings screen indicating battery needs charging
Sony headphones, iPad, and laptop set up for productivity
Using an iPhone to browse or communicate
iPhone apps displayed in a colorful digital layout
iPhone storage full notification on the screen
Holding an iPhone, ready to make a call or text
iPhone screen showcasing various applications for user access