iPhone Too Full? Try This Clever Trick to Free Up Space Instantly
If your iPhone is too full to take photos, download apps, or even run properly, you’re not alone. Unlike some Android devices, iPhones don’t offer expandable storage. Once you max out the internal memory, things slow down—and fast.
But what if we told you there’s a surprisingly simple trick that can free up space on your iPhone without deleting your favorite apps, photos, or messages? All you have to do is try to rent a movie.
Yes, seriously.
Why Renting a Movie Helps When Your iPhone is Too Full
This clever workaround started on Reddit and was quickly verified by tech enthusiasts and sites like BGR and Business Insider. Here’s how it works:
When your iPhone doesn’t have enough free space to download a large movie from iTunes, the system will attempt to make room by clearing out temporary files, like app caches, cookies, and other “junk” data that you typically can’t delete manually.
As a result, users often recover hundreds of megabytes to several gigabytes of space. Best of all, you don’t have to rent the movie or spend any money. The act of attempting the rental is what triggers the cleanup.
Step-by-Step: How to Free Up Space on a Full iPhone
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Check Your Storage Space
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much space is currently available. -
Find a Large Movie in iTunes
Open the iTunes Store and search for a movie that’s larger than the free space left on your iPhone. (For example, if you have 500MB free, look for a movie that’s around 2 GB.) -
Tap to Rent the Movie
When you try to rent the film, a pop-up will appear saying you don’t have enough space to download it. You’ll be given the option to go back or manage settings. -
Check Your Storage Again
Head back to Settings > iPhone Storage—you’ll likely notice that your available storage has increased!
You can repeat this process a couple of times to gradually clear out more temporary files.
Why This Works
iOS automatically clears out system junk when it needs more space for critical functions. Attempting to rent a large movie acts as a trigger, telling the phone it must free up room. As a result, it purges cache files, Safari history, and other clutter that can build up over time.
Things to Keep in Mind
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Don’t complete the rental unless you want the movie. You won’t be charged if you cancel before confirming.
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Double-check the movie size before renting. If the file is smaller than your available space, the trick won’t work.
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Results may vary—some users free up a few hundred megabytes, others gain several gigabytes.
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It’s safe. No jailbreaking, no third-party apps, and no warranty issues.
A few users on Reddit have noted rare cases where their available space decreased slightly after the attempt. So it’s a good idea to double-check before and after you try it.
Final Thoughts
If your iPhone is too full and you don’t want to spend time manually deleting photos, apps, or music, this quick fix can help you reclaim valuable space—fast and for free.
Have you tried this trick? Let us know your results in the comments, and for more tech tips and iPhone hacks, be sure to subscribe to Vision Computer Solutions’ blog.
