What Is Other Storage on iPhone? Explained

Q: Why is Other Storage so large on my iPhone?

Other Storage (System Data) grows over time as apps accumulate caches, Safari stores website data, Mail downloads attachments, and iOS creates logs and temporary files. Streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Netflix also store offline caches here. It is common for Other Storage to reach 10-20 GB on iPhones that have not been restored recently.

Q: Can I delete Other Storage on iPhone?

There is no single button to delete Other Storage. However, you can reduce it by clearing Safari cache (Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data), offloading unused apps, deleting and reinstalling cache-heavy apps, restarting your iPhone, or as a last resort, backing up and restoring your iPhone through iTunes or Finder.

Other Storage (renamed to "System Data" in iOS 15 and later) is a catch-all category in iPhone storage settings that includes system caches, logs, Siri voices, fonts, Safari website data, Mail attachments, and other temporary files that do not fit into standard categories like Apps, Photos, or Media. It is not directly deletable, but there are ways to reduce it.

What Is Included in Other Storage

The "Other" or "System Data" category is a collection of miscellaneous data that iOS needs to function. It includes:

App caches — temporary data stored by apps for faster loading (streaming music, podcast downloads, social media caches)
Safari data — browsing history, website caches, cookies, and offline reading lists
Mail attachments — downloaded email attachments and cached message data
System logs — diagnostic and crash logs used by iOS
Siri voices — downloaded voice packs for Siri
Fonts — custom and system font data
Keychain data — encrypted passwords and credentials
Software update files — partially downloaded or staged iOS updates

Why Other Storage Keeps Growing

Other Storage tends to grow over time because iOS and apps continuously generate caches and temporary files. Streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Netflix store significant amounts of offline cache data. Safari accumulates website data from every site you visit. Mail downloads attachments in the background. The longer you use your iPhone without restoring it, the more Other Storage tends to accumulate.

It is common for Other Storage to reach 10-20 GB on iPhones that have been in use for a year or more without a fresh restore. In extreme cases, it can consume 30 GB or more.

How to Reduce Other Storage

There is no single "Delete Other Storage" button, but these steps can help reduce it:

Clear Safari cache — Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. This removes browsing history, cookies, and cached website data.
Offload unused apps — Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and offload apps you rarely use. This removes the app but keeps its data.
Delete and reinstall cache-heavy apps — Apps like Spotify, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter accumulate large caches. Deleting and reinstalling them clears the cache.
Restart your iPhone — A simple restart clears some temporary files and caches from memory.
Backup and restore — As a last resort, backing up your iPhone and restoring from the backup can dramatically reduce Other Storage by clearing accumulated caches and logs.

Other Storage vs. System Data

In iOS 15, Apple renamed "Other" storage to "System Data" in the iPhone Storage settings screen. The contents are identical — it is the same catch-all category with a different name. If you see "System Data" instead of "Other," you are running iOS 15 or later.

Related Terms

Optimize iPhone Storage — iCloud Photos setting to save local space
iCloud Photos — Apple's cloud photo sync service
Recently Deleted Album — 30-day holding area for deleted photos

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Other Storage so large on my iPhone?

Other Storage grows over time as apps accumulate caches, Safari stores website data, Mail downloads attachments, and iOS creates logs. Streaming services like Spotify and Netflix also store offline caches here. It is common for it to reach 10-20 GB on iPhones that have not been restored recently.

Can I delete Other Storage on iPhone?

There is no single button to delete it. You can reduce it by clearing Safari cache, offloading unused apps, deleting and reinstalling cache-heavy apps, restarting your iPhone, or backing up and restoring your iPhone.

What is the difference between Other Storage and System Data?

They are the same thing. In iOS 15 and later, Apple renamed "Other" storage to "System Data." The contents are identical: caches, logs, system files, and temporary data.

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