DB LabsQuick Answer
The native Photos app does not sort by size, but you can find the largest files three ways. Method 1: Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Photos to see the breakdown. Method 2: Open Albums > Media Types > Videos — videos are almost always the largest items. Sort by date taken and delete old, large 4K clips. Method 3: Use a third-party app like Gemini Photos or Cleaner that explicitly sorts by file size. For best results, target 4K videos and ProRAW shots first — a single minute of 4K is worth ~150 regular photos in storage.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Check the Storage Breakdown
Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Wait for the bar graph to load. Tap Photos to see how much space photos and videos use combined.
2 Open the Videos Album
Launch the Photos app. Tap Albums, scroll to Media Types, then tap Videos. Every video on your iPhone appears here, sorted by date.
3 Identify Long Videos
Long videos (over 1 minute) take the most space. Each minute of 4K 60fps is roughly 400-500 MB, and 4K ProRes is up to 6 GB per minute. Look for clips with high duration in the corner of the thumbnail.
4 Tap to Verify Size
Tap a video to open it. Tap the Info (i) button to see the file size, resolution, frame rate, and date. ProRes and 4K 60fps videos are top priorities for deletion.
5 Bulk Select Large Videos
Tap Select. Tap and drag across the videos you want to delete. Tap the Trash icon to delete. Confirm.
6 Empty Recently Deleted
Go to Albums > Recently Deleted. Authenticate. Tap Select > Delete All to permanently free up space immediately.
Targeting ProRAW Photos
If you shot in ProRAW with iPhone 12 Pro or later, those files are 50-75 MB each — about 25x larger than HEIC. To find them, browse the Recents album and look for the "RAW" badge in the top right of thumbnails. Delete or convert old ProRAW shots to HEIC if you no longer need the editing flexibility.
Third-Party Apps That Sort by Size
Some apps explicitly sort photos by size:
- Gemini Photos: Shows largest videos first.
- Cleanup: Phone Storage Cleaner: Sort and bulk delete by file size.
- Swype Photo Cleaner: Lets you swipe through videos and largest files quickly.
For more cleanup approaches, see Swype Photo Cleaner, our guide on how much 4K video uses, checking what's using storage, and iPhone System Data explained.