The 'Other' category in iPhone and iPad's storage doesn't have to take up so much space.
The "Other" category on your iPhone and iPad is basically where all of your caches, settings preferences, saved messages, voice memos, and… well, other data is stored. There is no simple way to identify and remove data in the Other storage category. With a bit of patience, you can reduce the amount of space it takes up on your iPhone or iPad.
How to check your iPhone or iPad's storage space
You can quickly see what apps are taking up space on your iPhone or iPad by checking out the Usage folder in the Settings app.
- Open the Settings app.
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Tap General.
- Tap iPhone [or iPad] Storage.
Your device's storage is mapped out on a grid showing what is taking up space. If you scroll down to your apps, you'll see, listed by size, apps that are taking up the most space on your device.
How to check your iPhone or iPad's storage space using iTunes
When connected to iTunes, you can see a graph of your iPhone or iPad's storage categories in the device Summary section. This is where you will distinctly see how much space the Other category is using.
- Connect your iPhone to your computer.
- Open iTunes if it does not open automatically.
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Click on the device icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
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Click on Summary in the menu on the left side of the iTunes window.
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Hover your mouse over the Other section at the bottom of the iTunes window to see how much space the category is using.
How to clear Safari caches and the offline Reading List
Some culprits that takes up Other space on your iPhone and iPad are history and website data in Safari. These are useful for accessing websites quickly, but are not a necessity.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
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Tap iPhone [or iPad] Storage.
- Scroll down and tap Safari.
- Tap Website Data
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Scroll down and tap Remove all Website Data.
- Swipe to the left on Offline Reading List.
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Tap Delete.
When you go back to your storage list, you will note that Safari no longer shows any data.