iPad · Storage & Backup

Free up space and understand what's using it

Settings → General → iPad Storage breaks down usage by app and offers targeted recommendations — offloading unused apps, reviewing large Messages attachments, emptying Recently Deleted in Photos — instead of forcing a guess-and-delete approach.

How to open Storage Management

  1. Open Settings → General → iPad Storage.
  2. Tap "Offload Unused Apps" under Recommendations.
  3. Confirm — iPadOS will now offload apps you haven't used in a while whenever storage runs low, and reinstalling restores their data.

What you should know

  • Open Settings → General → iPad Storage to see a bar chart of total usage and a list of every app sorted by space used.
  • Review the "Recommendations" section at the top — common suggestions include "Offload Unused Apps," reviewing large video attachments in Messages, and emptying Recently Deleted albums.
  • Tap "Offload Unused Apps" to enable automatic offloading — this removes the app binary when storage runs low but keeps its documents and data, restoring both if the app is reinstalled from the App Store.
  • Tap any individual app in the list to see a size breakdown (app + documents/data) and delete it directly from that screen.

Why it matters

Storage that stays at or near capacity slows down everyday tasks — apps can't cache properly, photo/video capture may be blocked, and iPadOS updates need working headroom to stage themselves before installing.

Best practices

  • Check iPad Storage every few months rather than only when you get a "storage full" alert — it's much easier to clean up gradually.
  • Empty the Recently Deleted album in Photos manually if you need space quickly; deleted photos otherwise linger there for 30 days by design.
  • Turn on "Offload Unused Apps" and treat it as free insurance — it only affects apps you haven't opened in a while, and reinstalling is one tap.

Common problems and fixes

Storage stays full after deleting several apps
Check the Recently Deleted album in Photos and any large attachments still sitting in Messages threads — both count toward storage but aren't obvious from the Home Screen.
"Other" or system storage looks unexpectedly large
Restart the iPad first, since caches sometimes inflate this category temporarily; if it persists, review Safari's website data under Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data.

Tips and tricks

  • Tap directly on the colored storage bar at the top of iPad Storage to jump to a category (Apps, Photos, Media, System) instead of scrolling the full app list.

Frequently asked questions

Does offloading an app delete my data in it?

No — offloading removes only the app itself; its documents and data stay on the iPad and are restored automatically if you reinstall the app later.