By Prasanth   |  Published: March 09, 2026   |    Last Updated: March 23, 2026

Introduction

A few weeks ago my iPhone started showing that familiar warning again — “Storage Almost Full.”

At first, I didn’t think much about it. I assumed my photos or videos were the reason, like usual. So I opened the storage settings thinking I’d just delete a few things and move on.

But when I checked the storage breakdown, something else stood out.

There was a section called “Other” storage, and it was taking up a surprisingly large chunk of space.

The strange part was that I didn’t really know what that meant. It wasn’t apps, it wasn’t photos, and it wasn’t messages. Just… “Other.”

My first thought was that it must be system storage that Apple doesn’t let users touch.

Still, I spent some time looking into it and trying a few small things on my phone. To my surprise, the storage actually went down quite a bit.

So if your iPhone is showing a huge amount of “Other storage,” you’re definitely not the only one. And in many cases, it can be reduced without doing anything drastic.

Here are the things that helped in my case.

👉 If your storage is still full, you may also want to read our guide on iPhone System Data Too Large – What Actually Fixes It.

iPhone System Data too Large - Fix

👉 Another common issue is when iPhone storage doesn’t reduce even after deleting photos.

iPhone storage issue even after deleting photos

So What Is “Other Storage” Anyway?

When you open Settings → General → iPhone Storage, you’ll see a bar that shows how your storage is being used.

Usually it’s broken down into categories like apps, photos, messages, and system data.

Then there’s the mysterious Other section.

From what I could understand, this part mostly contains background files that your phone creates while you use it. Things like cached data from apps, browsing data from Safari, temporary files created by the system, and attachments from messages.

None of these files are harmful. In fact, they’re created to make things run faster.

The only issue is that they slowly pile up over time. And sometimes your phone doesn’t clear them as often as it probably should.

That’s when the storage starts creeping up without you even noticing.

Lesser-Known Fact:

“Other Storage” is not a fixed category. iOS dynamically shifts data between categories like System Data and Other, which is why the size may suddenly increase or decrease without any clear reason.

Common Things That Increase “Other Storage” on iPhone

The First Thing I Tried Was Just Restarting the Phone

This might sound almost too simple, but restarting my phone actually helped a little.

Phones constantly create temporary files while apps are running. When the phone restarts, some of those temporary files disappear.

So I simply turned the phone off, waited for about half a minute, and switched it back on.

When I checked the storage again later, I noticed that about 1GB had already cleared itself.

It’s not a huge fix, but it was an easy start.

Practical Insight:

Restarting doesn’t just clear RAM — it can also remove temporary system logs that are not visible to users but still consume storage.

Safari Turned Out to Be Storing Quite a Bit of Data

One thing I hadn’t really thought about before was how much data Safari keeps in the background.

Every time you visit websites, Safari stores certain pieces of data so that pages load faster the next time you visit them.

After months of browsing, that stored data can actually become pretty large.

So I decided to clear it.

I opened Settings, scrolled down to Safari, and tapped Clear History and Website Data.

The process finished in just a few seconds.

When I checked my storage again afterwards, I could see that a noticeable amount of space had disappeared.

If you browse a lot on your phone, this step alone can help more than you’d expect.

Old Message Attachments Were Still Sitting There

Another thing I discovered was related to messages.

Photos and videos sent through iMessage don’t just disappear over time. They stay saved on your phone unless you remove them.

I checked this through the iPhone storage section and looked at the Messages category.

That’s when I noticed a bunch of old attachments — photos, short clips, and a few videos that had been sent months ago.

Most of them weren’t important anymore, so I deleted them.

That alone freed up a few more gigabytes.

WhatsApp Was Quietly Using a Lot of Storage

Then I checked WhatsApp, and that turned out to be another big contributor.

If you’re in several group chats, you already know how many photos and videos get shared every day.

Most of the time those files download automatically, and they just stay there unless you go looking for them.

Inside WhatsApp there’s a Manage Storage section that shows which chats are using the most space.

When I checked mine, I saw some large videos from old group chats that I hadn’t watched in months.

Deleting those cleared a surprising amount of storage.

Real Observation:

Forwarded videos in WhatsApp groups are one of the biggest contributors to hidden storage growth, especially in active groups.

Some Apps Build Up a Lot of Cached Data

I also noticed that certain apps slowly grow in size over time.

Social media apps are especially known for this.

Apps like Instagram or YouTube store temporary images and videos so that content loads faster. The more you use them, the more that cache grows.

In my case, a couple of those apps had become much larger than they needed to be.

Instead of trying to clean the cache manually, I simply deleted the apps and installed them again.

After reinstalling them, their storage size was much smaller.

Advanced Tip:

Some apps continue storing cache even when running in the background. Limiting background app refresh for heavy apps can help slow down cache buildup.

I Also Checked My Streaming Apps

Another place where storage can quietly disappear is streaming apps.

Sometimes we download movies or music for offline use and completely forget about them later.

I opened the streaming apps I use and checked their downloads.

Sure enough, there were a few old downloads sitting there that I didn’t need anymore.

Removing them freed up some extra space.

 Common Mistake:

Many users delete apps thinking it will remove downloaded content, but in some cases, leftover files may remain until the app is fully reinstalled.

Updating iOS Sometimes Helps Too

One thing I’ve noticed with iPhones is that system updates occasionally clean up temporary files.

So if your phone is running an older version of iOS, updating it might help reduce unnecessary storage.

It doesn’t always make a big difference, but it’s worth checking.

When Nothing Else Works

Sometimes the “Other” storage becomes unusually large. If it grows to something like 15GB or more and none of the simple fixes help, the last option is restoring the phone.

That basically rebuilds the storage system and clears hidden files that may have accumulated over time.

Of course, before doing that, it’s important to back up your data.

Most people probably won’t need to go this far, but it’s a good option if the problem becomes extreme.

⚠ Important Warning:

Avoid using third-party “cleaner apps” that promise to remove Other Storage. iOS restricts deep access, so most of these apps cannot actually clear system-level data.

Why This Storage Keeps Growing

After dealing with this, I realized that the reason “Other storage” keeps increasing is actually pretty simple.

Your phone constantly creates small background files while you use apps, browse the internet, and watch media.

Individually these files are tiny, but over time they add up.

That’s why the storage can slowly increase even if you haven’t installed any new apps.

A Few Small Habits That Help

Since running into this issue, I’ve started doing a couple of small things now and then.

Nothing complicated — just occasional checks.

Sometimes I restart my phone, sometimes I clear Safari data, and every once in a while I look at WhatsApp storage.

These small habits seem to keep the storage from building up too quickly again.

Important Note:

If you use Chrome or other browsers instead of Safari, they also store cache separately. Clearing only Safari data may not reduce storage if other browsers are heavily used.

Final Thoughts

When I first saw how much space Other storage was taking, I assumed there was nothing I could do about it.

But after trying a few simple things, it turned out that a lot of that storage was just temporary data that had been sitting there for a long time.

Clearing browser data, checking message attachments, and removing a few unnecessary files made a noticeable difference.

If your iPhone storage is filling up because of “Other storage,” it’s definitely worth checking these areas first.

You might recover more space than you expect.

How to Delete Hidden Files on Android Safely (Without Breaking Your Phone)

Many users search for “how to find hidden files on Android” when their storage suddenly fills without explanation.

Most Android users assume storage fills up because of photos, videos, or apps.

That’s only part of the story.

A significant portion of used space often comes from hidden system files — background data created by apps, cached thumbnails, temporary logs, and silent updates.

Before deleting anything randomly, it’s important to understand what these hidden files do and which ones are safe to remove.

This guide explains everything clearly — so you can free up space without damaging your device.

If your phone keeps filling up without installing anything, you should read Why Android Storage Fills Automatically (Even When You Don’t Install Anything).

Hidden Android Files – Quick Safety Guide

What Are Hidden Files on Android?

Hidden files are background files created by your Android system and apps.

They’re hidden intentionally so users don’t accidentally delete something important.

Most hidden files:

• Start with a dot (like .thumbnails)

• Store temporary data (cache)

• Hold preview images

• Save small logs

• Help apps open faster

They are not malware and not spying on you.

They are simply part of how Android manages performance and storage.

Think of them like the backstage crew at a theater. You don’t see them, but they keep everything running smoothly.

Why Android Creates Hidden Files in the First Place

At First, When I saw more than 1GB inside a hidden folder, I assumed something was wrong.

But once I understood what was happening, it made sense.

1. App Cache: The Speed Booster

Every time you open social media, a news app, or your browser, your phone saves small pieces of data.

This is called cache.

Without cache, apps would reload everything from scratch every time you opened them. That would make your phone feel noticeably slower.

Cache improves speed — but it grows quietly over time.

In many cases, the issue is related to app cache buildup. I explained this clearly in How App Cache Secretly Eats Your Android Storage.

Cache vs Clear Data on Android

2. The .thumbnails Folder: The Silent Storage Hog

This one surprised me the most. Every time you open your photo gallery, Android doesn’t load full-resolution images immediately. Instead, it loads small preview versions.

Those previews are stored inside a hidden folder called:

.thumbnails

If you have thousands of photos — which most people do — that folder can easily exceed 1GB.

On my phone, it was sitting at 1.3GB.

Deleting it did not remove a single original photo. It simply cleared the preview files, which Android later regenerated as needed.

3. Messaging Apps: The Real Storage Consumers

Apps like:

• WhatsApp

• Telegram

Automatically download:

• Photos

• Videos

• Voice messages

• Shared documents

• Status clips

Even if you never tap “Save.”

In the US and Canada, where group chats and media sharing are common, these apps can quietly use 5–10GB over time.

4. System Logs and Crash Reports

Whenever an app crashes, Android logs it.

Individually, these files are tiny. 

But over months and years, they accumulate.

They’re rarely massive, but they contribute to background storage growth.

How to View Hidden Files Safely

Most Android devices hide these files by default.

You can enable visibility through your built-in file manager.

If your phone doesn’t support that feature, use:

Files by Google

It’s clean, simple, and widely trusted across North America.

Steps to Enable Hidden Files

1. Open Files by Google

2. Tap the menu (top-left corner)

3. Select Settings

4. Turn on “Show hidden files”

5. Navigate to Internal Storage

Now, you’ll see folders beginning with a dot.

Take a breath.

We’re not deleting everything. We’re choosing carefully.

Common Hidden Folders Explained

If you don’t recognize a folder, leave it alone.

When in doubt, don’t delete.

What I Deleted (And What Actually Happened)

Here’s exactly what I removed:

• Contents of .thumbnails

• Old browser cache

• Unnecessary media from messaging apps

• Empty hidden folders

The result?

I recovered just over 2GB of storage.

That moment changed how I look at storage management.

Hidden files aren’t dangerous — uninformed deletion is.

What You Should Absolutely Avoid Deleting

Never delete:

• The entire .android folder

• Anything inside Android/data

• Unknown root-level system directories

• Files you don’t understand

Deleting critical system files can:

• Break app functionality

• Log you out of accounts

• Cause rare but serious boot issues

Android hides those files for a reason.

Respect that boundary.

Why Hidden Files Come Back After Deleting Them

This frustrates a lot of people.

You clean everything.

Two weeks later, they’re back.

That’s normal.

Deleting hidden files is maintenance — not a permanent solution.

How Much Storage Can You Actually Free?

It depends on usage patterns.

Also remember:

Recording 4K video can consume approximately 350–400MB per minute, depending on bitrate.

If you frequently record in 4K, storage fills much faster than most people realize.

Signs Hidden Files Are Filling Your Storage

You may be dealing with hidden files if:

• Storage keeps filling without installing apps

These signs usually indicate background files like cache, thumbnails, and temporary logs accumulating over time.