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Start at Settings > General > iPhone Storage or Settings > General > iPad Storage to see what is taking up room. Then offload apps you may use again, delete apps you no longer need, or remove local photos, videos, message attachments, and files. Before cleanup, check the game’s current App Store listing for its size and requirements: there is no single amount of free space that works for every game.

Check how much space your device has available

  1. Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage on an iPhone, or Settings > General > iPad Storage on an iPad.
  2. Give the device time to calculate storage use. Review the available-space display, any recommendations, and the app list, which ranks apps by the storage they use.
  3. Check the game’s current App Store listing for its download size and requirements. The space shown in the listing is not a universal estimate for every game’s full installation needs.

Apple recommends keeping at least 1 GB of free device storage to help avoid slowdowns. That is general operating-system guidance, not a promise that a particular game will download or install with 1 GB available. iOS and iPadOS may manage space during installs and updates by removing items that can be downloaded again or are no longer needed, but check your own available-space display rather than relying on that process.

An app’s displayed storage can include the app, its content, local Files items, and Safari downloads. Cached or temporary data may not be counted consistently, so the listed app total may not match what you expect to reclaim by removing it.

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Choose whether to offload or delete apps

Choice What it removes What happens to app data Useful when
Offload The app itself Documents and data are kept on the device. You may use the app again and want to retain its data.
Delete The app and its related data Related data is removed. You no longer want the app or its local data.

The amount of space reclaimed depends on the app and how much of its data is stored locally. Before deleting an app, check whether information you want to keep is synced or backed up. Offloading preserves documents and data, but it does not remove that data from the device.

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Remove local media and files you no longer need

Look for content that is large, no longer useful, or already available elsewhere. Removing a local download can free device storage, but may mean you need an internet connection to access the content again.

  • Photos and videos: Review large or unwanted items. If you want to keep them, make sure they are safely backed up before deleting them.
  • Messages: Review old conversations and large attachments you no longer need.
  • Offline videos: Delete downloaded videos you have already watched if you do not need them available offline.
  • Files and downloads: Check the Files app for local items you can remove. Apple’s storage recommendations may also surface large files, photos, or backups for review on supported software versions.

Use iCloud Photos only if your photo library is the problem

If photos and videos are using much of the device’s space, iCloud Photos with Optimize Storage can keep full-resolution originals in iCloud while leaving smaller, space-saving copies on the device when needed. This depends on available iCloud storage; it does not increase the built-in capacity of an iPhone or iPad.

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Apple says a new iCloud account includes 5 GB of free iCloud storage. That is cloud-account storage, separate from the device’s storage. Cloud storage may help with a photo-library space problem, but it does not install games to the cloud or expand the local space available to install them.

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Confirm there is enough room before downloading

After cleanup, return to the device storage screen and check the available-space figure. Compare it with the current App Store listing and requirements for the game you want. If there still is not enough room, review the largest remaining local items and decide whether they can be removed or moved out of local storage without losing something you need.

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