Recommended Published March 2, 2025 6:00am EST close Your iPhone has a hidden folder eating up storage space without you even knowing The CyberGuy offers some little-known tricks to free up storage. Is your iPhone running out of space?Don't worry, we've got you covered with some little-known tricks to free up storage and keep your device running smoothly. iPhone storage (Apple)The secret folder eating your storageReady to reclaim valuable space? Follow these simple steps to clear out duplicate photos and videos that are hogging your iPhone's storage.Open your Photos appScroll down to theUtilities section, and there you'll find a tab calledDuplicates. Go ahead andtap on it.STAY PROTECTED & INFORMED! GET SECURITY ALERTS & EXPERT TECH TIPS SIGN UP FOR KURTS THE CYBERGUY REPORT NOW Duplicates folder (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)This folder is where Apple keeps track of all your duplicate photos and videos. Many users are shocked to discover how many duplicates they have. For instance, you might have received the same image in multiple chats. Clearing out these duplicates can instantly free up gigabytes of storage.How to clear duplicatesOpen your Photos appScroll down and find theDuplicates folder in the Utilities section.You'll see duplicate files listed with aMerge button next to or above each.Tap Merge to remove duplicates and keep the original file.Confirm your decision by clicking the pop-up window at the bottom of the screen that will say,"Merge # Exact Copies."The number will change depending on how many files you are merging. Step to clear duplicates in photos app on iPhone (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)For faster cleanup, tapSelect in the top right corner.Choose multiple duplicates or clickSelect All to merge everything at once.You'll see"Merge"check marks in the blue circlefor each pair you wish to merge.Then tap at the bottom of the screen.Then click the pop-up with"Merge (number) Exact Copies Only" or"Merge (number) Items" and wait for the process to finish.More space-saving tricksIf you need even more space, try these additional tips:Go toSettingsTap GeneralClickiPhone Storage.Review thestorage breakdown and app usage.CheckApple's recommendations at the top of the page.WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)? More space-saving tricks (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Some effective space-saving options include:Review large attachments: A quick way to reclaim storage is by deleting unnecessary videos and documents from your messages.Auto delete old conversations: By enabling it, it automatically removes all your messages and attachments that were sent or received one year ago.Remove Older Downloads: Keeps only the latest five automatically downloaded episodes per show.Review Downloaded Media: Manually check and remove unnecessary downloads.GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE Some effective space-saving options (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)Kurt's key takeawaysThese simple tricks can help you reclaim significant storage space on your iPhone. Regularly checking your Duplicates folder and following Apple's storage recommendations can keep your device running smoothly without the need for costly upgrades. Remember to review your storage periodically to maintain optimal performance.Do you think clearing duplicate photos will change how you take or manage photos going forward, and if so, how? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/ContactCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPFor more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading toCyberguy.com/NewsletterAsk Kurt a question or let us know what stories you'd like us to coverFollow Kurt on his social channelsAnswers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:New from Kurt:Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved. Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurts free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.