To clear system data on an iPhone, which includes caches, logs, and other stored resources, there is no single direct button to clear it entirely, but multiple effective methods can help reduce it significantly:
- Clear Safari browsing history and website data: Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
- Offload or delete unused apps: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, select apps, then Offload or Delete them to clear their cached system data.
- Restart your iPhone to clear temporary caches.
- Set Messages to auto-delete older texts: Settings > Messages > Keep Messages (set to 30 Days or 1 Year).
- Change the date settings ahead (e.g., one year ahead) in Settings > General > Date & Time with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned off and Airplane mode on; wait to force cache expirations.
- Reset Network Settings or Reset All Settings (without deleting data) via Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- As a last resort, Factory Reset your iPhone by erasing all content and settings, which clears all system and user data.
Combining these steps can bring system data down from several gigabytes to a few GBs or less. Be sure to back up important data before proceeding with resets or factory erases.
