The short answer
Clear app caches, offload apps you do not use, delete downloaded video and podcasts, and empty the recently deleted album, which holds everything for a month.
- Empty "recently deleted" in Photos. It keeps everything for thirty days and it is usually the largest easy win.
- Check the storage breakdown in settings, which lists what is actually using space.
- Delete downloaded video, podcasts and offline music, which quietly accumulate.
- Offload unused apps rather than deleting, which keeps the data.
- Clear browser cache and messaging attachments, which are often several gigabytes.
- Back photos up somewhere else first, then remove local copies if you need to.
What will ruin it
Be careful with apps that offer to clean up your phone. On modern phones the operating system manages caching itself, and third-party cleaners mostly ask for broad permissions in exchange for very little.
Why it works
The largest consumers are nearly always video, message attachments and the deleted items holding area, none of which appear in the obvious places people look first.
Tipking is general household information, not professional advice. Test anything on a hidden patch first. Full disclaimer.
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