Deleting photos is not always an option. Sometimes you want to keep them all, just smaller. A modern iPhone photo is 3–8 MB, and ProRAW or 48 MP shots can be much more — while a version that looks identical on your phone's screen can be a quarter of that.
Method 1: Make future photos smaller with HEIF
Open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose High Efficiency.
HEIF (HEIC) photos are typically about half the size of a JPEG at similar quality. It is the default on recent iPhones, but phones set up from an old backup sometimes still use Most Compatible (JPEG). Check it — it costs nothing.
It only affects new photos.
Method 2: Optimize iPhone Storage (if you use iCloud Photos)
Open Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Photos and select Optimize iPhone Storage.
The phone keeps device-sized versions and downloads the full original when you open a photo. Nothing is lost, but your iCloud plan has to hold your whole library. On the free 5 GB tier this rarely works.
Method 3: Resize individual photos with Shortcuts
For a handful of photos, a Shortcut works:
- In Shortcuts, tap + and add Select Photos.
- Add Resize Image and set the width to 2048.
- Add Convert Image to JPEG at a quality around 0.8.
- Add Save to Photo Album.
This creates new, smaller copies. You still have to delete the originals yourself, and metadata such as location may not carry over. It gets slow past a few dozen photos.
Method 4: Compress on the device with FreeMemory
FreeMemory's Optimizer tab lists photos that would benefit from compression, with each photo's current size and estimated saving.
- Tap Start Scan, then open the Optimizer tab.
- Select individual photos or Select All.
- Tap Compress, and confirm. Each photo is downscaled to 2048 pixels on the long edge and re-encoded at high quality — often around 75% smaller.
- Check the before-and-after result, then choose whether to delete the originals or keep them.
Compression happens on your iPhone. Nothing is uploaded, and it is free with no subscription. If you choose to delete the originals, they go to Recently Deleted, so you have 30 days to change your mind — empty it to free the space.
When not to compress: photos you plan to print large, crop heavily or edit professionally. Keep the originals for those.
Which method should you use?
| | Saves space now | Keeps originals | Needs iCloud | Effort | |---|---|---|---|---| | HEIF | No (future photos) | — | No | One setting | | Optimize iPhone Storage | Yes | Yes, in iCloud | Yes | One setting | | Shortcuts resize | Yes | Your choice | No | High | | FreeMemory | Yes | Your choice | No | Low |