How much storage do I need to update to iOS 27? (2026)

How much storage do I need to update to iOS 27?

Apple doesn’t publish one storage figure for iOS 27: the exact download size for your iPhone is shown in Settings > General > Software Update, and you need room for that download plus extra working space to install it. If you use Apple Intelligence, Apple says it needs up to 8 GB on most supported iPhones and up to 14 GB on iPhone 17 Pro models and later, iPhone Air and iPhone Duo.

Most of the numbers you’ll find online for “how big is iOS 27” come from one person’s phone on one day. The size depends on your iPhone and the version you’re updating from, so the only figure that counts is the one your own phone shows you.

Where to see the exact update size

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General, then tap Software Update.
3. The available update is listed there with its download size. Tap Download and Install when you’re ready.

To see how much space you have, go back to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. The bar at the top shows what’s used and what’s free, and the list below sorts apps by size. Give it a moment to finish calculating on a large library.

One detail in that list: the System category is the space iOS itself uses, and Apple notes it varies by device and model. That’s another reason there’s no single answer to “how much space does iOS 27 take.”

Why the install needs more space than the download

The download size is what comes over Wi-Fi. Installing it is a second step, and your iPhone needs free working room to do it. Apple doesn’t publish how much extra that takes, so a phone with exactly enough space for the download can still stall.

Apple describes what happens next. In its guide to updating your iPhone, it says that if a message asks to temporarily remove apps because the software needs more space for the update, you can tap Continue and those apps are reinstalled automatically after installation. Tap Cancel instead and you’ll need to delete content yourself.

Apple’s troubleshooting page for updates that won’t install adds that your device can temporarily remove app data to make space without deleting your personal information. Your photos, messages and notes aren’t part of that.

How to make room fast

Work through these in order. The first one is the one most people miss.

1. Empty Recently Deleted

Deleting a photo doesn’t free space straight away. Apple says deleted photos and videos go to Recently Deleted for 30 days before they’re permanently deleted, and while they sit there they still use space on your iPhone. To clear them now:

1. Open Photos and tap Collections.
2. Scroll to Utilities and tap Recently Deleted, then View Album.
3. Tap Select, then the More button (…), then Delete All.

Anything you delete here can’t be recovered, so scroll through first. Our post on whether Recently Deleted takes up storage covers the iCloud side.

2. Offload apps you don’t use

In Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap an app and choose Offload App. Apple says this frees the space the app uses but keeps its documents and data, so it comes back as it was when you reinstall it. Apple’s update troubleshooting page also points to the Offload Unused Apps option on the same screen, which you can turn on with Enable.

3. Clear big videos

A few long 4K clips can outweigh thousands of photos. In Photos, the Media Types section under Collections has a Videos album, and our guide to finding large videos on iPhone shows how to sort them by size. Remember they land in Recently Deleted too, so empty it again afterwards.

4. Trim Messages attachments

Photos and videos people send you are stored in Messages, separately from your Photos library. In iPhone Storage, tap Messages to review the large attachments and delete the ones you don’t need.

If you were already short on space before thinking about the update, and storage filled up again after a previous update, our full guide to freeing up space on iOS 27 goes category by category.

Still short? Update with a computer

Apple also supports updating from a computer. On a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, connect the iPhone, select it in the Finder sidebar, click General, then Check for Update and Download and Update (Apple’s steps). On Windows, use the Apple Devices app or iTunes.

The computer downloads the update, not the phone. Apple’s computer-update page still points you to freeing up storage on the iPhone if you need more space, so treat this as another route rather than a guaranteed way around a full phone. Back up before either method.

Apple Intelligence needs its own space after the update

Once iOS 27 is installed, Apple Intelligence downloads its own models. Apple’s iOS 27 page lists up to 14 GB of on-device storage for iPhone Duo, iPhone 17 Pro models and later and iPhone Air, and up to 8 GB for other iPhones that support it.

That space belongs to the system and comes on top of the update itself. If you plan to use Apple Intelligence, clear enough room for both now, rather than freeing space twice.

Where LuminaClean helps, and where it doesn’t

LuminaClean can’t change how much space iOS 27 or Apple Intelligence needs. That’s fixed by Apple. What it does is clear photo and video space quickly, which is usually the biggest category you control.

It scans on your iPhone, with nothing uploaded and no account, and groups duplicates, similar shots, screenshots and large videos. You swipe to keep or delete each one; nothing is removed without your swipe, and deletes go to Recently Deleted first, so empty that album afterwards to get the space back before you update. Video compression is free for everyone. You get 65 free deletes to start, then 10 more every day, with an optional Premium subscription if you want to clear a big backlog in one sitting.

Related guides

• iPhone Storage Full on iOS 27? How to Free Up Space — when storage fills up after the update.
• Do Photos in Recently Deleted Take Up Storage? — the 30-day album and iCloud.
• How to Find Large Videos on iPhone — sort clips by size.
• Why Isn’t Optimize iPhone Storage Freeing Up Space? — what the setting does and doesn’t do.
• iPhone Storage Still Full After Deleting Photos? — why the number doesn’t drop.

Frequently asked questions

How much free space do I need to download and install iOS 27?

Apple doesn't publish one number for every iPhone. Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update to see the download size for your model, and leave extra room on top of it, because Apple says the install itself can need more space than you have free. If space runs short, iOS may offer to temporarily remove apps and reinstall them after the update.

Why does my iPhone say there isn't enough space to update to iOS 27 when the download fits?

The download is only the first step. The phone also needs working room to install the update, and Apple says that when the software needs more space for the update, iOS can ask to temporarily remove apps. Tap Continue to let it do that, or tap Cancel and delete content yourself.

Will updating to iOS 27 delete my apps or photos?

No. Apple says your iPhone can temporarily remove app data to make space for an update without deleting your personal information, and apps removed this way are reinstalled automatically after the install finishes. Your photos stay where they are. Back up first anyway, as Apple recommends before any update.

Does Apple Intelligence take extra storage on iOS 27?

Yes. Apple says Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 needs up to 14 GB on iPhone 17 Pro models and later, iPhone Air and iPhone Duo, and up to 8 GB on other iPhones that support it. That space is separate from the iOS update, so plan for it if you use Apple Intelligence.

Can I update to iOS 27 with a computer if my iPhone is almost full?

You can update with a Mac using the Finder, or with iTunes or the Apple Devices app on Windows, and the update is downloaded by the computer. Apple's own computer-update page still says to free up storage on the iPhone if you need more space, so treat it as another route rather than a way around a full phone.