How to Free Up Apple Watch Storage (7 Easy Ways)

Although your Apple Watch can store a significant amount of data, sometimes your Apple Watch storage gets full. In that case, you'll want to know how to clear storage on your Apple Watch in order to free up space. This will not only help your watch to run faster, but it will also save some battery life. Let's get into what to do if you get the Apple Watch "Storage Full" message.

Jump To:

• Why Your Apple Watch Storage Is Full
• How to Clear Storage on Apple Watch
• Bonus: How to Prevent Apple Watch Storage from Becoming Full Again
• FAQ: Storage Full on Apple Watch

Why Your Apple Watch Storage Is Full

Your Apple Watch storage could be full due to the apps you’re using or the content you’re storing. Before deleting anything, it’s a good idea to free up storage on your Apple Watch if you need to clear space. Here's how to check if your Apple Watch says "storage full" using your iPhone:

1. Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
   
   
2. In the My Watch tab, scroll down and tap on General.
   
   
3. In the General menu, tap on About.
   
   
4. Now, you can view a breakdown of your storage usage, including the watch’s total capacity and the storage space available.
   
   

If you prefer not using your iPhone, here's how to check storage availability directly on your Apple Watch:

1. Go to Settings.
   
   
2. Tap on General.
   
   
3. In the General menu, scroll down to Storage
   
   
4. You'll now see how much storage is available, how much is used, and how much space is taken up by apps and content.
   
   

Related: How to Add a Workout to the Apple Watch

How to Clear Storage on Apple Watch

If there’s not enough space on your Apple Watch for updates or to add content, it’s time to free up some storage. Be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day to receive tips and tricks like this directly in your inbox!

1. Remove apps from your Apple Watch that you no longer use.

If apps are taking up too much space on your watch, here’s how to remove apps from Apple Watch using your iPhone:

1. Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
   
   
2. In the My Watch tab, scroll down to Installed on Apple Watch and select the app you’ll remove.
   
   
3. On the next screen, disable Show App on Apple Watch (the toggle will be gray when disabled).
   
   
4. When you return to the previous screen, you’ll see that app listed in Available Apps. This allows you to reinstall the app in the future.
   
   

Here's how to remove apps from Apple Watch without using your iPhone:

1. Press down the Digital Crown to open your app menu.
   
   
2. Press and hold the screen until the apps start to jiggle.
   
   
3. Tap the white "X" that appears in the corner of the app. If an "X" does not appear, you cannot remove the app from your Apple Watch. 
   
   
4. Tap Delete App.
   
   

Now you know how to delete apps on Apple Watch Ultra and older models!

2. Delete content such as photos and music from your Apple Watch.

You can also delete or limit content such as photos, music, and more to clear space on your watch. Here, we will only be showing you how to remove photos and music. However, podcasts, audiobooks, and games take up a lot of space as well. Be sure to go back to the "About" section on your Apple Watch to better determine what content you should delete to clear up some storage! Here’s how to limit the number of photos on your Apple Watch using your iPhone:

1. Launch the Watch app on your iPhone.
   
   
2. In the My Watch tab, scroll down to Photos.
   
   
3. In the Photos menu, select Photos Limit. Here, you can lower the number of pictures stored.
   
   

To remove music using the Watch app on your iPhone:

1. In the My Watch tab, scroll down to Music.
   
   
2. Unselect music to remove it from the Apple Watch (the toggle will be gray when disabled).
   
   

You can also remove music directly from your Apple Watch without having to go through your iPhone. Here's how to remove music on the watch via the Apple Music app:

1. Open the Apple Music app on your Apple Watch.
   
   
2. Select Library.
   
   
3. From here, you can choose to delete either complete playlists, all music by a specific artist, entire albums, or individual songs. I will show an example of how to delete a single song. Tap Songs.
   
   
4. When you've found what you want to delete, swipe from right to left.
   
   
5. Tap the three dots next to the song.
   
   
6. Tap Remove.
   
   
7. Then, tap Delete.
   
   

Bonus: How to Prevent Apple Watch Storage from Becoming Full Again

Here are some suggestions to keep your Apple Watch storage from becoming full again:

• Limit the number of photos, podcasts, and audiobooks you sync.
• Disable the option to automatically add recently played songs.
• Only install the apps you really need on your watch.

These tips will keep your watch running smoothly and up to date, so you can make the most of your device. If you need to clear up storage on your iPhone as well, you may want to consider clearing your iPhone's Other Storage.