When you first set up your new iPhone 18 Pro Max – or any Apple device – you’ll be asked to create an Apple Account. This is a universal account that will work with iCloud for your backups, the App Store, and to share your data between devices.

While this is a very useful thing to do, not everyone wants Apple to have access to their information. Thankfully, the process isn’t mandatory, and in this article we’ll show you how to set up your iPhone without creating an Apple Account.

Setting up your iPhone 18 Pro Max

If you have a new iPhone or have factory-reset your old one, then you’ll need to go through the basic setup process when you turn it on. The first page will be the traditional Hello, followed by selecting your preferred language.

With this out of the way you’ll be asked whether you want to use the Quick Start option or to do things manually. You’ll want the latter, so tap the Set Up Without Another Device option at the bottom of the screen.

Next, you’ll need to connect to a Wi-Fi network. It’s best to have already installed your SIM card before doing this, as the iPhone will search for the network as part of this section.

Note: iPhone 18 Pro Max models purchased in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM.

Now it’s time to create a passcode or set up Face ID. You can skip this section if you don’t want to use either, but we’d strongly recommend using them for your own security.

The iPhone will offer to install any backups you may have, but as this is a new install without an Apple Account you’ll want to choose the option marked Set Up as New iPhone.

Finally, you will have arrived at the Apple Account page. In the text field for Apple Account there will be a placeholder name (usually [email protected]) where you would normally type in your account details. Instead, tap the Forgot password or don’t have an Apple Account? option.

This takes you to a page with two main fields: Forgot Password or Apple Account and Create a Free Apple Account. If you look beneath these, you’ll also find in blue the option to Set Up Later in Settings.

You’ll see a dialog box asking if you’re sure you don’t want to use an Apple Account. Choose Don’t Use then you’ll be able to complete the process without needing to sign up to the Apple Account program.

That’s it, you’re now free to use your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max without an Apple Account. If you still want to sync up your data between devices then you could use services such as Google, which has contacts apps, Google Drive, Google Photos, and other offerings.

There are also plenty of similar apps on the App Store that can help you make sure your data is always with you, no matter which phone, computer or tablet you’re using.

To sign in to your Apple Account, go to the Settings app, then tap Apple Account.

Many iPhone users report trying to download emails in Mail, but instead seeing an error message: “This message has not been downloaded from the server.” This is a common problem, and typically means the Mail message has been interrupted while it’s being downloaded from the mail server.

There can be a few reasons for this problem, such as your connection being erratic or an issue occurring with your Mail settings. In this article we look at some possible causes and solutions.

Check Airplane Mode and Wi-Fi

The most common cause for non-responsive email is because you haven’t got a connection. This could be because Wi-Fi or your cellular connection is playing up, or because you accidentally left Airplane Mode activated.

1. Open Settings.
2. Check Airplane Mode, at the top of the list, is turned off. If it was on, that explains the issue.
3. Now let’s reset the connection. Turn Airplane Mode on, then off again.

This will reset your mobile data connection, and hopefully you’ll get a better signal. If not, you’ll have to move to a location with a better signal or connect to Wi-Fi (you need internet to get email).

While you’re in Settings, check your Wi-Fi and make sure you’re connected to a network you know (or not connected at all and using mobile data). If you’re connected to a random network, such as the ubiquitous “public network”, that never works. If so, tap the Info button next to the network and tap Forget This Network so you go back to using Wi-Fi.

Quit Mail

If that doesn’t work then it’s time to try quitting Mail and restarting it. Follow these steps:

1. Open Mail.
2. To quit the app, open the App Switcher, swipe right to find the app, then swipe up on the app.

   

3. Tap the Mail icon to reopen it.

Restart and update

Still seeing “This message has not been downloaded”? Then it’s time to start restarting and updating.

First try to restart your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max.

1. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider.

   

2. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

Now it’s a good idea to make sure you’re using the latest version of iOS. Tap Settings > General > Software Update and check to see if a new version of iOS is available. If so, plug in your iPhone and go through the update process.

Delete your Mail account and reinstall

If you’re still having problems then it could be due to your Mail settings. Rather than dig through each and every setting, it’s usually easier to just delete your Mail account and set it up again.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Mail.
3. Tap Mail Accounts, tap the email account you want to remove.
4. Tap Sign Out or Delete Account.
5. Tap Mail Accounts, then tap Add Account.

   

6. Choose the account from the list and enter your details.

This should set up the Mail account with its new settings.

If you work your way through each of the solutions in this article you should be able to fix the problem.

My 20-year-old didn’t like that when they typed “excited” in a text message on their iPhone, iOS automatically seemed to apply a Ripple effect, part of the set of somewhat pointless Text Effects that Apple added in iOS 18. When I test this out, I see suggestions for certain words in the QuickType bar where other suggestions appear. However, my older kid has them dropped in–something other people have complained about in online forums since the feature’s introduction.

There’s a way to disable this in iOS. Not, unfortunately, with a switch marked Disable Text Effects. Instead, go to Settings > General > Keyboard, scroll to All Keyboards, and disable Predictive Text. This removes all attempts at providing options based on your typing, though it doesn’t disable the often-inaccurate Auto-Correction, which you can turn off in the same section.

It used to be rare that Apple would force new features on us that we didn’t expect, like a spider dropping from a ceiling onto our clothes. The not-very-useful Text Effects should have a way to prevent their insertion or suggestion, leaving them for people who explicitly want to use them.

Apple has worked to make stolen iPhones less valuable to thieves through Activation Lock, a feature that’s part of Find My. With Find My enabled (Settings > [your name] > Find My), an iPhone can’t be erased and reused without having the password for the Apple Account associated with the phone. (This locking feature can also render Apple hardware intended for legitimate resale or donation unusable.)

You can make a robber’s job slightly harder on an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max with a small inconvenience to yourself by disabling Control Center from the Lock screen without Face ID authentication. By preventing a thief’s access to Control Center, they can’t turn off Bluetooth, cellular, or Wi-Fi networking, meaning your iPhone will continue to broadcast its location.

Here’s how to prevent Control Center from being used from the Lock screen.

How to disable Control Center from the Lock screen

At a glance

• Time to complete: 3 minutes

1. Face ID & Passcode setting

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode.

2. Passcode

Enter your device passcode or password.

3. Turn off Control Center

Scroll down to Allow Access When Locked and flip the switch to disable Control Center.

Criminals don’t want to be tracked down, so, unable to disable networking, they will either power down the device or place it in a metal-lined bag to block all its wireless network signals. Powering down doesn’t fully help, as recent models of iPhone continue to transmit over Bluetooth using the Find My network even when “off” (as long as they have a charge). The thief will have to work in a shielded location or far from cell networks and other Apple users to try to crack your passcode or use more advanced techniques.

Disabling Control Center from the Lock screen doesn’t deter a theft, but someone may discard your iPhone 18 Pro Max (making it possible for you to find it) if they can’t immediately enable Airplane Mode when they realize the additional jeopardy they may be in.

You can still access Control Center on the Lock screen, but you’ll have to make sure you first perform a Face ID unlock.

It’s not rocket science to figure out the button combination on your iPhone 18 Pro Max that will magically restart the device, but it can be frustrating. As often as not, even experienced iPhone owners get the sequence or synchronization–or both–wrong.

While restarting your device–which involves powering down and then rebooting–is not an everyday operation, it may be desirable for a number of reasons, including clearing up app glitches, solving network issues, or eliminating buggy behavior.

I found an easier way to restart my iPhone 18 Pro Max using a simple Siri voice command. First, you need to make sure our favorite voice assistant is enabled in Settings > Siri. I found toggling on “Siri” or “Hey Siri” (tap Requests) and Siri below Allow Access When Locked (in Settings > Face ID & Passcode) to be especially convenient. But there’s no harm in keeping the side button option on, too.

The next time you need to reboot your locked phone, you can just say “Hey Siri” (or press and hold the side button) and then say Restart, or Restart my iPhone, or Restart this device. Siri will respond by asking you to confirm that you really want to do this. Tap Restart or just say Yes. Then unlock your device–per Siri’s instructions.

That’s a genuine luxury considering what you would have to go through without Siri:

On an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max it can get complex. First, press and release the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons in sequence. Then press and hold the side button, at which time you can either power off the device via the slider or keep holding down the side button until the device reboots.

You can also power off the device via Settings > General > Shut Down, which may be easier. But compared to all those finger acrobatics, using Siri to restart your iPhone is a breeze.

Summary

• AirPods are not waterproof. They only have varying levels of water resistance.
• Avoid water damage by drying your AirPods after workouts and using them away from water activities.
• If your AirPods accidentally get wet, never attempt to dry them with rice or high temperatures.

No AirPods are waterproof. Only a few AirPods models and their cases are water-resistant, but they don’t stay that way forever either, so you’re always better off safe than sorry.

Below, we look at the AirPods and AirPods cases that are water-resistant, how to protect your AirPods from water damage, and how to dry them safely in case they do get wet.

Which AirPods and AirPods Case Are Water-Resistant?

It’s common to confuse waterproof with water resistance. When a device is waterproof, water cannot get inside or cause damage, no matter how long it is underwater or how deep it goes. None of Apple’s AirPods are waterproof.

In contrast, a water-resistant device only stops water from getting inside for a limited time or at limited depths. We measure water resistance using the IP rating system.

Here’s the water resistance of each AirPods model. Identify your AirPods model, then match it to the table below:

For the case itself, all AirPods charging cases are not water-resistant except for these models:

An IPX4 rating means that the AirPods model is sweat—and water-resistant for non-water sports and exercise. An IP54 rating means the AirPods are dust, sweat, and water-resistant, again, only for non-water sports and exercise. An IP57 rating means the AirPods are dust, sweat, and water-resistant for non-water sports and exercise (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes).

How to Avoid Water Damage to Your AirPods

Even though some AirPods models are water-resistant, Apple warns that their water-resistant seals will degrade over time. Also, there’s no way to find out if a water-resistant seal still works or not, and there’s no way to re-seal it either.

Therefore, you should never let your AirPods get wet on purpose. Here are some common activities you should not do with your AirPods or AirPods Pro, even if they are water-resistant:

• Don’t swim or shower with your AirPods.
• Don’t wear your AirPods in heavy rain. Put your AirPods away when it starts to rain.
• Don’t use your AirPods while doing water sports.
• Don’t let your AirPods go in the washing machine. Check your pockets before putting clothes in the wash.
• Don’t take your AirPods into a sauna or steam room.

Additionally, to keep your AirPods as safe and dry as possible:

• Don’t leave your AirPods on wet surfaces.
• Keep your AirPods away from people’s drinks.
• Keep your AirPods in the case when you aren’t using them.
• Avoid dropping or crushing your AirPods to keep the water-resistant seals intact.
• Immediately remove makeup, perfume, sun lotion, or other substances that get on your AirPods.

Sweat and water-resistant AirPods should be okay when you sweat on them at the gym. But you still need to make sure you dry them properly before returning them to the case.

For the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, for example, Apple explicitly states that damage caused by liquid contact is not covered under the warranty.

For the AirPods, Apple states that damage resulting from abuse or accidents is not covered. Given that you’re advised not to use the AirPods during water-related activities anyway, this means that you’ll need to pay out-of-pocket to replace your AirPods if they stop working.

What to Do if Your AirPods Get Wet

Sometimes, even if you’ve taken the precautions above and practiced proper care, an accident may still happen, causing your AirPods to get wet.

First, immediately wipe off the water using a dry, lint-free cloth. We suggest a microfiber cloth, although you could use a cotton swab to dry the small ports.

Then, leave your AirPods out in the open for at least two hours to let them air dry. Don’t use them during this time; leave your AirPods to dry overnight if possible. The best spot to leave your AirPods would be a cool, dry place with a gentle airflow.

Make sure that your AirPods are completely dry before attempting to return them to the charging case to avoid damaging the case by letting any residual water get inside.

If your AirPods charging case gets wet, remove the AirPods, wipe with a lint-free cloth, and stand the case upside down with the lid open to let it drip dry. Again, you should allow at least a couple of hours to dry, preferably overnight.

Regardless of what others say, you shouldn’t put your AirPods in a bag of rice to dry them. Rice doesn’t magically fix water damage and may lead to grainy bits getting stuck in the various ports and holes.

You should also avoid extremely hot or cold temperatures. Don’t put your AirPods on a radiator or use a blow-dryer to speed up the process. Doing so could easily cause your AirPods to overheat and damage the circuitry inside.

If You Get Anything Other Than Water on Your AirPods

Different liquids can damage your AirPods in different ways. Solvents or lotions can eat away at the water-resistant seals, soda forms a sticky residue that blocks the speaker, coffee can stain the white plastic, and seawater might leave a salt residue when it dries.

If you get anything other than clean water on your AirPods, use a damp cloth to wipe them down before letting them dry. Be careful not to get more liquid inside your AirPods when using a damp cloth.

Please note that even after following the instructions above to dry your AirPods, they will not always work. Water can affect them instantly or slowly rust the circuits over weeks or months.

Since AirPods are only water-resistant and not waterproof, you can consider buying a waterproof AirPods charging case or AirPods ear hooks to keep them secure and protected. The waterproof charging case keeps your AirPods dry when you aren’t using them, while the ear hooks stop them from falling out of your ears and into a puddle.

Lastly, remember that you should not use your AirPods in unsuitable environments, such as the shower, swimming pool, or rain to begin with.

Apple wants you to avoid damaging your hearing when you’re using an iPhone (but, strangely, not a Mac). In Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety, enable Reduce Loud Audio, and you can set a threshold above which your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max will moderate sound. It doesn’t create an abrupt cutoff, but it keeps you from hearing sounds above a particular level, measured using standard decibel units.

However, once you enable this setting, it affects all external audio devices, not just wired and wireless headphones and earbuds. Because Bluetooth doesn’t allow a phone or tablet to know what’s connected, just the kind of Bluetooth data requested, Apple throttles the maximum sound to all Bluetooth devices, including externally connected speakers.

If you forgot that you enabled Headphone Safety or you expected it wouldn’t affect external speakers, your mystery is now solved. My spouse and I troubleshooted the problem when it turned out my phone could produce a louder volume to an external Bluetooth speaker than hers: she had Headphone Safety on, and I did not.

Apple lets you categorize Bluetooth devices in Settings > Bluetooth. Tap the More Info button next to the device name, then tap Device Type. But Headphone Safety doesn’t refer to that choice if you’ve set it, nor does Apple show that sound is being throttled when the safety feature is turned on.

Listening to music at high volume can certainly get the adrenaline pumping when you’re at the gym or out and about, as your favourite songs fill your head. But doing this regularly has been shown to cause damage to your hearing that could become permanent.

There’s an easy way to overcome this temptation, as iOS provides a setting for the maximum volume on an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max. In this article we show you the simple way to be kind to your ears, or your kids’ ears.

Protecting children who use iPhones

It’s a time-honoured tradition for kids to listen to their music or favourite TV shows very loudly indeed. We’ve all done it, but now with clever devices like iPhones it’s possible to prevent this from being a damaging behaviour. You’ll need to have access to their device to set the volume, but we recommend doing so, as their ears will thank you in the long run.

Another option is to buy a set of child-specific headphones as these are not only designed to fit smaller heads, but most also have the added bonus of limiting the output levels to prevent damaging the little ones’ hearing.

How to set a maximum volume on iPhone 18 Pro Max

To limit how loud your iPhone will play through headphones, there are just a few quick steps that you need to take.

On your iPhone 18 Pro Max, open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety, turn on Reduce Loud Audio, then drag the slider to choose your own preferred limit. iPhone analyzes your headphone audio and reduces any sound above the level you set.

It’s also worth switching on the Sound Check feature if you’re an Apple Music user, as this will act in a similar way to a studio compressor by making quieter songs louder and lowering louder ones so that they all sit around the same level. This prevents you from turning up the volume on one song that’s barely audible, only to be deafened when the next one kicks in.

To find the control, go to Settings > Apps > Music > Sound Check and turn it on.

Over time, iPhones tend to slow down as they get clogged up with unwanted files and apps. You can give your device a little speed boost by clearing out the junk and memory-clogging files on your device. In this article, we explain how to clean out the cache, which could get your iPhone 18 Pro Max running faster.

What is cache?

Pronounced ‘cash’, this is an area of memory on your device where small, temporary files are kept. These are often useful and speed up performance by allowing the CPU to access regularly used files quickly. The most common use is on websites where the cache will store product images, javascript settings and other relevant things that keep things ticking along nicely when you’re browsing. There is also app cache for storing temporary data for your apps.

Note: Cookies are also files that get saved on your iPhone when you visit websites. Cookies are a bit different to cache, which records page elements such as images so they open faster if you return to a particular webpage. Cookies store things like your username and password, but they can also be used to identify your computer so that advertisers can track you around the internet. You may also wish to delete cookies for that reason.

Does clearing cache make iPhone faster?

Cache is designed to speed up processes, so clearing cache could mean that, at least initially, your web browsing and app experiences slow down because the iPhone doesn’t have the necessary data saved in cache.

As a result, you may notice is the first time you visit a website, or use an app, after clearing the cache, things take slightly longer to load up or you may even have to log in once more. But, those items will then be stored in the cache for when you need them again (or until you clear your cache again).

Despite this it is still a good idea to clear cache out periodically: When the cache is filled up with lots of these files it takes longer to find necessary files, slowing things down.

Clearing cache can also free up space on your iPhone, which is another way to speed up your iPhone.

How to clear iPhone 18 Pro Max cache

We’ll address the different ways to clear cache on iPhone below, including how to clear the different kinds of cache: browser cache and app cache.

We will start off with the fastest way to speed up your iPhone: a simple restart. This won’t clear cache as such, but it will recover space in RAM.

How to free up RAM/memory by restarting iPhone

Before you start deleting things from your iPhone, it’s worth taking the classic step of turning it off and on again. For the most part, iOS does a good job of managing memory without any user involvement. But we do find that restarting an iPhone from time to time is a good way to clear out the memory and ensure important apps have enough to run happily.

Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

How to close apps to free up RAM

There was a time when force quitting an app was considered a great way to free up RAM on your iPhone. This may still be helpful, but it’s no longer recommended that you close background apps. However, if you want to try it, as it may help if a particular app is causing your device to slow down here’s what to do:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the device screen and then let go when the pages you have open appear in a shuffle.

   

2. Find the app you want to close and swipe up on it.
3. You can select more than one app by using more than one finger.

How to clear browser cache on an iPhone 18 Pro Max

The above options may have resulted in a speed improvement for your iPhone, but if not try these steps to clean iPhone cache.

Luckily, deleting the cache in Safari is simple.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Safari.
3. Scroll down and tap ‘Clear History and Website Data’.
4. You may see a screen offering to clear timeframe with options from Last hour to All history. You can also choose whether or not you want to Close All Tabs. In the popup, tap ‘Clear History’ to confirm.

There is also an option to just clear website data.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Safari.
3. Scroll down and tap Advanced.
4. Tap on Website Data.
5. Wait for it to load.
6. Swipe to the bottom of the screen and choose Remove All Website Data. Or you can just remove data you don’t think you need individually. At the top of the screen you can see how much website data is stored on your iPhone (we had 1.2GB).

Note that this will log you out of any websites you’ve currently signed into, so make sure you know your passwords.

You may also want to delete your web browsing history.

How to delete unwanted app data

If it’s app cache you want to clear, data stored by apps can be cleaned if you follow the steps below, although using Apple’s method does require you to delete the app itself (which you can then reinstall).

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap on General > iPhone Storage.
3. At the bottom of the screen (below are recommendations for ways to save space) you’ll see your apps, arranged by the amount of storage they take up. You can sort by size or last used date. Tap an app that’s taking up a lot of space.
4. Check the figure beside Documents & Data. This includes related media such as pictures, songs and podcasts, save games and preferences; in some cases it can be considerably larger than the app itself.
5. If the Documents & Data figure is taking up more room than you’d like or you simply don’t use that app anymore, you can delete the app and its files by tapping the Delete App option.
6. Once this is done, you can head to the App Store and re-download it. This clean install won’t include the data and documents and will therefore be smaller.

How to offload unwanted apps

You can just delete the app without deleting the data associated with it, which could be a quick way to free up space while preserving the app data should you reinstall the app (useful if you are a gamer and don’t want to lose saved games). Here you can make use of the Offload App feature in iOS.

This is different to deleting them as offloading means that the related data is stored on your phone, but the app itself is deleted. This is only really useful in terms of things like games where the app sizes can be quite large when compared to their save files, but it’s a route you can take if space is at a premium.

To offload an app, follow the steps above for deleting apps but select Offload App instead. You can always download it later if you need it again and when you do all your data will be intact.

Why you should clear app caches

If the data associated with your apps is taking up a lot of space deleting it could recover gigabytes of space on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, and if your iPhone is running slow because you have only a little space left then deleting app data will certainly help speed things up.

If you are a social media user, for example, you could have gigabytes of data associated with a particular app. Deleting this data shouldn’t be an issue as it’s also stored in whichever social network you use.

What if you want to only delete the app data without deleting the app itself? Unfortunately, as far as Apple’s concerned it’s an all-or-nothing situation: if you want to delete the data you must also delete the app. You can easily reinstall an app you have previously downloaded (you won’t have to pay for it if you already own it).

I’m sure this sounds familiar: You’re trying to install the latest iOS release, upgrade to a new iPhone, take photos or record video, or just download that cool app everyone’s talking about, and your iPhone 18 Pro Max says the storage is full.

You’ve already deleted every app you don’t think you need, and there’s still not enough space on your iPhone. So you open Settings, tap General, then iPhone Storage, and, sure enough, your iPhone is full. Worst of all, a huge chunk of it is just listed as System Data. What’s that supposed to mean? How do you get rid of it? The System Data storage sections are mysterious and confusing, and there’s no one answer that works for everyone, but hopefully, this guide will help you deal with this problem.

How to view your iPhone storage

To see how much storage all your apps and data are taking up on your iPhone’s storage, open the Settings app, select General, then iPhone Storage. At the top, you’ll see a bar graph showing your total iPhone storage and which types of data are filling it up. Beneath that, you’ll find a list of applications on your phone and how much room they take up, both for the app itself and its stored data.

It may take several seconds for your iPhone to show the graph, as it takes time to scan and analyze its storage. Even after the chart first appears, you’ll want to wait several seconds more for it to stabilize, as the app list and storage sizes can change while your phone completes its analysis.

What is System Data on iPhone?

Your iPhone Storage menu will divide that bar up top into familiar categories like Apps, Media, Photos, and Mail, but also a System Data category that is sometimes very large. It’s common for System Data to be in the 5GB to 20GB range, but if it’s way over 20GB, it has probably grown out of control. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of the app list where you will see iOS, which are the files required by the system and are usually around 10GB, and System Data, which are files other than apps and downloads that are collected by iOS. Tap on System Data to see how much space it is taking up.

The System Data category is big and varied because it’s a real catch-all category. It comprises system caches, logs, Siri voices (if you’ve downloaded more than one), updates, and so much more. One of the biggest culprits for System Data growing out of hand is streaming lots of music and video. When you download video or music from the iTunes Store, TV app, or Music app, it’s indexed as Media. But streams have caches used to ensure smooth playback, and those are categorized as System Data.

Safari’s caches can start to grow pretty large, too. And if you send tons of texts with images or video, the caches for that can start to fill up a lot of space. Your iPhone is supposed to manage these caches to keep your storage from becoming completely full, but it doesn’t always do a great job.

How to reduce the size of System Data on an iPhone 18 Pro Max

You can’t get rid of System Data entirely, but you can sometimes reduce its size.

First, let’s try clearing your Safari caches. Open Settings > Apps > Safari and choose Clear History and Website Data. If you have a lot of Safari tabs open on your iPhone, you might want to close most of them, too.

You might also want to change Messages to save fewer old messages. Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Messages, and scroll down to the Message History setting. By default, Keep Messages is set to Forever, but you may want to change it to 1 Year or even 30 Days to reduce the data that the Messages app caches. Just beware that doing this will mean old messages will be deleted–so if you have any messages you want to keep find a way to back them up.

Finally, go back to iPhone Storage and look at the apps list. Most of the apps store data that is categorized as Apps, but some will keep caches that are categorized as System Data. If, say, the Podcasts app is taking up a couple of gigabytes of space, it’s likely mostly cached data. Deleting the app and re-downloading it might put a dent in the System Data category.

How to free up space taken up by iOS

While Apple lets you delete stock iOS apps that you don’t want to free up space, the system still takes up quite a bit of room, in some cases 25GB or more.

The nuclear option: Backup and reset your iPhone

You can go through your iPhone trying to delete every little cache that could grow the size of System Data storage, but if you really want to make it as small as possible, you need to back up your iPhone 18 Pro Max and reset it. This can take a little while. The best way to do this is to use your Mac or PC.

On a Mac running macOS 10.15 Catalina or later:

1. First, connect your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to your Mac with the bundled USB-C cable.
2. When prompted on your iPhone, tap “Trust” and enter your passcode.
3. In the Finder sidebar on your Mac, select your iPhone under Locations.
4. Click the General tab.
5. Select “Back up all of the data on your iPhone to this Mac.”
6. To encrypt your backup data and protect it with a password, check the “Encrypt local backup” box.
7. Click Back Up Now.
8. Note: You can also connect your iPhone to your computer wirelessly if you set up syncing over Wi-Fi.

On a Mac running macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, or a PC

On a PC or a Mac with macOS 10.14 or earlier you can use iTunes to back up your phone. After you connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC, select your iPhone by clicking the little phone icon in the upper left, and under Backups, choose “This Computer” and check the “Encrypt local backup” box to protect your backup with a password. Then click the button to Back Up Now.

Reset and restore

When the backup is done, disconnect your iPhone, head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, and select Erase All Content and Settings. This will return your iPhone to its factory settings, just like when you took it out of the box. When it restarts and it’s in the initial setup process, re-connect it to your computer, and follow the instructions on the screen to restore your device.

This is the longest and most involved way to reduce the size of System Data storage, but it’s also the best. There’s just no way to get it any smaller than it will be after a fresh reset and restore.