Updating iOs 26 on an iPhone 12 - not enough space

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Updating iOs 26 on an iPhone 12 - not enough space

I am using an iPhone 12 which I like, and generally fits my needs.

Recently, I updated to iOs 26 which I also like. Fast forward to the first iOs 26 version update and my phone tells me I don't have enough remaining storage to update.

I looked into moving some photos from phone top laptop, but none of the "how-to"s seems to work for me. I do not subscribe to the icloud, so my backups are to my laptop, via iTunes.

Is a plausible solution to do the following? :

Back up current setup to laptop with iTunes.
Factory reset the phone
Set up phone as a new device, with an update to the latest iOs 26
Restore the backup data from step 1

Does this work, or does it all go awry along the way?

Like most folks I enjoy my phone and don't want to lose anything from it. At his point, I don't want to update my phone to a newer, larger version.

I look forward to your feedback.

Thanks!

Back up my iPhone to iTunes

iPhone 12, iOS 26

Posted on Nov 11, 2025 10:53 AM

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Answer 1

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KiltedTim

Level 10

225,978 points

Nov 11, 2025 10:56 AM in response to MiracleMaud

You probably don't have to go to that extreme. You can try updating using your computer instead of over the air. That's not as picky about available space as it can use your computer's storage to 'unpack' the update.

You should make sure you have a backup either in iCloud or on your computer before you attempt to update.

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Answer 2

MiracleMaud Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 12, 2025 11:44 PM in response to KiltedTim

Thanks Tim. I eventually gave in and visited the local iPhone wallah to ask for help.

Nn matter how many efforts I made my laptop simply would not recognise my phone. I couldn't shut it down, never mind restart and so on.

The wizard did manage to rebuild my phone and returned it to me back at factory settings, with the iOs updated, leaving me to restore the data last night. I did that seamlessly, so I am now back up and running.

During all of that, I have purchased a new phone as I could only see myself entering a bit of a doom loop with the inadequate storage space challenge. That arrives today.

My iPhone 12 will be my backup phone overseas, so worth getting it going again. My short time using my other spare (an iPhone 7) was just too tortuous.

Thanks again.

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Answer 3

MiracleMaud Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 11, 2025 11:39 PM in response to KiltedTim

The thing is, my phone is frozen. I have the illuminated Apple logo with the white line progress bar. It is illuminated around 70% across it's length.

I can plug in, unplug, try to restart the phone. Zero happens.

I'll probably, reluctantly, buy a new phone today, because even if I can get this one going, I'll run into the capacity issues again next iOs update.

We have a very good young man in the village who runs a business mending IT - especially Apple, so I'll talk with him.

I would like to get it working, because we've always used our "last phones" with our UK sim in, when abroad, and our "current phone" with a local sim, so even replaced, it still has a use.

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