Why does ios 26.6 take so much storage without telling me?

How much storage does Ios actually 26.6 take and can i get it back?


I have an iphone 13 that was is 18.5 and i recently installed the preparation files for ios 26.6. On the update page it said the update would only take around 6 gigabytes of storage so i thought it was no big deal, however when i finished downloading all the preparation files my iphone storage being used shot all the way up to 100 from 75. I am so confused, the update was only supposed to take around 6 gigabytes so why did the preparation alone take 25GB? Will downloading the update itself give me my storage back or no? I feel like this is very misleading to advertise the update as if it would would only take 6 gigabytes but then the preparation alone takes away 25. I’m not even on the update yet and i lost 25 gigabytes of storage is there any way to revert this?

iPhone 13, iOS 17

Posted on Aug 11, 2026 6:56 PM

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2 replies

Aug 11, 2026 8:00 PM in response to leftghosts

The reason is that the downloaded file size is approximately 6 GB. Knowing its size matters most to those with limited data plans. It has little or nothing to do with the amount of storage iOS will occupy, which is a lot more than that, and about as much as the previous iOS release.


Merely preparing the update will temporarily require 20 GB or so, as it optimizes the operating system in the background. That amount will eventually be released for your use. You will "lose" approximately nothing.


iOS updates notwithstanding, it is completely normal and expected for an iPhone's storage to vary quite a bit, just through normal use.


To learn how to manage your iPhone's storage and to determine how much of it iOS actually uses, review Manage storage on iPhone - Apple Support.

Why does ios 26.6 take so much storage without telling me?

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