How to remove Photos data to free up iPad storage?

When you delete photos they are moved to the Recently Deleted folder, where they remain for a month. To completely remove them open the Deleted folder and delete them from there.

It is generally recommended that you maintain at least 4-6GB of free space at all times - as your iPad needs some temporary space to complete many tasks. When performing system software updates, you may temporarily require more...

A system software update requires sufficient space to be downloaded, unpacked and verified prior to installation - major version updates (such as updating from iPadOS 18.x to iPadOS 26) requiring considerably more space than an incremental point-update. The required space, to perform an OTA update, is typically double the stated space for the installed update; after the update is successfully completed, temporary files are automatically deleted - returning free space.

If your internal storage is full, or is insufficient for the task that you need to perform, your only option is to better manage the storage that you have - and delete unused Apps or unneeded data. 

These support pages should prove to be helpful:

About storage on your device and in iCloud – Apple Support

What's the difference between device storage and iCloud storage? – Apple Support

Manage your iCloud storage – Apple Support

How to check the storage on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch – Apple Support

Clear Other storage on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

“Offloading” Apps can be a helpful method of creating temporary space for a software update:

https://9to5mac.com/2020/01/21/how-to-offload-apps-in-ios-to-save-space-without-deleting-their-data/

Additional information about creating sufficient space for installation of a software update can be found here:

If you need more space for an update on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

External storage options can often help with managing limited internal storage. Depending upon your iPad model, the iPad will either have a Lightning or USB-C port - and may therefore require either an Adapter or USB hub to connect the USB Storage device. If your iPad has a Lightning port, you’ll need an Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter:

• Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter

https://store.apple.com/xc/product/MK0W2ZM/A

Using a Mac computer or Windows PC can help with system software updates - as the update package is initially downloaded to the computer, unpacked and verified by the computer, prior to the computer installing the updated system software on the target device.

As is, perhaps a workable remedy is to ensure that you have either an iCloud or iTunes backup of your iPad - and then completely erase the iPad. With no user-data present, you should be able to update the iPad; once updated, you can restore your backup to the iPad.

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Erase all content and settings:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Erase All Content & Settings

After the reset, set-up the iPad with your AppleID - but do not restore the backup. Perform the system software update using whichever method works for you.

Finally, restore the backup to your iPad:

Restore all content to iPad from a backup - Apple Support

Please see my previous reply to this thread, of 12th October, that fully describes the available methods to resolve your current difficulty with clearing persistent temporary data and successfully perform the desired system software update.

As previously outlined, if all else fails, a workable remedy is to ensure that you have either an iCloud or iTunes backup of your iPad - and then completely erase the iPad. With no user-data present, you should be able to update the iPad; once updated, you can restore your backup to the iPad.

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

Erase all content and settings:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Erase All Content & Settings

After the reset, set-up the iPad with your AppleID - but do not restore the backup. Perform the system software update using whichever method works for you.

Finally, restore the backup to your iPad:

Restore all content to iPad from a backup - Apple Support

The iPad will now be running the most recent supported version of iPadOS. All locally stored data will have been restored to the iPad.

gwenda80 wrote:

Thank you for your responses. The iPad is an iPad Air3 (3rd generation) iPadOS Version 18.7.8

I tried to back up my photos to the iCloud but it said I only had about 5GB and the Photos is 200GB which is made up of Documents and Data. I have no idea what these Documents and Data are, there appears to be no way to access them, therefore no way if they are important to the working of the iPad itself. From what I understand the newer iPads have a separate folder for Documents and Data so possibly these can actually be accessed and deleted once you know they are no longer used. The iPad holds passwords to various websites my husband has, I have been able to change his subscriptions to my name and my credit card. My concern is if I were able to remove this data would all these automatic payments be removed as the accounts are still in his name. It has been suggested deleting the Photos App then downloading the App to rid it of the Documents and Data - I'm too chicken to do that without knowing what they are for! Not sure what I can do next, any suggestions would be gratefully received, thank you.

Sorry, but recent models of iPad do not have a "separate folder for Documents and Data". This basic iPadOS sandboxed system architecture is consistent between iPad models. Hopefully any account credentials are already stored within the native iPadOS Passwords App/keychain.

Having already discarded/deleted all locally stored photos, the indicated 200GB data is (and will remain) inaccessible and unrecoverable. This orphaned data is serving no useful purpose whatsoever - and already being unrecoverable, can be safely eliminated from the iPad without impacting any data that can be accessed.

Having ensured that you have a current iCloud or iTunes backup of the iPad, the iPad can be safely and fully reset - this process removing any orphaned data from the device. After the reset, you then restore the backup to the iPad. All accessible data will have been restored.

At some point, you must either take a step forwards - or abandon the process to cleanse and update the iPad entirely. As outlined in my initial reply, you may be able to update the iPad using either a Windows PC or Mac computer without erasing and restoring the iPad.

If you don't have access to a suitable computer (or a friend or accommodating neighbour that does), you can use the final method that I have already outlined. If you have a iCloud backup (as recommended many times), after the iPad has been erased and updated using nothing more than the iPad itself, you can restore the iCloud backup to the iPad.

You can “rent” additional iCloud space. 99¢ a month for 50 GB, $2.99 a month for 200 GB, and more capacities up to 2 TB. And you can get cancel it after you no longer need it.

Another option: Install the Google Photos or Amazon Photos app and sync your photos to it.

One way is as follows:

Tap and hold the Photos app icon on the iPad. Then tap Options > Remove App. Follow the steps to completely remove the app. Then re-download and install the Photos app from the AppStore.

If you’re in the U.S., this link will get you there.

Photos - U.S. App Store

gwenda80 wrote:

If you have any suggestions as to how I can view the Documents and Data I would be very grateful, thank you.

The point is deleting and reinstalling the Photos app deletes only documents and data associated with the Photos app.

gwenda80 wrote:

you said it works in the USA so I hope it will work in the UK.

The only difference should be the link I supplied to the Photos app in the App Store won’t work in the UK. Simply search the App Store for “Photos” and be certain you get Apple’s (and not someone else’s) Photos app to download.

Good luck.

You seem to have ignored my response. Oh well.