If your iPhone gets stuck on the “Calculating category sizes” or “Sizing” screen when checking storage after the recent software update (or perennially), don’t panic at all. This has been an age-old issue. What makes it so frustrating is that it prevents you from managing storage effectively, especially when your device is almost full.
“Hi everyone! Does anyone of you have experience in iphone storage wherein calculating category sizes keeps on loading but not showing it’s results? How did you fixed it?” – An iPhone user Aybannn complained on Apple Support Community.
A Reddit user named EmanueleZip reported that his iPhone 12 (running iOS 15.1) got stuck loading the storage category sizes.
“iPhone 12 (iOS 15.1) is stuck at calculating category sizes. It sometimes manages to load but usually does not, I’ve had this issue for a while now. I’ve tried to reboot my iPhone as well but didn’t do anything,”
That’s not all! A Quora user’s complaint about this very issue has triggered a never-ending conversation thread.
“My iPhone storage won’t stop saying calculating storage. How do I fix this?”
So, what causes an iPhone to freeze out in the storage section? Well, it typically occurs due to software glitches, system cache buildup, or problems with background processes. In this extensive guide, I’m going to break down the 10 most effective ways to fix this issue.
1. Force Quit and Reopen Settings App
It’s worth pointing out that the Settings app may get temporarily stuck due to background hang-ups or memory leaks.
- To get it done, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause to view the App Switcher (or double-press the Home button).
- After that, swipe away the Settings app. Reopen it and check if the storage sizes load properly.
2. Restart Your iPhone
Should the storage space still be loading up, go for the soft reset. A reboot clears temporary system glitches and refreshes system processes that could be stuck.
- To do so, hold the Power button (and Volume Down on Face ID models) until you see the power slider.
- Then, slide to power off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
3. Enable and Disable Airplane Mode
Toggling Airplane Mode resets network-related processes that may interfere with background system operations.
- Go to Control Center by swiping down from the top-right, enable Airplane Mode > wait 10 seconds > then turn it off.
4. Free Up Some Storage Space
If your iPhone is nearly full or running low on storage space, it may struggle to calculate sizes due to limited available memory. So, it’s time to declutter your device, wiping out the entire cluster of redundant files, photos, videos, songs, and more.
- To delete unused apps, old videos, and duplicate photos, or offload large apps, head over to the Settings app > General > iPhone Storage.
5. Turn Off Background App Refresh Temporarily
Disabling background activities can help your iPhone allocate resources to calculating storage data.
- On your iOS device, navigate to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and select “Off.”
6. Reset All Settings
Beware of the corrupted settings, as they can severely affect how storage data is retrieved and displayed.
- On your iPhone, dive into the Settings app > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
- Note that it won’t delete your data but will reset system settings like Wi-Fi passwords.
7. Update iOS to the Latest Version
Apple frequently releases bug fixes, and storage calculation bugs have been addressed in past iOS updates.
- On your iPhone, launch Settings > General > Software Update and install any available update.
8. Use Finder or iTunes to View Storage
Sometimes, the Mac or PC version of storage management can display accurate data when the phone itself can’t.
- Connect your iPhone to a Mac (via Finder) or PC (via iTunes) and check the device summary for storage breakdown.
9. Wait It Out
In some cases, if you’ve recently updated iOS or restored from backup, it takes time for storage indexing to complete.
- So, be sure to leave your iPhone plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi for an hour or more, and avoid using it during this time.
10. Factory Reset as a Last Resort
If all else fails, starting fresh eliminates any underlying system corruption that could be causing the issue.
- Back up your iPhone, then go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.
- After reset, restore from backup or set it up as new.
Wrapping up…
There you have it! When your iPhone storage is stuck on sizing, it can feel frustrating, especially if you’re trying to manage space urgently. These 10 solutions address a range of possible causes, from temporary glitches to deeper system issues.
Always start with the simpler steps, like force quitting the app or restarting the phone, and escalate to more advanced solutions only if needed. With a bit of patience and the right approach, you’ll get your iPhone storage info back to normal and running smoothly again.
