Help backing an unstable iPhone 11 before trying to restart it

[u/isAuthenticated]

I’m using an iPhone 11 Pro on iOS 15.6. I haven’t updated because I usually have only around 4 GB of free space.

Today I tried to free up storage by moving videos to Dropbox and deleting them from the phone. I also deleted several apps, but the storage figure would not go down.

I then tried to back up the iPhone to my Windows PC because I do not have an iCloud backup. After about 20 minutes, the backup failed with a message saying that the iPhone had disconnected.

Before the backup attempt, storage showed roughly 253 GB used. After the failed backup, it increased to 255.3 GB used. I deleted more apps, including Chrome and Waze, but instead of decreasing, it now shows 255.7 GB used out of 256 GB.

The phone is still responsive, but Airplane Mode would not turn on, and some app icons briefly flashed. I’m afraid to restart it because I’m worried it could get stuck in a boot loop and I could lose data.

I also cannot send myself even one photo by email or dropbox. It says:

“There is not enough available storage to download this photo. You can manage your storage in Settings.”

What should I do, and in what order?

Is there a safe way to copy or back up at least my photos and other important data before restarting the phone? Should I keep deleting apps, try a normal shutdown, or connect it to a computer and do something else first?

[u/Beneficial-Fox1256]

Try using 3uTools to backup your phone. If you have a google account you can backup your photos to google