Simple tricks to help you free up space on your phone

Running out of phone storage? Don't panic! This guide offers simple solutions to reclaim space and prevent future storage woes.

Offload Photos and Videos to the Cloud

Photos and videos are major space consumers. Manually transferring them is time-consuming, so cloud services are ideal. While services like Google Photos (up to 15GB free, shared with Google Drive and Gmail), iCloud, OneDrive, Amazon Photos, and Dropbox offer paid plans for larger storage needs, remember that Google Photos' free unlimited storage for photos and videos (under 16MP and 1080p) ended in 2020. New uploads count against your 15GB quota. After transferring, delete local copies to free up space. Learn more about cloud-based photo backups.

Uninstall Unused Apps and Games

Apps and games are another significant space hog. Regularly uninstall unused apps; you can reinstall them later without repurchase. Check storage usage (iOS: Settings > General > iPhone Storage; Android: Settings > Storage > Free up space) to identify large apps. Delete or uninstall them (iOS: long-press app icon > Remove App; Android: long-press icon > drag to Uninstall). Android's "Free up space" feature helps remove infrequently used apps.

Many apps store local data (music, videos, etc.). Clear this data within each app (e.g., Netflix's Downloads section). While social media and messaging apps also store data, it's usually minimal.

Expand Storage Capacity

For long-term offline access, consider expanding storage. While buying a new phone with more storage is an option, it's costly. Android users can use microSD cards (up to 1TB) for extra space. Compatibility varies by phone and Android version; some allow app installation on the card, others only store files. iPhones don't support expandable storage, but accessories like SanDisk iXpand offer automatic backups.

Factory Reset Your Phone (Use with Caution!)

A factory reset completely wipes your phone. Back up all important data first! This is a last resort, but effective. Cloud services make this easier, as most data can be easily restored. (iOS: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone; Android: Settings > System > Reset options).

This article was originally published on April 10, 2017, and has been updated.

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