Tech & Gadgets

Phone Storage Full? 9 Ways to Free Up Space on iPhone and Android

Get rid of the "storage almost full" warning without losing the photos and apps you care about.

Editorial TeamNovember 4, 20261 min read

Few things are more annoying than trying to take a photo and seeing "Storage almost full". A full phone also tends to run slower and may fail to install updates.

You can usually free up several gigabytes in 15 minutes without deleting anything important. Here's how, step by step, for both iPhone and Android.

Step 1: See what's using space

On an iPhone, go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage. On Android, go to Settings → Storage (the exact name varies by phone). Both show which apps and file types take up the most room.

Quick wins

  1. Empty "Recently Deleted". Deleted photos often stay on your phone for 30 days. Empty the Recently Deleted album in your Photos or Gallery app.
  2. Clear large message attachments. Videos and photos in chats can use gigabytes. In WhatsApp, go to Settings → Storage and data → Manage storage.
  3. Delete old downloads. PDFs, videos and installers pile up in your Files or Downloads folder.
Pro tipTurn off automatic media downloads in messaging apps so every video in a group chat doesn't save to your phone.

Photos and videos

Photos and videos are usually the biggest space users. You don't have to delete them — just move them.

  1. Back up to the cloud. Turn on iCloud Photos with "Optimise iPhone Storage", or Google Photos backup on Android, then free up space on the device.
  2. Remove duplicates and screenshots. Most phones now group duplicates and screenshots, making them easy to clear.
  3. Lower video quality. Recording in 4K uses far more space. Switch to 1080p for everyday videos.

Apps

  1. Offload or uninstall unused apps. iPhone can offload unused apps automatically while keeping their data. On Android, uninstall apps you haven't opened in months.
  2. Clear app caches. On Android, open an app in Settings → Apps → Storage and tap Clear cache. Streaming and social apps often hold large caches.
  3. Remove offline content. Downloaded music, podcasts, films and maps can use a lot of room.

Keep it from filling up again

Set a monthly reminder to repeat the quick wins. Keep at least 10–15% of your storage free so your phone has room for updates and runs smoothly.

If you're always running out of space even after a clean-up, consider a cloud storage plan or, next time, a phone with more built-in storage.

#Smartphones#Tech & Gadgets
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Written by Editorial Team

Our editors research, test and simplify everyday tasks so you can get them right the first time. Spotted something we should update? Let us know on our contact page.

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