How to Increase Storage on Your Phone

Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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In today's digital age, our phones have become an indispensable part of our lives. We use them for communication, entertainment, work, and more. As we continue to use our phones for these and many other purposes, it's easy to run out of storage space. This can be frustrating, especially when you need to save new documents, install new apps, take photos, or download music. This guide will explain how to increase storage on your phone, whether it's an Android device or an iPhone. These tips will help you free up space, store your data more efficiently, and get the most out of your device's storage capacity.

1. Clean up your apps

The easiest way to free up storage space on your phone is to clear your apps. Often, we download apps for a specific purpose and then forget to delete them when we no longer need them. You can follow these steps to delete unused apps:

For Android:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Apps or Application manager.
3. Select the app you want to remove.
4. Tap Uninstall.

For iPhone:

1. On the Home screen, press and hold an app icon until it starts to shake.
2. Tap the X button on the app icon.
3. Tap Delete in the confirmation dialog.
4. For apps that can't be deleted, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, then select the app and offload or delete it as needed.

Periodically reviewing and uninstalling apps you no longer use can help keep your phone clean and free up valuable storage space.

2. Offload unused apps

Offloading apps is a feature that allows you to delete unused apps while keeping their data safe. This means that the next time you reinstall the app, it will pick up where you left off. This can be particularly useful for temporarily freeing up storage space.

For iPhone:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Select iPhone Storage.
4. Review the list of apps; tap any app you don’t use often and select Offload App.

The process isn't as simple for Android, but you can look for similar options in your specific Android device's settings or use third-party apps designed for this purpose.

3. Move data to the cloud

Storing data in the cloud is another great way to free up space on your phone. Cloud storage lets you save your files on a remote server, freeing up local storage. Here are some popular cloud storage services:

• Google Drive: Available for both Android and iPhone users, Google Drive offers 15GB of free storage. You can upload your photos, videos, documents, and more.
• iCloud: For iPhone users, iCloud provides 5GB of free storage. You can store photos, videos, and other files.
• Dropbox: Offers 2GB of free storage, and it works on almost every platform.
• OneDrive: Offers 5GB of free storage and is integrated with Microsoft Office apps.

How to use Google Drive:

1. Download and install the Google Drive app from your app store.
2. Open the app and sign in with your Google account.
3. Tap the plus ( ) icon to upload files.
4. Select the files from your phone that you want to upload.

How to use iCloud:

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name at the top, then choose iCloud.
3. Turn on the iCloud services you want, such as Photos, so your photos are automatically uploaded to the cloud.

4. Use SD card (for Android devices)

Many Android devices are equipped with an SD card slot. Adding an SD card can significantly increase your phone's storage capacity. Here are the steps to install an SD card on an Android device:

1. Purchase an SD card that is compatible with your phone.
2. Turn off your phone.
3. Locate the SD card slot: This is usually in the SIM card tray or in a separate slot.
4. Insert the SD card into the slot.
5. Turn on your phone and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the SD card.

Some phones allow you to format an SD card as internal storage, allowing it to act as an extension of your phone's internal memory. This can be especially useful if your phone has limited built-in storage.

5. Clear cache data

Apps on your phone store temporary files and data to help them run faster. Over time, these cache files can accumulate and take up a lot of storage space. Clearing the app cache can help free up this space:

For Android:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Storage.
3. Select Cached data to view cached data for all apps.
4. Tap Clear Cache to remove all cached data.

For iPhone:

Clearing the cache on an iPhone is not that simple. However, you can clear the cache for the Safari browser or individual app caches by reinstalling the app:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Safari.
3. Tap Clear history and website data.

6. Delete old conversations

Text messages, especially messages with photo and video attachments, can take up a lot of space on your phone. Deleting old conversations can help free up space:

For Android:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Long press on the conversation you want to delete.
3. Tap Delete.

For iPhone:

1. Open the Messages app.
2. Swipe left on the conversation you want to delete.
3. Tap the Delete button.

You can also set your iPhone to automatically delete old messages by going to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages and selecting a shorter period, such as 30 days or 1 year.

7. Manage downloads

Downloaded files, including documents, music, and videos, can quickly accumulate and take up a lot of space. Regularly managing and deleting old downloads can help free up space:

For Android:

1. Open the Files or My Files app.
2. Go to the Downloads folder.
3. Select and delete the files you no longer need.

For iPhone:

1. Open the Files app.
2. Select Browse, then go to Downloads.
3. Select and delete the files you no longer need.

8. Use streaming services

Instead of downloading music, movies, or TV shows to your phone, consider using streaming services. Streaming lets you access content without taking up storage space. Here are some popular streaming services:

• Music: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play Music
• Video: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney

By using these services you can enjoy your favorite content without worrying about filling up your phone's storage.

9. Customize photos and videos

Photos and videos are often the biggest culprits when it comes to storage space. Here are some ways to optimize them:

1. Use high-efficiency formats:

Most modern phones offer the option to save photos and videos in high-efficiency formats, such as HEIF for photos and HEVC for videos. These formats take up less space without compromising on quality.

For iPhone:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Camera.
3. Select Format, and choose High Efficiency.

2. Compress photos and videos:

1. Use apps like Google Photos, which offer built-in compression features.
2. Back up your media to Google Photos and choose the "High quality" option for free storage and automatic compression.

3. Delete unnecessary media:

1. Review your photo and video galleries regularly.
2. Delete duplicates, blurry shots, and videos you no longer need.

10. Manage system updates and backups

System updates and backups can take up a lot of space on your phone. Managing them effectively can free up storage:

For Android:

System updates are usually downloaded and installed automatically. However, you can manage backups as follows:

1. Open Settings.
2. Going to Backup & reset or System backup.
3. Managing your backup settings, including deleting old backups that are no longer needed.

For iPhone:

iCloud backups can take up a lot of storage space:

1. Go to Settings and tap on your name.
2. Select iCloud.
3. Review and manage your backups. Delete old backups from devices you no longer use.

11. Using third-party cleaner apps

There are many third-party apps available that can help you clear your phone's storage efficiently. Examples include:

• CCleaner: Available for both Android and iOS, this app allows you to clean junk files and manage storage efficiently.
• Files by Google: This app helps manage storage by suggesting files to delete and organizing your data.

Be careful when using third-party apps and only download from reputable sources.

12. Factory reset

As a last resort, you can perform a factory reset. This will erase all data on your phone, so it should only be performed if you have backed up all important data. A factory reset will return your phone to its original state and free up all storage:

For Android:

1. Open settings.
2. Scroll down and select System.
3. Tap Reset or Factory reset.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your phone.

For iPhone:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Scroll down and select Reset.
4. Select Erase All Content and Settings.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to reset your iPhone.

Remember to backup your data before doing a factory reset.

In conclusion, there are many ways to increase storage on your phone. Regularly clearing unused apps, moving data to the cloud, and managing media and downloads can help your phone run smoothly. By adopting these strategies, you can make the most of your phone's storage capacity and avoid the hassle of running out of space.

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