It’s frustrating when you start getting low storage warnings on your phone. You likely have lots of photos, videos, apps, and other data filling up your phone’s storage. When space starts running low, you need to take action to free up room on your device. Here are some tips to help you determine what to delete when your phone storage is full.
How do you know when your phone storage is full?
There are a few signs that indicate your phone’s storage space is reaching maximum capacity:
- You cannot update or download new apps
- You cannot take new photos or videos
- Your phone runs slower
- You get frequent pop-up notifications about storage space
If you notice these issues, it’s time to clear out some files and free up storage.
What Takes Up Space on Your Phone?
Before deciding what to delete, it helps to understand what types of files take up space on your device. Here are some of the main storage hogs:
Photos and Videos
Camera photos, saved images, screenshot captures, and downloaded videos tend to consume a lot of storage space. Just a few HD videos can eat up gigabytes quickly.
Apps
Apps require internal storage capacity, especially large productivity suites, games, video streaming services, and social media platforms. Unused apps that are no longer needed can be removed to free up space.
Music
Your music library, whether downloaded or synced from the cloud, takes up precious onboard storage.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
Downloaded podcast episodes and audiobooks also occupy storage that could be used for other files.
Documents
Word processing files, PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations, and other documents contribute to filling up your phone’s storage.
Cached Data and Logs
Your phone’s operating system stores cached data, usage logs, temporary files, and other behind-the-scenes information that accumulate over time.
Message Attachments
All those funny memes, viral videos, and photos your friends text occupy storage space too.
How to Free Up Space on Your Phone
Now that you know what types of files take up room, here are some smart ways to clear out space when phone storage is maxed out:
Remove Unused Apps
Delete apps you no longer use. This can free up hundreds of megabytes (or even gigabytes) depending on the app size. Disable or uninstall the app completely.
Offload Unused Photos and Videos
Move photos and videos to cloud storage or transfer them to a computer hard drive to reduce the phone storage load. Google Photos, iCloud, and Amazon Prime Photos offer free cloud storage options.
Clear App Cache and Data
Open your phone’s settings, select apps and force stop or clear the cache and data for apps hogging storage. This makes the apps reset to their original size.
Remove Downloaded Music
Delete music stored locally on your phone if you primarily stream from apps like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, etc. Transfer important tracks to your computer first if needed.
Delete Podcast and Audiobook Episodes
Remove downloaded podcast or audiobook episodes you’ve already listened to. Check if your app has an “auto-delete” option to remove listened episodes automatically.
Back Up Photos Then Delete Originals
Once photos are backed up to the cloud or computer, you can safely delete them from the phone’s local storage.
Offload Unused Messaging Attachments
Delete old attachments from text message conversations, email attachments from your phone’s mail app, and other unneeded files received on your device.
Remove Cached Data and Files
Clear cached data, temporary system files, logs, error reports, and residual junk files through your phone’s storage settings.
Uninstall Unused Apps
Getting rid of unused apps removes the app itself plus all its stored data and cache files. Streamline your app collection to the essentials.
| File Type | Amount of Storage | Action to Free Up Space |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and videos | Several GBs | Move to cloud or computer storage |
| Applications | 100 MBs to over 1 GB each | Delete unused apps |
| Music files | 3-5 MBs per song | Remove songs stored locally |
| Podcasts and audiobooks | 25-150 MBs each | Delete listened episodes |
| Documents | Up to 100s MBs | Store docs in the cloud |
This table summarizes typical storage consumption of common file types and recommendations for removing them from your phone when storage is limited.
Tips for Managing Phone Storage
In addition to deleting files when your phone fills up, use these tips to regularly manage storage:
Set Up Cloud Backups
Automatically back up photos or entire device to cloud storage to reduce the storage load on your phone.
Use Streaming over Downloads
When possible, stream music and videos on demand rather than downloading them to your device permanently.
Invest in More Storage
If you take lots of high-res photos and videos, consider upgrading to a phone with more internal storage capacity.
Transfer Files to a Computer
Use your computer as supplemental storage and transfer files back and forth as needed to open up phone capacity.
Delete Apps You Don’t Use
Minimize your app collection to only those you actually need. Delete the rest.
Check App Sizes
Monitor which apps consume the most storage and remove or reduce these storage hogs.
Turn On Auto-Delete
Use auto-delete options in apps like Spotify or podcast players to automatically remove listened content.
Offload Old Conversations
Save then delete older messaging threads, emails, and attachments you no longer need quick access to.
Clear Cache Frequently
Get in the habit of periodically clearing app caches, temporary system files, and browser data to avoid build up.
What Should You Avoid Deleting?
While removing unused files is recommended, avoid deleting the following from your phone:
System Software Updates
Don’t delete pending system software updates, as these are required to keep your device and apps functioning properly. Install the updates when prompted.
Necessary System Files
System configuration files, drivers, and other background files required for normal operation should not be deleted just to recover space. This can cause instability.
Saved Contacts and Accounts
Don’t remove contacts, calendars, email accounts, or other user data you want to keep. Back up then reset as a last resort option only.
Recently Used Apps
Avoid removing actively used apps that you need and use regularly, even if they take up space. Delete old rarely used apps first.
Favorited Photos
If you have photos marked as favorites, make sure to back them up before deleting from the phone. Don’t lose cherished photos.
Settings and Preferences
Be careful not to reset all device settings or preferences unless absolutely necessary, as this can disrupt customized configurations.
When to Use Factory Reset
If you still need more storage after trying all the above steps, you may want to perform a factory reset as a last resort option.
Note: Factory reset will erase all data, accounts, apps, and settings on your device and restore it to original factory condition.
Only use factory reset if:
- You have backed up all essential user data.
- Less drastic storage solutions have not resolved the issue.
- Your phone is having severe performance issues.
- You plan to sell, donate or recycle the device soon.
Otherwise, a factory reset should be avoided in favor of selective deletion of unused apps and files.
Conclusion
Running out of storage space on your phone can be frustrating, but armed with the right knowledge you can reclaim plenty of capacity. Focus on removing files you no longer need – unused apps, downloaded media, cached data, and photos or videos stored locally. Implement smart storage management habits going forward. With a few strategic deletions and adjusting your phone habits, you’ll stay on top of available storage.