The exact steps you need to take will vary from iPhone to Android. That’s why we wrote this step-by-step guide for all smartphone users, whether you’re loyal to Apple or Google. If your storage is full, try this simple trick to make more room. Thanks to our sponsor, IDrive, you can get all the information you need in one place. Keep reading to find out how to see what’s taking up all of your phone’s storage space. We’ll also tell you how to make more room.
Here are a few ways to free up smartphone storage space
When running out of storage space on your smartphone, it’s time to check out the usual suspects. All sorts of things can take up storage space, like:
Large files.Videos.Apps.Pictures.
To quickly find out what’s taking up so much storage space on your Android, go to Settings > Storage > Internal Storage. Whatever is gobbling up the most space on your smartphone will be at the top of the list. You can see how much storage each one of these space hoggers is taking up. To quickly find out what’s taking up the most storage space on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. You’ll see a list of your apps. The ones that use the most storage will be at the top. There are other ways to see which apps are consuming the most data. Follow the steps below to find out precisely what you should do. We’ve got steps for everyone, whether you have an Android or an iPhone.
Find out which apps are taking up space on your Android
Using many apps can take up a big chunk of storage space. Follow these steps to find out which apps are eating up the most data:
Open the Play Store app.Tap your profile icon.Tap Manage apps & device > Manage > Recently updated. (This last option will be in the upper-right corner.)Now, a menu called Sort by will pop up. Select Size.
Now you’ll see which apps are the largest. Uninstall them by tapping the checkbox and tapping delete. You can also try the other strategy below. RELATED: 7 tips to get more space on your Android
Clear your Android storage in four easy steps
Each app you download holds onto small bits of data. That data can build up fast if you use half-a-dozen apps or more. Here’s how to delete your app cache data:
Go to your phone’s Settings app.Tap Apps > See all apps. Now you can see each app’s data information.Here you can see much space they’re taking up. Once you’ve selected an app, tap Storage & cache.Tap Clear storage, then Clear Cache. Remember that clearing the cache will delete your password and other saved info.
Unfortunately, this may take longer than you’d like since some apps require you to log in. Ensure you have your login data nearby, so the cleanup process doesn’t take too long. Running this app audit is helpful for a few other reasons. Going through your apps can help you pinpoint programs and services you’re no longer using. Thus, you can delete apps you don’t need — which frees up even more storage space in the long run. Tap or click here for five more ways to free up storage space on your Android.
Find out which apps are taking up space on your iPhone
Earlier, you learned that it takes just three steps to check out your iPhone storage: Settings > General > iPhone Storage. You’ll see a graph representing how much free space you have — and which apps, files and photos are eating up your device’s memory. From there, you have a few options. Your iPhone will have a Recommendations header, which suggests different ways you can make more storage on your device. For example, it could tell you to review downloaded videos or remove large attachments from your Messages app. After following those suggestions, it’s time to see which apps use up most of your phone’s memory. In other words, you should run an app audit to see which apps are cluttering your phone. If you discover apps you hardly use, consider deleting them to make more room.
Clear your iPhone storage by deleting unnecessary apps
A surplus of unused apps can leave your phone cluttered and not secure. Run an app audit to see which apps take up the most space. Here’s how to delete apps you no longer use:
Touch and hold an app. Then, select Remove App > Delete App > Delete. You can also use the App Library, which was introduced in iOS 14, to get a list of your apps grouped by category. Swipe past the last page of your Home screen to access it. Tap and hold the app, then go to Delete App > Delete.
Tap or click here for 12 more easy ways to free up storage on your iPhone.
The best way to free up smartphone storage space
Maybe you don’t want to get rid of photos, videos or files. In that case, you should move them to cloud backup, freeing up space on your devices. There’s no better way to do this than with IDrive. This cloud storage solution can make your life easier in many different ways. Every once in a while, the computer you rely on can fail you. Malicious viruses, ransomware attacks or technical issues with the hardware or software can endanger your data. Imagine losing everything. With iDrive, this nightmare possibility disappears. You don’t have to worry about hackers gaining access to your computer and denying you access to your data until you pay a hefty fee. You can protect your computer ahead of time and defend your data with this reliable backup solution. Save a whopping 90% when you sign up at IDrive.com and use the promo code “Kim” at checkout.
