Phone storage full? Free up space safely
Photos, videos and chat media usually take most of the space. Clear those carefully and the rest is quick.
See what is using the space
- iPhone: Settings → General → iPhone Storage.
- Android: Settings → Storage (or Battery and device care → Storage). The Files by Google app also suggests what to clear.
Photos and videos
Back them up first (see backing up your phone). Then:
- Use the photo app's option to keep smaller copies on the phone and the originals in the cloud ("Optimise iPhone Storage" in iCloud Photos, "Free up space" in Google Photos).
- Delete duplicates, screenshots and blurry shots. Both photo apps can find duplicates for you.
- Empty "Recently deleted": deleted photos stay there for 30 days and still use space.
- Long 4K videos are the biggest files. Recording at 1080p uses about a third of the space.
Chat apps
WhatsApp, Telegram and similar apps save every photo, video and voice note you receive. In WhatsApp: Settings → Storage and data → Manage storage, then sort by size. Turning off automatic media download stops the problem coming back.
Apps and their caches
- Uninstall apps you haven't used in months. iPhone can "Offload unused apps", which removes the app but keeps its data.
- Streaming and podcast apps keep downloaded episodes and songs. Remove what you've already watched or heard.
- On Android, clearing an app's cache (Settings → Apps → app → Storage → Clear cache) is safe. "Clear data" resets the app and signs you out.
Downloads and documents
Old PDFs, installers and saved attachments collect in the Downloads folder. On Android, open the Files app → Downloads and sort by size.
What to avoid
- "Cleaner" and "booster" apps: they mostly delete caches that come straight back, and many are full of adverts.
- Deleting photos before checking that the backup worked.
How much free space do you need?
Keep at least 10% free (or a few GB). With almost no space left, updates fail, apps crash and the phone slows down.