How to free up storage space on your mobile phone
Things to know if you're low on storage
Do you find your phone is always full and you can't take a photo or download an app without deleting something first? You might have been struggling to find ways around getting more storage without buying a new phone, whether it's deleting your browsing history or saving to the cloud.
Here we have a number of different mobile phone storage hacks which are bound to help with you, whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone.
These storage hacks could be just what you're looking for...
1. Backup photos and videos, then delete them from your device
Sounds obvious, but do you really need every single photo or video you've ever recorded on your phone? There are plenty of good, free online backup sites.
iPhone: iCloud tends to auto-backup daily, but if this isn't happening, just go into Settings > iCloud > Backup, and turn it on.
Android: Download the Dropbox app, set up a free account, and upload any files – giving you an extra 2GB!
2. Delete old apps, books and games
Again it sounds obvious when we say it, but how many of the apps on your phone do you actually use? Have a good clear out and you could free up a lot of space.
iPhone: Hold down on the app icon until all the app icons start wiggling, then click the 'x' on each app you're wanting to delete.
Android: Use the 'Unused Apps Remover Free' app, which you can install for free from the Google Play Store.
3. Delete old downloads and messages
Are you a text hoarder, have you saved every single text you've ever been sent? You probably won't need texts from a few months ago so delete them to get a bit of extra space.
iPhone / Android: Launch Settings > 'Messages' > 'Keep Messages' under the 'Message History' section, then select the time frame you prefer.
4. Clear out your cached files
Every time you look at a website temporary data is saved on your phone. Deleting the cache can free up precious space.
iPhone: Head to Settings > Safari, then scroll down and tap 'Clear History' and 'Website Data'.
Android: Head to Settings and find Apps (or Applications). Locate the app you want to clear the cache for, then tap on 'Storage' and the option to clear cache app data should appear. New Android operating systems allow you to do this for all apps in one go. 👌
5. Move files to a microSD card
This one is for Android users only. Many Android handsets have a MicroSD slot these days allowing for easy transfer of data from your phone to a memory card.
The MicroSD slot is usually located near the SIM card, sometimes behind the battery. Make sure your phone is off first, then slot in. Next, turn your phone back on and hook it up to a PC via a USB cable. Open a browser to view the contents of your phone, and drag and drop any files over to the MicroSD storage space. If you don't have a computer, you can usually do this from the File Manager on your phone too.
6. Clear your Notes
Are you one of those people who makes notes about notes? Clear them out as soon as you can and you'll get a bit of extra storage.
iPhone and Android users: Open up the app and click on the little bin icon. Easy!
7. Rent a film!
Just for iPhone users this is an unusual workaround. Go to iTunes and try and download a film, if you don't have enough space you'll be prompted to clear out unwanted files on your phone!
Tips provided by mobiles.co.uk
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