Carrying a phone with you everywhere you go is standard nowadays—in fact, it’s practically mandatory, but all that carrying around and daily usage can mean that smartphone gets pretty cluttered. A good phone clean-up is the simplest solution. Figuring out where to start to clean up your phone’s storage is a little complicated, though. If you're running short on data storage on your iPhone, it's time to clean up and take a look at which apps are taking up the most space and why. On your phone, tap Settings General Usage.
No matter how large your internal storage is, you cannot install unlimited applications and store large amounts of files all the time. In another word, your Android phone storage will be full sooner or later. When there is no enough storage space, and you need to update your Android or install one important application, what will you do? And what if you want to sell or donate your personal smart phone to someone else? Can you protect your private information effectively?
Therefore, you had better clear phone storage regularly no matter the phone storage is full or not. Though you can move certain files and apps to microSD card or other external hard drives, it is still important to clear memory Android to maintain the normal operating space. Fortunately, this article collects some useful and easy-to-operate solutions. As a result, you are able to free up storage and memory space with ease.
Part 1: How to Clear Phone Storage
You can try the traditional way to clear phone storage space on Android by deleting useless files. And it is also supported to install an Android cleaner app to save your overstuffed mobile. Moreover, this article also shows how to get more space on your phone without deleting anything. You can read and choose the certain solution to free up space on Android.
Delete Your Downloads
To download more apps and media files, or clear system memory, you can delete some less important files manually. If you are not sure whether you will use those files in the further or not, you can backup Android files to cloud storage space in advance.
Step 1. Locate your download folder
Every Android phone has its own download folder. All your downloaded photos, videos, documents and other files will be stored in the local downloads folder. In some Android models, this folder may be called as 'My Files' as well.
Step 2. Clear internal phone storage on Android
Turn to your download history and find files you want to delete. Just long press one file to select it. Later, click 'Remove' or other trashcan icon to delete downloads when internal storage Android full.
Clear the Cache
Furthermore, you need to clear cached data on your Android phone regularly. And you will not lose any sensitive or important Android data. In most cases, cleaning app cache is the first decision you can make.
Method 1: Clear cached data from an Android app.
Open 'Settings' app. Choose 'Applications' and scroll down to click 'Application Manager'. Later, you can find the target application. When you are in the Application info page, click 'Storage' and then choose 'Clear Cache' to clear the cache on Android.
Method 2: Clear all cached data on Android
Go to 'Settings' and click 'Storage' under its list. Find and click 'Cached data'. When you are prompted with 'This will clear cached data for all apps.', choose 'OK' to confirm. After that, you can clear phone memory Android successfully.
Take Advantage of Google Photos
Actually, Google Photos app is a good cloud storage tool that allows users to backup unlimited photos over the air. Thus, you can move all pictures from Android to Google Photos to free up more space on Android.
Step 1. Turn on Google Photos backup feature
Run Google Photos app on your Android phone. Make sure you have turned on 'Back up & sync' feature under 'Settings' already.
Step 2. Backup Android photos to Google Photos
You can set whether to backup Android photos at high quality resolution or original size. Well, Google Photos only offers unlimited storage space for high quality photos at present.
Step 3. Clear phone storage space on Android
Then go back to Settings app and choose 'Free up device storage'. Click 'Remove' to delete Android pictures that have been backed up.
Move APPs to the Trash
If you have not used the certain application for a long time, and you are sure that you have no interest to use this app any more, then why don't you move it to the trash?
Step 1. Access all Android apps
Navigate 'Settings' app. Head to 'Storage' and click 'Apps'. Later, you can see all installed apps sorted by size.
Step 2. Clear phone storage on Android by deleting apps
Hold and press the app you do not use. then click the 'i' icon besides your app's name. Choose 'Uninstall' and confirm your change.
APP to Clear Phone Storage
By free installing Files Go from Google Play Store, you can visualize the left storage space exactly. And it is easy to clear phone storage on Android by deleting temporary files, downloads and other files easily.
Step 1. See all your Android files organized by Files Go
Launch Files Go and grant storage permissions and app access. Then you can monitor the storage usage including unused apps, duplicate files, temporary files, etc.
Step 2. Clear phone storage Android
Choose the certain category and select items you want to delete. Later, click 'Delete' to clean up your Android, or choose 'Clear' to uninstall apps and free up Android phone storage space.
Part 2: How to Get More Space on Your Phone without Deleting Anything
Android Data Backup & Restore is your best friend, which can backup and restore any Android data to Windows or Mac PC in one click. Thus, you can backup data to your computer to clear phone storage space on Android. It is quite easy to achieve, and no Android data will be overwritten.
- One click to backup and restore data from Android to Windows or Mac PC.
- Preview and select any data to restore to your Android without data loss.
- Set up password to encrypt your Android backup files.
- Work with over 5,000 Android portable devices including Samsung, Sony, LG, etc.
Step 1. Connect Android to PC
Launch Android Data Backup & Restore. Then use a lighting USB cable to connect your Android phone or tablet to your computer. Click 'One-click Backup' to backup all Android files to PC. Otherwise, you can click 'Device Data Backup' to backup certain Android file types without overwriting.
Step 2. Select data type to backup (optional)
If you want to backup Android data to your computer selectively, then you can select the data type in the popping up window.
Step 3. Backup data from Android to PC
Then choose 'Start' to backup Android data to PC immediately. And you can have a check when the backup is over.
After that, you can clear phone storage by deleting all Android files. If you accidentally deleted important files, just use this software as the backup extractor or to get deleted data back.
Well, it is also a good way that can increase internal storage Android in some degree. In addition, even though your Android device is broken or crashed, you can still access all important documents and medias files directly.
Optimized Storage helps you save storage space space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand:
- When storage space is needed, files, photos, movies, email attachments, and other files that you seldom use are stored in iCloud automatically.
- Each file stays right where you last saved it, and downloads when you open it.
- Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimized versions of your photos.
If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, learn about other ways to free up storage space.
Find out how much storage is available on your Mac
Choose Apple menu > About This Mac, then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.
Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below.
Manage storage on your Mac
The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimizing your storage. If some recommendations are already turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.
Store in iCloud
Click the Store in iCloud button, then choose from these options:
- Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you recently opened are kept on your Mac, so that you can easily work offline. Files stored only in iCloud show a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
- Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimized) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
- Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Learn more about Messages in iCloud.
Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50GB for $0.99 (USD) a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Learn more about prices in your region.
Optimize Storage
Click the Optimize button to save space by automatically removing watched movies and TV shows. When storage space is needed, movies or TV shows that you purchased from Apple and already watched are removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a movie or TV show to download it again.
Your Mac will also save space by keeping only recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.
Optimizing storage for movies, TV shows, and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.
Empty Trash Automatically
Empty Trash Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
Reduce Clutter
Reduce Clutter helps you identify large files and files you might no longer need. Click the Review Files button, then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation, or Trash.
You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.
Learn how to redownload apps, music, movies, TV shows, and books.
Where to find the settings for each feature
The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control those settings directly within each app.
- If you're using macOS Catalina or later, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar: Store in iCloud turns on the Optimize Mac Storage setting on the right. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
- If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimize Mac Storage settings.
- In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences, then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimize Mac Storage.
- In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.
How To Clean Up Phone Storage Iphone
- If you're using macOS Catalina or later, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
- In you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimize Storage selects “Automatically delete watched movies and TV shows.”
- In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimize Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.
Empty Trash Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Trash Automatically selects “Remove items from the Trash after 30 days.”
Other ways that macOS helps automatically save space
Free Up Space Motorola E
With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac automatically takes these additional steps to save storage space:
- Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
- Reminds you to delete used app installers
- Removes old fonts, languages, and dictionaries that aren't being used
- Clears caches, logs, and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed
How to free up storage space manually
Even without using the Optimized Storage features described in this article, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:
- Music, movies, and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, movies, and TV shows from your device.
- Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Trash, then emptying the Trash. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you might no longer need.
- Move files to an external storage device.
- Compress files.
- Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Trash mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.
Learn more
- The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps might show storage categories such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Free, or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
- When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file doesn't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file frees up only the space required by any data you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
- If you're using a pro app and Optimize Mac Storage, learn how to make sure that your projects are always on your Mac and able to access their files.