Having enough storage space on your Android phone is crucial for installing apps, taking photos and videos, and downloading files. Here are some tips to help you save storage space on your Android phone.
Delete Unneeded Apps
One of the best ways to free up storage is to delete apps you no longer need.
- Open the Settings app and go to Apps. This will show a list of all installed apps on your phone.
- Go through the list and delete any apps you haven’t used in a while. This can free up a surprising amount of space.
- Be sure to delete both the app and its data by tapping the app name and then “Uninstall.”
Deleting big game apps like PUBG or Genshin Impact can free up over 1 GB of space on your phone. Getting rid of unused apps is an easy way to gain back storage.
Clear App Cache and Data
Cached app data and temporary files can take up space unnecessarily. Clearing this data for apps can free up storage:
- In Settings, go to Storage and tap Cached data to clear it.
- You can also go to Apps, select an app, and tap Clear cache and Clear storage to delete its temporary data and files.
Social media apps, streaming apps, and web browsers tend to cache a lot of data, so clearing their caches can recover significant storage space.
Store Photos and Videos in the Cloud
Photos and videos tend to take up the most storage space on phones. Instead of keeping everything saved locally, back up your media to the cloud:
- Services like Google Photos let you automatically back up photos and videos to the cloud.
- You can then safely delete local copies of backed up media to free up space, while still having access to them online from any device.
Backing up and deleting just 10GB of photos and videos can make a big difference in freeing up local storage on your phone. Cloud services offer an easy way to reduce media bulk.
Use Lighter Apps
Some apps like games and video editors take up a lot of storage even if you don’t use them that often. Consider switching to lighter app alternatives:
- For example, Facebook takes up over 150MB even if rarely used. Switching to the lite version saves over 100MB.
- Using lighter web browser and media apps can also trim down wasted storage space.
Searching for “app name lite” can help you find slimmed down versions of heavy apps to install instead. The functionality compromises may be worth it for the storage savings.
Offload Unused Apps
If you have apps you only use occasionally, offloading them can temporarily free up their space until you need them again:
- In Settings > Apps, tap an app and select Offload. This removes the app while retaining its data and settings.
- When you want to use an offloaded app again, simply reinstall it and your data/settings will be restored.
Offloading large gaming apps or other rarely used apps can significantly reduce wasted storage space. Just reinstall them on demand.
Use Cloud or SD Card for Music/Podcasts
Music, podcasts, and other media files can fill up storage quickly. Consider keeping them in the cloud or on an SD card instead:
- Streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora allow you to listen online without downloads.
- SD cards provide removable local storage to keep music/podcasts on separately from your phone’s internal storage.
Storing audio media externally allows you to free up internal phone storage while still having access. You can also selectively save offline playlists if needed.
Go Through and Delete Unneeded Files
It always helps to manually look through your phone’s storage for unneeded files to delete:
- Browse through Downloads, Android/data folders, and anywhere else you may have saved files.
- Sorting by size can help identify large files you can likely delete.
- Temp files, old app installers, and other useless cruft can build up over time. Delete them.
While time consuming, manually deleting useless files and old downloads you’ve forgotten about can regain plenty of storage capacity.
Adjust Camera Settings for Lower Resolution
If storage space is critically low, lowering camera photo/video resolution can reduce the size of new media you’re capturing:
- In your Camera app settings, choose lower resolution options like 720p instead of 4K for video.
- For photos, select lower megapixel sizes. This will reduce image quality but take up 2-3x less space per photo.
Trading off some image quality by using lower camera resolutions can help slow storage fill up. Just be sure to switch resolutions back when space improves.
Uninstall and Reinstall Apps Later If Needed
As a last resort, uninstall apps you use infrequently and reinstall them later only when needed.
- Games, niche apps, and other utilities you can live without for a while are good candidates for temporary uninstall.
- You can always reinstall apps from the Play Store and restore data/settings.
Uninstalling unused apps and revisiting them later maximizes storage efficiency. It takes more effort but pays off if space is extremely constrained.
Conclusion
Running out of storage space on your Android can be frustrating. Hopefully these tips for reducing app bulk, offloading media to the cloud, deleting unneeded files, and adjusting camera settings help you reclaim much needed internal storage capacity. Stay proactive about managing your phone’s storage space and you’ll enjoy room for the apps, photos, videos, and files that matter most to you.
