Help Guides
How do I free up storage on my phone?
A phone that keeps saying "storage full" is stressful, especially when you cannot take a photo or install an update. Here is how to fix it, in order of what works.
Most phones run out of space because of photos and videos. Back them up to iCloud or Google Photos first, then you can safely clear space without losing them. After that, delete apps you never use, clear out old text messages, and empty the Downloads folder.
Worried about deleting something important? That is a sensible concern. We do this in homes across Durham Region every week and can handle the whole thing during a visit. Give us a call.
Work through these in order
Back up your photos first
This is the most important step. Before deleting anything, make sure your photos are safely backed up to iCloud (on iPhone) or Google Photos (on any phone). Once they are in the cloud, your phone can hold smaller previews and free up a lot of space without losing the originals. Our photo backup guide walks through it.
Delete old videos
A single minute of video takes up about the same space as one hundred photos. Open your photos app, sort by video, and scroll through the ones from years ago. Most people find a dozen clips they forgot they even recorded. Delete the ones you do not need, then empty the Recently Deleted folder to actually reclaim the space.
Remove apps you do not use
Look through your home screen for anything you have not opened in six months. Old games, trial apps, and extras that came pre-installed are often the biggest culprits. On iPhone, hold your finger on an app until it wiggles, then tap the X. On Android, hold the app and drag it to Uninstall. You can always reinstall later if you change your mind.
Clear out old messages
Text messages from years ago, especially ones with photos and videos attached, quietly eat up storage. On iPhone, go to Settings, Messages, then turn on "Keep Messages" for 1 Year instead of Forever. Old messages outside that window will clean themselves up. On Android, the Messages app has a similar setting under its menu.
Empty the Downloads folder
Every PDF you have opened from an email, every receipt you saved from a website, and every photo someone sent you in a group chat ends up in Downloads. Open the Files app on your phone, tap Downloads, and delete anything you recognise as no longer needed.
Would you rather we do this for you?
We clean up phone storage during visits across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa, and we will not delete anything without checking with you first.
Book a VisitTurn on cloud storage for photos
Once your photos are in the cloud, you can turn on "Optimise Storage" on iPhone or "Free Up Space" on Google Photos. This tells the phone to keep only small previews on the device, while the full-size originals stay safely online. You still see all your photos as normal, the phone just uses far less space. This single change often solves the problem for good.
Restart the phone
After clearing space, turn the phone off and back on again. Some storage does not get properly counted until the phone restarts. It is a small thing but it often shows a few extra gigabytes free afterwards.
When to call us instead
Call us if your phone is telling you there is no space to even install an update, if you are not sure whether deleting something will lose the original, or if you have tried the steps above and it has not helped. These are common requests we handle as part of phone help visits, and we will not delete anything without checking with you first.
Get help today
We will free up your phone storage properly, back up anything at risk, and leave the phone running well.
Get Help TodayFAQ
Common questions about phone storage
- Why does my phone say storage full when I have hardly any apps?
It is almost always photos and videos. Years of photos, especially video clips, can take up more space than everything else combined. Moving them to a backup is usually the answer.
- If I delete an app, do I lose everything in it?
For most apps, no. Things like WhatsApp, email and bank apps save your information in an account in the cloud, so it comes back when you reinstall. Games and notes apps may lose saved progress. We can help you check before deleting anything important.
- Can you do this for me?
Yes. Freeing up phone storage is one of the most common things we handle during a visit, and we make sure nothing important gets deleted along the way.