With the increasing size of files and applications, many smartphone users suffer from full storage space, leading to device slowdown or difficulty in downloading new apps. Some think the only solution is deleting precious photos, but the truth is there are smart steps to free up space without losing your photo memories. Here are practical steps to help you:

Steps to free up space without deleting photos:

Enable iCloud Photos or Google Photos

• Activate the automatic photo upload feature to the cloud (iCloud for iPhone or Google Photos for Android).
• After confirming all photos are uploaded, enable the “Optimize Storage” option in settings to keep low-quality copies on the device while the originals remain in the cloud.
• On iPhone: go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, select apps consuming the most space, tap “Delete App” and reinstall if necessary.
• On Android: go to Settings > Storage > App cache files and clear them.
• Delete videos and photos sent via apps like WhatsApp or Messenger, as they often take up large space unnoticed.
• You can enable “Auto-delete old messages” in WhatsApp settings.
• Go to the Downloads folder and delete files you no longer need such as PDFs, old documents, or APK files on Android.
• On Safari (iPhone): Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
• On Chrome (Android): Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data.
• Review apps unused for months and delete them. On iPhone, you can enable “Offload Unused Apps” from Settings > App Store.
• After deleting unwanted photos or videos, make sure to empty the “Recently Deleted” folder as it still occupies space after deletion.