Phone Storage Full? How to Free Up Space on iPhone and Android
Clear space on a full iPhone or Android phone safely: find what's using storage, offload apps, manage photos, videos and WhatsApp media.
"Storage almost full" is one of the most annoying messages a phone can show. It stops you taking photos and installing updates, and can make the whole phone sluggish. Here's how to get space back without losing anything important.
Step 1: see what's using the space
- iPhone: Settings > General > iPhone Storage. You'll see a coloured bar and a list of apps sorted by size.
- Android: Settings > Storage (on Samsung, Settings > Battery and device care > Storage). You'll see space by category.
Usually the culprits are photos and videos, messaging apps (especially WhatsApp) and a handful of big apps or games.
Step 2: back up your photos, then clear them
Photos and videos are normally the biggest space hog. First make sure they're safely backed up (see our backup guide). Then:
- iPhone with iCloud Photos: go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Photos and choose Optimise iPhone Storage. Full-size originals stay in iCloud and smaller versions stay on the phone.
- Android with Google Photos: once backed up, open Google Photos, tap your profile picture and choose Free up space. It removes copies from the phone that are already safely backed up.
Step 3: tame WhatsApp
Every forwarded video and meme gets saved. In WhatsApp, go to Settings > Storage and data > Manage storage. You can sort by size and delete large files, or clear media from busy group chats. To stop it filling up again, turn off automatic media downloads in the same menu, and on iPhone turn off Save to Photos in Chats settings.
Step 4: remove or offload apps
Delete apps you haven't opened in months. On iPhone, Offload App removes the app but keeps its data, so if you reinstall it later you pick up where you left off. You can turn on Offload Unused Apps to do this automatically. Some Android phones offer a similar "archive" option.
Step 5: clear downloads and cached files
- Delete downloaded films, episodes and music playlists in streaming apps once you've watched or listened.
- Check your Files or My Files app for an old Downloads folder full of PDFs and attachments.
- On Android you can clear an app's cache in Settings > Apps > [app] > Storage > Clear cache. Avoid "Clear data" unless you're happy to log in again.
Things to avoid
Steer clear of "phone cleaner" and "booster" apps that promise to free up gigabytes. Many are packed with adverts, some collect your data, and they can't do anything the built-in settings above can't.
If you're still constantly short of space, consider paying for a little more cloud storage, or choose a model with more storage next time you upgrade. It's the cheapest way to stop the problem coming back.