Ever been about to snap the perfect selfie on a night out or attempted to download a brand new game only to be hit with that dreaded message: “Storage Full.” If, like most of us, you’ve got less than 64GB of capacity then you’re probably running out of storage space on your mobile. Perhaps you chose to conserve your dough by opting for a mobile with less storage (more space requires you to splash the cash!) or you’ve just accumulated lots of pics, messages and apps over time. Either way, check out these simple hacks to make your storage space work for you.
How To Declutter Your Mobile And Free Up Much-Needed Storage Space
It’s Time For A Spring Clean!
Tidying up can sound a bit boring and time consuming; however, when it comes to freeing up storage space on your mobile, this is the best place to start. At the start of this process, you’ll want to delete apps that you no longer use and then see if you can purge old messages, and even pictures or videos (how many pictures of your ice cream sundae do you really need?). If you’ve got some streaming apps on your phone such as Netflix then double check that you haven’t got any downloads saved as these will eat up a tonne of space. Remember that one movie equals hundreds of selfies!
Take stock of your apps and ditch anything you haven’t used this week - if you find you miss something then you can always reinstall it (if it’s a paid app, you can install it again for free). Clearing out old or one-time apps will also make your favourite apps much easier to find. According tidying expert Marie Kondo, any possession should be cleared out if it no longer “sparks joy.” And why should your mobile be any different? If your apps are gathering digital dust then take a deep breath, thank them for their services, and let them go!
Back Up, Back Up, Back Up!
Whether you want to go old-school or opt for a solution that’s more this century, backing up your precious photos is an absolute must. This will not only free up space on your mobile but it will also mean that your photos are recoverable in case you lose your mobile. Treat the cloud as your new best friend, using it to back up securely whether you’re an Android or an iPhone fan. Android users should download the Google Photos App while iPhone users will need to sign into iCloud. Whatever your operating system (OS), check that your settings enable automatic sync so that your mobile has you covered.
One of the best things about the cloud is that you can delete photos on your phone if they’re safely backed up. If you’re an Android user then just go to your Storage Settings and tap the “Free Up Space” button. This will give you the option to clear out old photos and videos that are already stored in Google Photos, making space for new memories. Check out smart storage options too as these can be set to remove photos from your phone after 90 days, storing them safely in the cloud instead. If you prefer to go for a more manual method, then you could use a hard drive or your laptop to back up your pictures. We think the cloud is a lot less hassle though, as you can still access the pics through your mobile whenever you want.
Android Users - Sometimes More Is More!
Mobile memory is one of those times where less just isn’t more! While iPhone users can increase their iCloud storage, some Android users are lucky enough to also be able to add a cheeky bit of extra storage to their mobile using a Micro SD card. Take a look at the ports on your phone, using a paper-clip to open them and you might just find that your phone is SD card-ready - yaas! You can nab yourself an extra 32 or 64 GB of storage on the cheap (just as long as it’s of reasonable quality). Then all you need to do is insert the card, go into your storage settings, and make sure that you format the card to be used as internal storage. Perfect!
Declutter Your Way To Mobile Serenity
Whether you opt for one or all of these space-saving hacks, you’ll be well on your way to digital freedom! Next time you have a bit of time to kill waiting for your bus or sitting through an ad break, see if you can be saving more storage. That way you’ll never have to miss a photo opportunity due to lack of space and you can download that game everyone’s already hooked on. If you need a little extra data to stream your next Netflix binge, then check out our SIM-only plan which at just £20 offers UNLIMITED data as well as unlimited texts and calls. That should help you keep the digital clutter at bay!
