Phone storage full: how to free up space

Photos, videos and chat media take most of the space on most phones. Start there, and the rest is easy.

What you seeStorage space running out. Some system functions may not work / iPhone Storage Almost Full

See where the space has gone

• Android: Settings › Storage. A bar shows Apps, Images, Videos, Audio, Documents, System. Tap any line to open it.
• iPhone: Settings › General › iPhone Storage. A bar and a list of apps, largest first, with recommendations at the top.

Give the list a moment to load, then work from the top.

1. Photos and videos

Videos are the giants: one minute of 4K video can take hundreds of megabytes.

• Back them up, then remove the phone's copies. Google Photos (Android and iPhone): tap your picture › Free up space on this device removes items already backed up. iPhone with iCloud Photos: Settings › your name › iCloud › Photos › Optimise iPhone Storage keeps small versions on the phone and the originals in iCloud. Cloud storage is free only up to a limit.
• Or copy to a computer or pen drive and delete from the phone. See back up your phone.
• Delete duplicates, blurred shots, screenshots and long videos you will never watch again.
• Empty the bin. Deleted photos stay for 30 days or more in "Recently Deleted" (iPhone Photos › Albums) or the "Bin" (Google Photos › Library; Samsung Gallery › menu › Recycle bin) and still take space.

2. WhatsApp and other chat apps

WhatsApp › Settings › Storage and data › Manage storage. It lists files "Larger than 5 MB" and "Forwarded many times", and each chat by size. Open a group, select all and delete what you do not need. Then stop the flood: Settings › Storage and data › Media auto-download, set mobile data and Wi-Fi to photos only, or nothing. Telegram has Settings › Data and Storage › Storage Usage › Clear cache.

3. Downloads and files

• Android: the Files app (Files by Google) › Clean tab suggests junk, duplicates, large files and old downloads. The Downloads folder collects PDFs, forms and installers.
• iPhone: the Files app › On My iPhone › Downloads.
• Offline music, podcasts, films and maps inside streaming and map apps: remove downloads you have finished with, in each app's own settings.

4. Apps

• Uninstall games and apps you no longer open. Sort by size or by "last used".
• iPhone: Settings › General › iPhone Storage › Offload Unused Apps removes the app but keeps its data; the icon stays and it reinstalls on a tap.
• Android: Play Store › your picture › Manage apps and device › Manage › sort by Least used.
• Clear an app's cache (Android): Settings › Apps › the app › Storage & cache › Clear cache. Safe: it removes temporary files only. Clear storage (or Clear data) is different: it wipes the app back to new and signs you out. See clear cache and app data.
• On iPhone, an app whose "Documents & Data" has grown large (a social app, a browser) is slimmed by deleting and reinstalling it.

5. "System" or "Other" is huge

Some of it is the operating system itself and cannot be removed. The rest is caches and logs. Restart the phone, install any pending system update (which clears old update files), and check again a day later. If it stays unreasonably large, a factory reset after a backup is the only real cure.

6. Add space

• Android phones with a card slot: add a microSD card and set the camera to save to it; move photos and videos there with the Files app. Buy a branded card from a reliable seller, since fake cards are common.
• A USB-C or Lightning pen drive made for phones lets you move files off without a computer.
• Paid cloud storage for photos.

Keep it from filling again

Turn off chat media auto-download, let photo backup run on Wi-Fi, and look at the storage screen once a month. Leave at least 10 per cent free.

For Android phones and iPhones. Written in November 2026 for Android 13 to 15 and iOS 17 and 18. Phone makers rename menus; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up before any reset. This is an independent guide, not connected with Google, Apple, Samsung or any phone maker or operator.