Every year, iPhone cameras get major upgrades. So, of course, users are going to put those cameras to use and take a ton of photos and videos to remember the best moments. However, there’s one thing that can ruin all of the fun that comes with using your iPhone’s camera — running out of storage.
Big files such as long videos taken at a concert or a movie you created using Cinematic Mode can quickly eat up all of your iPhone storage. Apple automatically provides users with 5GB of free iCloud storage to safely back up files. However, in most cases, that is not nearly enough to manage all of the photos, messages, documents, etc., you have on your phone.
If you’re running out of storage on your iPhone, read on to learn some great tips to help you manage your storage effectively.
What Is Taking up Your Storage Space?
The first step to get your storage in check is to learn what files are taking up the most storage on your device. Go to Settings ? General ? iPhone Storage.
Once it calculates how your storage is dispersed, some helpful recommendations might appear on your screen telling you how to clear some space. And, of course, Apple will encourage you to purchase extra iCloud storage for a monthly cost. However, before you resort to purchasing more storage, take a look at the amount of storage each of your apps uses.
If you notice there are some apps that you don’t use anymore or could simply do without, it is probably a good idea to delete them from your device. You also might have some larger files in video-editing apps or downloaded movies in streaming apps that can be deleted.
After checking the regular storage on your device, it’s important to see what is taking up your iCloud space, whether it is the free 5GB or more paid for space. Go to Settings ? [Your Name] ? iCloud.
You’ll probably be surprised to see how your iCloud storage is being used. Some apps are sneaky and use more storage than you’d expect. If you have a low amount of iCloud storage, it’s a good idea to turn off or delete apps that are dipping into your iCloud.
Delete Conversations from Messages
Messages usually take up a huge chunk of storage, especially if you allow them to build up over time without deleting them. To see the apps that use the most iCloud space go to Settings ? [Your Name] ? iCloud ? Manage Storage. Messages is likely one at the top, along with Photos.
When you tap on Messages, you’ll see an option called Top Conversations. Go through all of the conversations and delete ones that you don’t absolutely need. Of course, there will be some sentimental messages with loved ones that you’d like to keep around, and that’s totally OK.
If you don’t feel comfortable deleting entire conversations in Messages, there is a way to delete files by category instead. Go to Settings ? General ? iPhone Storage ? Messages. Here you can tap on Photos, for example, and delete the large attachments you don’t need.
Transfer Elsewhere
iCloud is not your only storage option. In fact, Google offers 15GB of free storage, which is a big jump from Apple’s 5GB. To start taking advantage of that free storage, you can download Google Photos and set it up to automatically back up your photos.
You can also transfer past iCloud photo backups directly to Google Photos using tools at privacy.apple.com. If you want, you can even skip iCloud altogether and back up to your own devices. Just connect to another one of your Apple devices, whether it be an iPad or Mac, and use the built-in Photos or Image Capture apps to save all of those files to your hard drive. After the transfer is complete, you can delete the files from your phone.
If you use a PC to backup an Apple device, plug it in and open Photos. Then go to Import and select USB Drive. Don’t forget to toggle off Photos for iCloud if you decide to switch over to a different storage location for good.
If you’re looking for the easiest, most straightforward way to transfer photos and videos elsewhere, your best bet is to use ThePhotoStick OMNI. It’s a small device but can hold up to 120,000 photos and videos. It automatically finds, sorts, and backs up all of your files for you. All you have to do is plug it into your device and hit ‘GO.’
Pay for More Storage
Paying additional monthly fees is never an ideal option, but it still might be your best option if you constantly struggle with storage problems. It should be encouraging to know that cloud-based storage options are safe and secure. Also, when you store files in iCloud, they are all automatically backed up, and you’ll never have to require deal with hard drive transfers to free up space ever again.
Apple’s iCloud storage options won’t cost you much at all, starting at $0.99 a month for 50GB, $2.99 a month for 200GB, and $9.99 for 2TB. This is the most simple, effective option for Apple device users, but you can also consider Google Drive cloud storage. Prices for Google Drive are about the same, and as previously mentioned, it offers a bit more free space to start.