How to free up space on your phone without deleting what matters

First, find out what is taking up space

Before you start deleting, it's worth understanding the difference between two words that are often confused. Android's help explains: storage is where your data lives, such as music and photos; memory is where programs run, such as apps and the system itself. The "storage full" warning is about storage, and that is what this guide helps you free up.

• No Android: abra Configurações, toque em Armazenamento e escolha uma categoria para ver o que há dentro.
• No iPhone: abra Ajustes, toque em Geral e em Armazenamento do iPhone. A tela mostra recomendações e a lista de apps com o espaço que cada um usa.

On most phones, the culprits are always the same: photos and videos, media received in chats, videos downloaded to watch offline, and apps you don't even remember installing.

On Android: what the system already does

Freeing up space from Settings

Android's official help describes a cleanup tool within Settings itself. Some steps only apply to Android 14 or newer, and the names may change depending on the phone brand.

1. Open Settings and tap Storage and then Free up space.
2. Scroll to the category you're interested in and tap Select files. If the category doesn't appear, tap Search.
3. Select the files and tap Move files to trash.
4. Optional: in the menu on the same screen, under Settings, turn on Smart storage, which automatically deletes photos and videos already backed up when space is nearly running out.

Archiving apps you rarely use

On Android 15 or newer, on compatible devices, there is an option halfway between keeping and uninstalling. When you archive an app, the system removes the program and temporary files but keeps the icon and your data. To use it again, just tap the icon, which appears faded, and the app is reinstalled.

1. Open Settings and tap Apps.
2. Choose the app.
3. Tap Archive.

Clean up with the Files do Google

The Files do Google is the file manager of Google for Android. Free and ad-free, according to the store page, it brings together cleanup suggestions in card form in one place. To open it: tap Menu and then Free up space. The most useful cards are these:

• Junk files: deletes temporary files that some apps store. App settings are not affected, but the deletion is permanent.
• Duplicate files: shows repeated copies. The original file gets the "Original" label; keep that one.
• Delete media from WhatsApp lists photos and videos received in chats.
• Delete unused apps: points out apps that haven't been used for a while. The first time, it asks for usage access permission to find out which ones they are.

Watch out: whatever goes to the Files do Google trash stays there for 30 days before being permanently deleted. If you need the space now, empty the trash from the app's menu, knowing there is no going back.

On Samsung Galaxy

Devices from Samsung include, in Settings, their own device care tool with a storage section. The name of this area varies by model and system version, so the quickest way to get there is to use the Settings search and type "storage". There you can see the categories that take up the most space and decide what to delete, with the same precautions as in this guide.

On iPhone: what the system already does

Apple states that when space is low, the iPhone itself frees up storage by removing items that can be downloaded again or aren't needed, such as temporary files. Even so, you can get ahead of it:

1. Open Settings, tap General and then iPhone Storage.
2. Review the recommendations. Tap Show All, read each one, and tap Enable on the ones that make sense.
3. In the app list, tap an app's name to see its details.
4. Choose Offload App to free up the app's space while keeping its documents and data, or Delete App to remove the app and its data together.

For the iPhone to do this automatically for unused apps, Apple indicates the path Settings, Apps, App Store, option Offload Unused Apps. The icon stays on the Home Screen with a cloud symbol; tapping it reinstalls the app. Menu names may vary depending on the iOS version.

Other common sources of usage, according to the iPhone manual: old conversations and attachments in the Messages app, videos downloaded in streaming apps, and forgotten files in the Files app.

Photos and videos: remove from your phone what is already in the cloud

If Google Fotos backup is on, the app can delete from the device the photos and videos that have already been copied to the cloud. They remain visible in the app itself and at photos.google.com, with internet and your account. Before using it, check that the backup has finished.

1. Open the Google Fotos and sign in to your account.
2. Tap your profile picture or the initial of your name and then Free up space on this device.
3. The app shows how much space will be freed. Confirm to delete the copies from the device.
4. On iPhone, there is one extra step: the help of the Google tells you to also open the Photos app on the iPhone and delete the same items from the Recently Deleted album, which is where they stay after that step.

Heads up: after that, the deleted photos no longer appear in the device's gallery and are not available without internet. The App Store page says each Apple Account Google comes with 15 GB free, split between the Google Fotos, the Gmail and the Google Drive. It's worth tracking how much of that space has already been used before deciding to keep everything in the cloud.

Those who prefer to stay with Apple only can do the same with Fotos do iCloudthe iPhone manual recommends storing photos and videos in iCloud and then removing them from the device. Just remember that with syncing turned on, deleting a photo on one device deletes it on all the others under the same account.

WhatsApp: the drawer that fills up the most

Group videos, stickers and repeated photos pile up quickly. The WhatsApp has a dedicated screen for reviewing this, the same on Android and iPhone:

1. On WhatsApp, tap Settings.
2. Tap Storage and data and then Manage storage. The space used appears at the top of the screen.
3. Review the largest files and the conversations taking up the most space, select what you no longer want and delete it.
4. To clear just one conversation, open it, tap its name and then Manage storage.

According to the WhatsApphelp page, what you delete this way is removed from the app permanently and cannot be downloaded again in the chat, but the other people still have the file. The item also remains in the backup until the next backup is made. And one detail: if the photo was saved to the phone's gallery, it exists in two places, and space is only actually freed when both copies are deleted.

Quick comparison

Tool	Where it is	Good for
Android storage	Settings, Storage	See what takes up space and delete what isn't used
Files do Google	Android-only dedicated app	Duplicates, temporary files, chat media
iPhone storage	Settings, General	Recommendations and uninstalling apps while keeping data
Google Fotos	Profile picture, Free up space	Removing from the device what is already in the backup
WhatsApp	Settings, Storage and data	Large videos and photos from chats

And what about the "cleaner" apps that promise to make your phone faster?

The store has many apps with rockets, thermometers and giant "clean" buttons. Some of them do what the system already does for free; others promise what they don't deliver. Two points from the official help separate one thing from the other.

The first: the Android help says you normally don't need to close apps, only when one stops responding. So the button that "frees memory" by closing everything rarely makes a difference, and the apps have to be reopened from scratch afterward. The second: clearing the cache deletes temporary data, but the Google itself warns that some apps may run slower the next time they are opened. On iPhone, Apple says the system already automatically removes cached and temporary files when it needs space.

Freeing up storage does help: the Android help cites this as a way for the device to work better when it's full. What doesn't exist is an app that makes a full, old phone faster by pressing a button. If you still want to try one, check first:

1. Who published it. The developer's name appears below the title in the store.
2. The page warnings. "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases" appear right below the name. A cleaning app that fills the screen with ads does more harm than good.
3. The permissions. To clean files, the app doesn't need your contacts, your location or your messages.
4. The "Data safety" section. Check whether the app shares data with third parties.
5. The promises. Be wary of "cool down the battery", "remove viruses with one tap" or alerts that imitate system warnings.
6. The update date. An app that hasn't been updated in a long time is a sign of abandonment.

Precautions before deleting

• "Clear cache" and "Clear storage" are not the same thing. In each app's information, the first deletes only temporary data. The second, according to the Android help, permanently deletes all of the app's data. On WhatsApp, for example, this also takes the conversations stored on the device with it; without a backup, they don't come back.
• Check the backup before deleting photos. Open the photo in Google Fotos or in the Photos app and see whether it's already in the cloud.
• The trash also takes up space. Deleted photos and files are kept for a while; the space only comes back for good when the trash is emptied or the period expires.
• Move to the computer what you don't want to lose. The Android help suggests copying files and folders via USB cable and only then deleting them from the phone.

Frequently asked questions

Does clearing the cache delete my photos?

No. According to the Android help, "Clear cache" removes only the app's temporary data. What truly deletes is "Clear storage", which permanently deletes the app's own data, such as the conversations saved on the WhatsApp phone. So use that second option only when you're sure and, preferably, with a backup.

If I uninstall an app on the iPhone, do I lose the data?

With the "Offload app" option, no: Apple explains that it frees up the app's space and keeps its documents and data. "Delete App", on the other hand, removes everything together.

I deleted a bunch of photos and the space didn't change. Why?

Probably because they're in the trash, which keeps items for a while before deleting them for good. There may also be another copy of the same photo, for example in the WhatsAppfolder. On iPhone, remember the Recently Deleted album in the Photos app.

Is it worth using a memory card?

If your Android accepts a card, it helps store photos, videos and music. The Files do Google has an option to move or copy files to the SD card. The iPhone does not use memory cards.

Do I need to delete apps that came pre-installed?

Not always possible, and not always worth it. Start with the apps you installed and don't use, and with photos, videos and chat media, which usually take up much more space.

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