Like decluttering your home ala Marie Kondo, it is also a must to clear space in your phone so you can download the more useful apps, store relevant media and help your device run more smoothly.

Storage versus Memory 

When checking smartphone specifications, we regularly encounter “storage” and “memory” features as comparative data. Often, these two terms are used interchangeably but there is a huge difference between them.

Storage (aka ROM) refers to the space where you keep data such as media and photos. Conversely, memory (RAM) is reserved for the operating system and applications when they are in use. 

Today, we’ve gathered a few simple tricks to help free up storage in your smartphone.

Clear out your browser history and cache

Go to your phone’s browser (or Firefox and Chrome), find “Privacy settings” and then tap “clear browsing data”. This may include frequently visited websites, login history, saved passwords, and cached images and files based on your preference. You may also opt to clear data only for a specific time. 

Use your device’s storage cleanup tool 

Usually, smartphones have an in-built storage cleaner tool. Go to “Settings” and click “Storage”. You’ll see a rundown of the amount of storage held up by each application. Select “Clean Up” or a similar phrase. It will bring you to the data for each application and will let you select a category to clear. 

In case your phone doesn’t have one, you can download a cleanup tool from the Google Play Store.

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Take advantage of FREE Cloud storage apps

Among many other means, uploading files and photos online is the wiser strategy. Not only it maintains sufficient space in your phone, it also lets you access information effortlessly from device to device just by linking and using the same account. This is especially efficient for those working professionals who need to jump from one device to another. 

One classic example is Google Photos. You may opt to automatically back-up and sync your photos right after capturing them. It comes with a free unlimited storage for high quality files at reduced file size. For original quality and size, there’s a starting 15GB free space based on your overall Google storage account. You may also buy more storage at Php89/month for 100GB. Other cloud applications include OneDrive and iCloud for iPhone users.

Delete downloaded videos, podcasts, and apps that you don’t use

I’m one guilty person of downloading TV series episodes in my Netflix app but not actually watching them. I tend to save them for later but end up with another show. But for sure I’m not the only one.

Since we are on enhanced community quarantine, there’s no need to download these episodes for the time being given that we are eternally connected to our Wi-Fi. It goes the same with downloaded podcasts on Spotify or Stitcher.

As for the apps, check them one by one and honestly tell yourself if you are not making use of them (even though you say you would). This may include fitness apps, photo editors and games that you rarely play (although I recommend using the fitness apps). That way, you can easily junk them. Voila! Just being honest does a lot of benefit. 

Remove old photos and videos

Take some time to go back to the past years’ photos and videos. Decide which of them are really valuable, and trash those that are not important. The best examples are screenshots of conversations and memes you saved for sharing with your friends. Accept the fact that these are not memories worth keeping, but just things you enjoyed momentarily. 

In case you want to keep them, you may upload them to free cloud storage apps like OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud first before deleting.

Share with us below how many GB (or even MB) you freed up after doing these tricks.

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