Do you get ominous warnings about your phone's storage? Have you ever pulled out your phone to show someone a certain photo and had to scroll for minutes to find it? If you've accumulated gigabytes of images over the years, optimizing your photo library and getting rid of other unnecessary apps and files can allow you to reclaim that space. Here's a guide to doing exactly that using free tools you probably already have installed on your phone.
Check storage
Begin your cleaning process by taking note of the space on your device and what is taking up space.
In many Android DevicesOpen the Settings app and select Storage to check the available space.
On a Samsung Galaxy deviceOpen the Settings app, select Device Care or Device Maintenance, then tap Storage. On some phones, you can scroll down to Storage.
On an iPhone, Open the Settings app and select General, then iPhone Storage to see how much space is left on your phone. The steps are similar for an iPad.
Remove duplicates
Deleting identical copies of photos is an easy way to regain territory. While there are subscription apps to collect duplicate files of all kinds (such as Duplicate Cleaner for Android or Phone Cleaner for iOS), consider free options on your phone.
At Apple iOS Photos app, tap the Albums icon at the bottom of the screen and scroll down to the Utilities area. Tap DuplicatesThe next screen shows photos and videos with multiple copies in your library, all next to a Merge button. The Merge option keeps the higher-resolution copy (and embedded information) and moves the smaller versions into the app. Recently deleted album.
Samsung has a similar tool to track duplicate files on your Galaxy devices. Tap the My Files icon and choose Analyze Storage from the menu. On the next screen, select Duplicate Files to view the list.
Open the Files app, tap the Menu icon in the top left corner, and choose Clean Up. The next screen offers a variety of things you can delete to save space, including duplicate files, downloads, screenshots, rarely used apps, and large files.
Personal review
It may be tedious, but scrolling back and manually deleting bad images is a precise way to weed out photos and videos. If you have a huge library, breaking the project up into daily sessions when you're on public transport (or waiting) whittles down your collection gradually. Don't forget to check out third-party photo apps that store images, too.
A deleted photo doesn't evaporate immediately. Most systems retain all recently deleted photos and videos for at least 30 days before permanently deleting them, unless you manually empty the trash or deleted items folder.
If you have photos you want to keep and don't use an online backup, export copies to a computer via email, Quick Share on Android, Apple AirDrop or other transfer method. (And make sure you have a backup system on your computer.)
Accepts suggestions
Need more help? Apple The support site has tipsand the iPhone storage screen offers recommendations to purge old files and applications. Samsung website Has ideas for Galaxy owners. In the user account settings, Google Photos has Free up space and Manage storage tools that list files to review and delete.
Suggestions usually include relocating your photos from your phone to an online server or an external SD memory card If your phone has a card slot, it allows you to reclaim space on your phone when you download files.
Of Apple iCloud for photos, Google Photos, Samsung Cloud or a service like Delivery box It frees up space because the device doesn't physically store files, although you can view images on it. You get a complimentary amount of space to start with, but you have to pay for more once you fill it up.
When you delete a backed up or synced photo: on an iPhonein Google Photos or wherever: it disappears on all devices connected to that account.
To be solved
After you clean up your photo library, you can organize it further. For years, Android and iOS have automatically grouped images into albums based on who appears in them, where they were taken, and other factors, but you can also create your own collections.
To move images to your own albums On Google Photosfrom Samsung Gallery app or Apple PhotosTap the option for a new album, name it, and select the images you want to add to it. Apple Photos can also create folders and then create separate albums within those folders to group similar albums together.
Yes, it takes time to organize your device, but you'll be able to find your images faster when you want to show them off, and you'll have room to install more stuff.
