For the digitally connected, the notion of smartphones running out of storage when we want to snap a selfie, instagram a meal, or record a video can be quite vexing.
Luckily in this age of lifehacks, there are many ways to maintain free space in your iPhone without making that hard choice about which photos to delete.
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(Almost) rent a movie
Unlikely as it sounds, downloading a movie too big for your phone is a fast way to free up space. When you try to download the film from iTunes, your OS will delete some cached data to make room for it. By the time it realises there’s not enough space overall, you’ll have shed a chunk of unnecessary data. Simply repeat this step until you’ve tricked your “smart” phone into emptying its storage.
Any film should safely trigger this response – but choose the larger ones so you can’t accidentally download them (may we recommend The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions Bundle – in HD?)
2) Be a Master Deleter
Apps
We all have unused apps that form a colourful background on our screens, where they take up valuable space, and even accumulate data over time. If you don’t really need a free app that helps rate your handshake or detect ghosts, uninstalling it is a quick way to free up memory. Plus you can always download it again via Wifi if the fancy strikes you.
Browser caches
IPhone browsers download caches that help your web pages load faster, but these also accumulate over time. If you need some extra space, and don’t mind waiting a bit longer for your web pages to load, you can clear your cache at: Settings->(your browser)->select “Clear History and Website Data”.
3) Simplify your Settings
HDR
Taking a HDR photo on a smartphone means melding three separate images into a more vibrant whole (which is why it takes longer to load). It also leaves you with a non-HDR copy that is automatically saved unless you adjust the default setting: Settings->Photos & Camera->de-select “Keep Normal Photo”.
Photostream
If you don’t need to sync images between your iPhone and iPad, it’s better to turn this function off, as Photostream essentially stores images twice on your phone: Settings -> iCloud -> Photos -> turn off “Upload to My Photo Stream”.
Old texts
While iMessage has “unlimited messaging” archives, you probably won’t go back and re-read three-year-old texts (unless they happen to be pure hilarity). Focus on the present by only saving recent messages and you’ll also keep your storage space up: Settings->Messages-> Choose to keep messages for “30 days”.
4) Upload your photo album
Given how much space pictures occupy, Google Photos could be your ultimate space-saving hack. This free app lets you store all your iPhone pictures online “for free, for life”. There’s no upper limit, but only if you’re okay with your photo resolutions being reduced from “full” to “high”. Needless to say, only upload via Wifi. This single step automatically creates online copies and clears the originals from your phone, leaving tons of storage space: Google Photos app->Settings->”Free Up Space”.
Thanks to face and object detection technology, the app also has the uncanny ability to locate specific photos of people or things in your collection using search terms, even if you didn’t tag them. It’s so good, it’s spooky.
Master these tips, and you’ll have the means to maintain balance in your iPhone’s memory, and keep those pesky “no storage” alerts at bay. May the Tech be with you.
By Vincent Tan
