Here's how you can save space on your low-end cellphones
The sheer amount of apps, games, and content we consume destroys the space on our phones. Media downloads can eat up GBs, while shared content (GIFs to video memes) can accumulate in loads. With all of this, it can be difficult to live with a 16GB phone, but if you are, here are some valuable tips to save space. Let's take a look.
First, get a microSD card
This is something you should definitely do while using a phone with 16GB or lesser storage. A microSD card, with 32GB or more space, could give extra headroom to store more apps and games as well as all the content in the world you want to keep and consume. Most budget phones either have a hybrid or dedicated card slot, so use that option.
Also, use the adaptable storage option
Notably, some phones support adaptable storage, allowing you to use your microSD as internal storage. This option, if available, can also come handy for many space-hungry users, but do note that the card won't work with other devices if you adapt it as internal.
Then, use Google Photos for saving photos and videos
Even if you use a microSD card to store large files like movies and TV shows, you will have to address the problem of photos and videos. Now, this is something you can't delete blindly, which is why we recommend using Google Photos to back up all your memories. It might take a while, but once that's done, you can remove all photos/videos easily.
Free space with Google Photos app itself
Once you have backed up all the photos and videos, you can use the 'Free up space' option in the Google Photos app to delete the saved content. This will save you the effort of selecting and deleting the content from your phone's app.
Remove unnecessary apps, migrate to free streaming services
After backing-up data, go through your app drawer to find and remove all the apps you might not be using. Also, if you are a music lover, we recommend switching to a free streaming platform as it prevents you from keeping an offline collection of songs on your device. There are some pretty good music platforms to pick, including JioSaavn, Gaana etc.
Clear downloads and cache regularly
If you have limited storage, downloads and cache management should be done regularly. Both add up over time and can be cleared without affecting any key functions of the phone. So, head to the downloads app or folder from file manager and remove all the files that are of no use. Then, head to 'Settings > Storage > Cached data' to clear stored cache.
Finally, change app settings
After clearing data, head over to all the messaging apps you use to see if they have an option to disable automatic media downloads. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger already offer this option, allowing you to prevent your phone's storage from being used automatically. Also, as an additional space-saving measure, you can tweak the camera settings of your phone and reduce resolutions for photos/videos.
