When your dumbphone runs out of space, your first instinct is to delete some photos. However, the biggest memory drainers are often found elsewhere:

Videos and documents from instant messaging apps, downloaded movies and music, the downloads folder, app data, duplicate files, and apps the owner hasn’t used in a while.

Alexander Dzhakonia: ‘You can view the iPhone’s storage allocation by going to ‘Settings’ – ‘General’ – ‘iPhone Storage’: the system will show how much space is being used by different categories and apps.

‘On Android, the section names vary depending on the device manufacturer, but this information is typically found in the settings under ‘Storage’ or ‘Memory.’

First, check your largest apps, downloads, offline videos and music, and files from messaging apps,’ he advised.

The cache, temporary files that applications use to load familiar content faster, requires special attention, the expert warned. ‘Messaging apps can quietly accumulate gigabytes of videos, photos, voice messages, and documents.

To avoid running out of storage again in a few weeks, it’s worth disabling automatic downloads of large files or limiting them to only essential content.

It’s also a good idea to periodically check the storage management section within the app and delete large files from irrelevant chats,’ the expert recommended. It is noted that it is safer to first transfer photos and videos and then delete them from the smartphone.

‘Cloud storage, a computer, or an external drive will work for this. Before wiping, make sure the transfer is complete, and the desired files can actually be opened from the new location.

It’s also important to distinguish between backup and sync: for example, with iCloud Photos enabled, deleting a photo on one device deletes it on other devices signed in to the same account,’ Giaconia cautioned.

If the app has not been used for a long time, it can be temporarily deleted, saving documents and data, he noted.

‘On iPhone, there’s a feature called ‘offload apps’ for this purpose, and on Android, there’s a feature called ‘archiving rarely used apps.’

This allows you to free up space and, if necessary, restore the app and continue using it. However, before offloading, it’s important to consider an important detail: if the app subsequently disappears from the App Store, you may not be able to reinstall it, and the local data stored in it may become inaccessible.’

‘It’s best not to download applications containing important information without first backing up or transferring the necessary files, the specialist explained.

The expert advises to be cautious with third-party ‘cleaners’ and ‘accelerators.’

‘iOS and Android already have their own tools for managing storage and deleting unnecessary files, and additional apps can’t increase the physical storage capacity of a smartphone.

You should be especially wary if a cleaning app requests access to contacts, messages, the microphone, the device’s accessibility features, or other data and functions that it clearly doesn’t need to function,’ he concluded.

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