Simplify Your Mobile Experience: 5 Tips for a More Clutter-Free and Efficient Device

Until you encounter a roadblock when attempting to update your OS or download new apps, you may not realize the remaining storage on your iOS device. When you are forced to get rid of some of your data, it is an unpleasant feeling that you want to avoid. Luckily, there are ways to clear storage on iPhones with virtually no sacrifice to personal data or comfort. You can delete temporary data, duplicate files, or simply move information. Read on to find out more.

How to Free up Memory on an iPhone?

#1 Delete app data and cache

Apple provides the option to remove the app while preserving the data, but you might want to delete the data itself. You may have outdated videos and books that you no longer have plans to watch, occupying storage space within an app that you still want to keep. Some apps accumulate a significant amount of data that can be deleted without necessitating the removal of the app.

To delete data, you will need to access the specific app. Below, we will guide you on how to delete data from various apps, including Books, Notes, and Messages. Other areas to consider include:

• Google Maps: Go to Saved and then review Maps to find previously downloaded Maps data that can be deleted.
• Prime Video/Netflix/Disney+: Open the app and navigate to your downloads. From there, you can select the items you wish to delete.
• Safari: Open Settings, scroll down, and tap on Safari. Tap on Clear History and Website Data.
• Chrome. Open Chrome and tap on Options. Tap on Settings, then tap on Privacy, and click on Clear Browser Data. Select the items you want to delete and tap Clear Browsing Data.

#2 Delete attachments in Messages

Texting isn’t just limited to text, right? You send and receive memes, GIFs, selfies, and even little videos of your cat dozing off the couch. All this content gets stored on your iPhone, even if you don’t save it to Photos. And if you’re an avid texter, it can quickly consume precious storage space.

To free up some iPhone memory by deleting all your message attachments, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings and go to General, then tap on iPhone Storage.
2. Scroll down and select Messages from the list.
3. You’ll see various categories such as Top Conversations, Photos, GIFs and Stickers, and Other. Choose the category that takes up the most space. Note that deleting attachments in Top Conversations removes complete threads, not just the attachments. If you wish to keep the conversations but delete attachments, focus on Photos and other content.
4. Tap on Edit in the upper-right corner.
5. Select all the attachments you want to delete.
6. Finally, tap the Trash icon to remove them.

#3 Throw away your trash

We recommend that you clean up more memory on your device. When there is little free space left, it is more difficult for your smartphone to perform everyday operations. To boost your phone, you need to ensure at least 20% free space on your device. There is an automatic tool that can help with this – the CleanUp app. With it, we can clean up apps on iPhones, delete duplicate photos, and temporary files, organize our contact book, or even compress videos. It’s better to run smart cleaning at least once a week and your smartphone will work faster.

#4 Reduce video resolution

Newer iPhones provide the option to decrease video quality for recordings. Recording a minute of video in 4K can take up to 400MB of space on your iPhone, which might not be preferable. The default setting on the iPhone is 1080p HD at 60 fps, but you can economize further by recording at 720p HD and 30fps, resulting in just 40MB per minute instead of 90MB. You can modify these settings by going to Settings > Camera > Record Video.

#5 Delete downloads

You probably consume a lot of content every day – music, videos, podcasts, and more. And if you save that content to play offline on the subway or during a long flight, you end up with a pile of leftovers. As a result, apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify can occupy a significant amount of iPhone storage. So why waste space on old Stranger Things episodes from 2017 and forgotten playlists you never listen to?

Let’s start with Netflix. To delete Netflix movies and series saved on your iPhone:

1. Open the Netflix app.
2. Go to Downloads.
3. Tap the pencil icon in the top right corner.
4. Tap the red X to delete the video.

Next, let’s move on to YouTube. Follow these steps to delete offline YouTube videos:

1. Launch the YouTube app.
2. Go to Library > Downloads.
3. Tap the three dots next to a downloaded video.
4. Select “Delete from downloads.”
5. Repeat for each video.

Conclusion

You need to inspect and clean your smartphone at least once a month, or once a week for more active users. This is useful for the device itself and for you, as it will be easier to navigate the virtual space. As you can see, you don’t necessarily have to part with any personal data; you can get by harmlessly deleting duplicates or attached GIFs from messages.