Is your smartphone full? 5 simple ways to free up dozens of GB without deleting photos.

You can free up your smartphone's storage without sacrifices — even if you don't want to touch your favorite pictures and videos. Some simple steps can help you free up dozens of gigabytes in just minutes.

This is reported by UNIAN.

Clear app cache

Many apps — from Instagram and TikTok to browsers — accumulate temporary files that over time 'inflate' the occupied space. To clear their cache, you need to:

• On Android: 'Settings' — 'Apps' — select the app — 'Storage' — 'Clear cache'.
• On iPhone: 'Settings' — 'General' — 'Storage' — delete or reinstall the 'heaviest' apps — they will reinstall without the cache.

Remove duplicates and unnecessary downloads

Go through the 'Downloads' folder and delete duplicate photos, installers, and PDFs. It's convenient to do this manually or through Files by Google (Android) and Gemini Photos (iPhone).

Get rid of offline content you don't use

Music, movies, and podcasts downloaded 'in reserve' often just sit there. Delete anything you haven't returned to in months. Also, check saved videos on YouTube and TikTok if you ever enabled downloads.

Clean up messengers

Telegram, Viber, and WhatsApp actively accumulate media cache:

• Telegram: 'Settings' — 'Data and Storage' — 'Storage Usage' — 'Clear cache'. You can set auto-cleaning through 'Save media' (for example, a week).
• Viber: 'More' (⋯) — 'Settings' — 'General' — 'Storage Usage' — 'Clear cache'.
• WhatsApp: 'Settings' — 'Storage and Data' — 'Manage Storage'.

Delete apps you don't use

If you've installed an app 'for a trial' and forgotten about it, feel free to remove it — a lot of space will be freed up unnoticed.

Let’s remember that while operating daily, a smartphone launches hundreds of processes, accumulating temporary files and background tasks in memory, gradually reducing performance. Periodic reboots allow you to free up resources, prevent crashes, and properly install updates.

We also wrote that billions of phones end up among electronic waste each year, and only about 20% of them undergo proper recycling. Instead, an old Android smartphone can easily be adapted to new tasks, giving it a second life.