Too Many Photos? Here’s How to Free Up Space on Your Phone

A decade or two ago, we’d snap photos on physical cameras and get them developed at the local drug store. Now? They’re all stored on our most precious devices — our phones.

Thanks to their high-quality, built-in cameras, our phones allow us to take more photos than ever. And while more memories is certainly a good thing, they also cause a major storage problem — especially if you have lots of videos, Boomerangs, and other types of files mixed in there.

How Do I Clear Space on My Phone?

Fortunately, if you’re one of the many snap-happy phone owners, you’re not without options. Here are a few ways to reduce your photo burden and keep those mementos safe:

1. Amazon Photos.
   

   If you already have an Amazon Prime account, then this is probably your best option. It’s free, it can automatically upload your photos as you take them, and it comes with unlimited storage. Just download the Amazon Photos app and log in with your Amazon Prime account.

2. Apple iCloud.
   

   If you have an iPhone, then you get 5 GB of free photo storage using your iCloud account. For most people, this doesn’t go far, but upping your bandwidth isn’t hard. It’s just .99 cents per month for 50 GB of storage.

3. Dropbox.
   

   Dropbox is another common storage option, though, like iCloud, you only get a small amount for free. The first 2 GB are complimentary, but if you want more space than that, you’ll need to pay up ($9.99 per month for 2 TB of storage).

4. Google Photos.
   

   You can also upload your photos to Google Drive, which comes with 15 GB of free storage per user. If you need more space (or you’re also putting documents and other items on your drive), you may want to increase to 100 GB for $2 per month.

5. OneDrive.
   

   Microsoft’s OneDrive comes with 5 GB of free storage, which you can use if you’re a Windows user. Like the other options, you can upgrade to a bit more for a few bucks a month. If you want to go all-out, 1 TB is about $70 per year.

You can also use a tool like Gemini Photos that helps you reduce the number of superfluous pictures you have. It automatically determines the best keepers out of those multi-take shoots, and it also deletes stuff like screenshots, blurry photos, notes, and other items you’re unlikely to need around for long.

In the end, the best option really depends on what type of device you’re using (Apple, Google, Microsoft, etc.), the types of photos you take, and your budget.