A smartphone allows you to connect with friends and family anywhere on the planet. Your device will run smoothly when new, and you’ll switch between mobile apps without any slugging performance. 

However, you might begin to notice a sluggish performance as you store more data on your phone’s internal storage.

You can optimize your smartphone storage to maintain smooth performance and make you love lightning-fast performance. You’ll back up your photos on Google Photos or iCloud and delete them from your smartphone’s internal space. We’ll look at other things you can do to smoothen performance.

Where Smartphones Store Apps and Data

Smartphones use a combination of storage devices to keep mobile apps and your data like photos and music files. You can be sure to find one of two types of storage solutions for your smartphone:

Internal Storage

Your smartphone has a built-in memory that functions like a computer’s hard drive. It stores most mobile apps in this internal storage chip. Your smartphone uses a specific operating system (OS), either Android or iOS.

The smartphone stores the OS in its internal storage space. Additionally, it stores pre-installed apps in its internal memory, which has capacities of 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, and higher.

External Storage

Your smartphone has a memory card slot allowing you to expand its storage capacity. Specifically, you’ll insert a microSD card in the slot to store your favorite photos, music files, and other digital content on your smartphone.

You can also store apps you download later after buying the smartphone. This allows the smartphone to work faster since it will have enough space in its internal memory card to launch apps faster.

Data Taking Up Smartphone Space

Media files such as your photos, videos, and music take up internal space if you don't insert an external storage device like a microSD card. 

Apps you download also take up precious space in your smartphone’s internal storage. These apps accumulate data over time as you use them, leading to less storage space in your phone’s internal memory.

Cache and temporary files also take up some space. Some mobile apps create temporary files to work faster. If you don’t delete temporary files and cache, you’ll deplete your smartphone’s internal space.

Signs of Overload Internal Storage

If you notice a sluggish performance or a slow response in your smartphone, it could be a sign of an overrun internal storage. Your smartphone can’t allow you to install app updates if its internal memory is full. These are signs of an overloaded internal storage.

Clearing Storage Space

Since your smartphone performs poorly if it runs low in internal storage space, you want to free up some space to restore smooth operation. There are three things you’ll do to clear your smartphone’s storage space:

Regularly Delete Unused Apps

The pre-installed apps take up your smartphone’s internal space. However, you can’t delete them. You can download other apps to your smartphone’s internal space. If you don’t use some apps, delete them to free up internal space and restore fast and smooth operation.

You can identify rarely used apps by going to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps on your Android smartphone. Review the list of rarely used apps and install them. On an iOS device, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage.

Manage Media Files

Aside from the apps you download later to your smartphone, your photos, videos, and documents take up the smartphone’s internal space. You can backup your photos and videos on a cloud storage service for your version of OS.

Android smartphones have Google Photos, which allows you to back up photos and videos. On the other hand, iOS devices have iCloud for the same purpose. Delete the photos and videos you’ve uploaded to your cloud storage to free up internal space.

At the same time, you can use Photo Compress or Video Compress apps to reduce the size of your photos and videos. The compression saves some space without reducing the quality and resolution of your photos and videos.

Clear Cache and Temporary Files

Your mobile apps create temporary files that also take up internal space. For an Android smartphone user, you’ll go to Settings > Storage > Cached data. Clear cache to free up space. On an iOS device, you’ll go to Settings > Safari > Clear History.

Using Cloud Services

Storing some files on cloud services like Google Photos and iCloud can save up space and boost your smartphone’s smooth performance. Cloud storage has a few benefits:

Access to Files Anywhere

Your photos, videos, and digital media uploaded to the cloud are stored on remote servers. You can access them anywhere in the world if you have an internet connection. Even more impressive, you can access your backed-up data on another device signed into your cloud service account.

Freeing Up Local Storage

Transferring files to the cloud allows you to delete them from your smartphone’s internal space. This allows your smartphone to perform faster and smoother.

Cloud Services for Smartphones

Google Drive

You’ll have 15 GB of free storage for your photos, videos, documents, and digital media. If you want more space, you’ll pay $1.99 per month for 100 GB. You’ll use this service if you own an Android smartphone.

iCloud

It provides 5 GB of free storage space for your files. You can get 50 GB of space for $0.99 per month. It’s compatible with iOS and MacOS devices.

Dropbox

This is a third-party cloud storage service for use with any OS. It offers 2 GB of free space. However, you can get 2 TB of space at $9.99 per month.

OneDrive

OneDrive is a cloud service integrated with Microsoft products like Microsoft Word and Excel to store your documents. It offers 5 GB of free space. However, you can rent 100 GB of space for $1.99 per month.

You should create folders on cloud storage for easy file organization. Label the folders so you know what to find in them. You should also sync your cloud account with apps for automatic and effortless backup.

Leveraging External Storage Options

You can use external storage devices like a microSD card to free up internal space and improve smartphone performance. 

MicroSD Cards

Android smartphones have a slot for a microSD card. However, iOS devices like iPhones and iPads don’t have the slot for expanding storage capacity. Instead, you can use adapters and card readers to expand iOS storage capacity.

MicroSD Card Compatibility

Your Android smartphone can accept a given maximum microSD card capacity. If you want to use the extra storage space in your microSD card, ensure you don't exceed the maximum capacity supported.

External Drives

Additionally, you can store data on portable USB storage devices. These devices feature a USB OTG to connect to your smartphone’s charging port. They allow you to transfer large files to your external drive and free up internal space.

Ensure you safely eject external drives to avoid corrupting your files. You want to organize files in folders for easy organization and retrieval. You also want to backup data to the cloud to avoid losing data if you lose your external drive.

Wireless Storage Spaces

Most top wireless storage solutions boast a capacity of up to 4TB. They allow you to store your photos and videos wirelessly from your smartphone. They create a Wi-Fi network that you can join with your smartphone and transfer files effortlessly.

Some options use a Bluetooth connection for wireless file transfers. Therefore, you don't need cables to back up data and free up the phone’s internal space.

Preventive Measures to Maintain Storage

Having enough internal storage space in your smartphone is essential for optimal performance. You can do three things to keep your storage space enough for smooth operations:

Adopt a Minimalist App Philosophy

First, you want to download only the apps you need. Being selective of mobile apps you download to your smartphone can converse internal storage space. You also want to avoid downloading large game apps, especially if your internal space is limited.

Download lighter versions of apps designed to save space. You can get good apps like Facebook Lite and Messenger Lite, which are lighter versions.

Enable Auto-Cleanup Features

Android smartphones come with a built-in tool for cleaning temporary files. Even iOS smartphones have their own version of storage management tools. You can go to Storage Settings or iPhone Storage Settings to see the allocated space for each app. You’ll then delete apps taking up more space.

You can also set your smartphone to delete photos and videos you’ve backed up already. Automation apps can help you do this effortlessly. They can even delete old messages.

Regular Backups and Maintenance

Your smartphone also allows you to set it to automatically back up photos, videos, and documents to cloud storage like Google Photos, OneDrive, and iCloud. This will free up local storage, allowing your phone to operate optimally.

Setting a monthly reminder about smartphone internal space usage can help you track and delete apps you don’t often use.

Tools and Apps for Storage Optimization

Keeping your smartphone working smoothly is easy with the right tools and apps that optimize internal storage space.

Google Files

Android users can use this tool to remove junk files and delete duplicate photos. As a result, you’ll free up some space and improve your phone’s smooth performance.

Clean Master

Also ideal for Android users, this tool clears junk files and app cache. It also deletes residual files leaving your smartphone’s internal space clutter-free.

CCleaner

You’ll clear cache and junk files and manage apps with the CCleaner tool. However, it’s only available for Android users.

PhoneClean

This iOS tool frees up internal space by deleting temporary files and

junk. It does all that while protecting your privacy.

My Data Manager

This management tool allows you to know which mobile apps you should delete. It’s available for iOS devices like iPhones.

Storage Analyzer & Disk Usage

It analyses your app usage and breaks down data by files and folders to help you understand which data you need to delete.

Final Verdict

Managing your smartphone’s internal storage space will help your device work faster and a lot smoother. However, you might have more files to store when your phone has limited space. 

You can store some files on external memory devices like a microSD card and free up internal space. You can also use the cloud to back up data and store digital data.