How to free up space on your phone
Short answer: photos, screenshots and videos usually take the most space. Delete duplicates and old screenshots, remove large videos you've backed up, then empty the trash. That alone often frees several gigabytes.
1. See what's taking space
- Android: Settings > Storage.
- iPhone: Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
Photos and videos are almost always near the top.
2. Delete duplicate photos
Copies of the same picture add up fast. Remove duplicate photos first; it's the safest big win.
3. Clear old screenshots
Most screenshots are useful for a day: a code, a map, a ticket. Keep the ones you need in a box and delete the rest.
4. Remove large videos you've backed up
Videos are the biggest files. If they're safely backed up, remove the copy on your phone. In Google Photos, "Free up space" removes phone copies that are already backed up.
5. Empty the trash
Deleted photos keep using space until the trash is emptied (usually after 30 days).
6. Clear app caches and unused apps
Chat apps and browsers store a lot of cached media. Clear it in each app's storage settings, and uninstall apps you no longer use.
Where Shotbox helps
Shotbox shows all your screenshots in one place, finds duplicates and lets you clear old ones in bulk, while keeping the ones you filed in boxes. Nothing is uploaded.
FAQ
They are still in the trash. Empty it.
Use one that moves files to the trash instead of deleting them for good, so you can undo.
Try Shotbox
Sort photos and screenshots into boxes, remove duplicates and find any picture by the words in it. Private, on your phone.
See how it works