Phone storage full? Here’s how to free up space quickly

• Check your phone’s storage to find out what is taking up the most space.

• Delete unnecessary photos, videos, apps, downloads and messaging files.

• Clear app cache on Android and use cloud storage or offloading options to free up more space.

A phone that keeps showing “storage almost full” can quickly become frustrating, especially when you need to take a photo, download an app or save an important file.

Before deleting random files, check what is actually using your storage. Both Android and iPhone allow you to see which apps and types of files are taking up the most space. On Android, go to Settings > Storage, while iPhone users can check Settings > General > iPhone Storage.

Here are some simple ways to free up space.

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Your gallery may contain duplicate photos, old screenshots, forwarded videos and recordings you no longer need. Start with large videos because they can take up significant storage.

If you have backed up your photos and videos, you can remove the copies stored on your phone. Android's Google Photos can help with this, while iPhone users can use iCloud Photos and its storage optimisation options.

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Check your apps and uninstall those you haven't used in months. On iPhone, you can also offload an app, which removes the app itself while keeping its documents and data.

Android also allows users to uninstall unused apps, and some devices can automatically archive apps that are rarely used.

Check your Downloads folder for old documents, videos, music and other files you no longer need. Move important files to a computer or another storage location before deleting them.

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Some Android apps store temporary files that can take up space. Clearing an app's cache removes these temporary files without deleting the app itself. Be careful with Clear storage/data, however, as this can permanently remove an app's stored data.

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WhatsApp and other messaging apps can accumulate large amounts of photos, videos and documents. Review your media and delete files you no longer need.

Regularly checking your storage can prevent your phone from becoming completely full and save you from having to delete hundreds of files at once.