Empty a full phone without losing a picture
Free up space on a phone that will not take another photograph, without deleting a single one.
The phone says there is no room left and will not take another picture. Nothing needs deleting.
Key points
- A photograph lives on the device, in your library, and in any copy you sent
- “Optimize storage” keeps the phone light and the full pictures in the library
- Videos, not photographs, are where the room usually went
What to remember
- Once the library holds a copy, the phone only needs previews.
- Videos take the room. Look there first, and only free up space once the library holds everything.
Try this
Check your photographs are being backed up. iPhone: Settings, your name, iCloud, Photos. Android: Google Photos, then Backup.
Practice: Empty a full phone without losing a picture. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.