Like most iPhone users, you probably rely on your device often for capturing photos and videos. And why wouldn’t you: its photo-taking capabilities are pretty stellar and it’s simple to share and post photos from your phone – making it a one-stop photo shop. But there is one downside to taking so many pictures: few things can sap up storage space quite like it. Luckily, there are tricks and tips that you can follow that will allow you to take photos while saving precious storage space. Apple Expert Michael Montoya, founder at thegadgetians.com, shares four life-changing hacks to prevent running out of storage.
1. Use iCloud Photo Library
“If you have iCloud Photo Library enabled, all of your photos and videos will be stored in iCloud and you won’t have to worry about running out of storage,” Montoya said. “To enable iCloud Photo Library, go to Settings -> iCloud -> Photos and turn on the iCloud Photo Library toggle.”
2. Optimize Storage
If you don’t want to use iCloud Photo Library, you can still save space on your iPhone by using the Optimize Storage setting, according to Montoya. “This setting will upload full-resolution photos and videos to iCloud only when your device is connected to power and Wi-Fi. To enable Optimize Storage, go to Settings -> iCloud -> Photos and turn on the Optimize Storage toggle,” Montoya said.
3. Use HEIC Format
“If you have an iPhone 7 or later, you can use the HEIC format to save space on your device. HEIC is a new image format that is designed to take up less space than traditional JPEG images,” Montoya said. “To enable HEIC, go to Settings -> Camera -> Formats and select HEIC.”
4. Use Google Photos
Final great tip: if you use Google Photos, you can automatically back up all of your photos and videos to the cloud.
“Google Photos offers unlimited storage for high-quality photos and videos,” Montoya said. “To enable Google Photos, open the Google Photos app and tap on the menu icon in the top-left corner of the screen. Tap on Settings and then tap on Backup & sync. Turn on the Backup & sync toggle.”
Try these hacks to keep annoying Storage Full pop-ups from interfering with your iPhone photo-taking sessions.
