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Smartphone storage tends to hit the marks of 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or even 1TB, but past the almost standardized 64GB mark, prices start to ramp up a fair bit. This is particularly true in Apple devices due to how they lock off internal storage. So, most people find that with all of the photos, videos, apps, and other bits that come from everyday mobile use, storage gets gobbled up quickly.
For the most part, entertainment apps consume the most storage and time on our devices, be it due to apps automatically downloading media, as WhatsApp does, you storing photos for social media use, or just downloading a lot of heavy entertainment apps. A survey found that nearly one-in-six people have social media and gaming apps as two of the top three most-used app types. If you’ve landed yourself a brand-new Redmi, you’ll want to maximize the fun that you get out of it and not be limited by the internal storage option you can afford.
To help you with this, we’re going through the key ways to make space on your Apple or Android smartphone so that you can keep all of those entertainment apps and even find the fun without filling up your storage.
Purge the unworthy from your device
Millions of people go straight to the App Store and download any and all apps that they can for free almost as soon as they get a new device, as well as carry over all of the apps from their old smartphone. Unwanted apps are a huge weight for your smartphone, and they reduce your storage. They’ll also hinder the battery life of your Xiaomi MIUI 13 if left unchecked.
The first place to start with an app purge is the settings menu. For Android, tap the cog button and then scroll to Storage (which may be behind the Device Care or Battery option) to find what you need. If you select the Apps category, you’ll see how much space each app is taking up, and should be able to both clear the storage and the cache for each.
On Apple devices, it’s a very similar process. Go to the Settings app, into General, and then iPhone Storage. This will show you how much various applications, software, and media types are taking up. Once you’ve purged unwanted, unnecessary, and even pre-installed apps (if you can’t delete some, disable them), have a light run through your photos and videos. You likely won’t want to delete much, but the odd finger-covered photo or blurry video is worth throwing out. Plus, if you’ve uploaded photos and videos to Facebook, you can download them back.
Making the most of storage-free entertainment
If you still find yourself short on space but want some entertainment, there are some alternative options that don’t require your precious gigabytes. Most video streaming services work just as well through your phone’s browser – Chrome or Safari, most likely – as they do in app form. This even goes for the free ones like Xumo, Peacock, and Crackle.
Then, there are dedicated mobile entertainment platforms that work directly on a smartphone’s browser. With hundreds of slots and all the live game shows available to mobile players, Betway has become a storage-free entertainment hub. You’ll find all of the newest slots, like Trojan Kingdom and Masters of Olympus, alongside Live 9 Pots of Gold and Mini Roulette Gold. All work as they should on mobile browsers, and you don’t have to download anything to play.
While video gaming on mobile has been a predominantly app-based activity, similarly to the distinct entertainment options above, you can also play some mobile video games through your browser. Gamaverse has some great lite games that don’t require microtransactions to complete. Headlining the selection are Toe to Toe – which can be played two-player on one device – Five Nights at Freddy’s, Squid Game 2D, and Tomb Run.
Resorting to getting more storage
Unfortunately, even after completing the two steps just mentioned, you may still just need more storage. For Android users, look no further than SanDisk memory cards, particularly the Extreme microSD products. Just one very cost-effective card can instantly double your phone’s storage space. Once inserted, all you need to do is move the bulk of your files over to the card.
Apple users find themselves restricted by the storage purchased with the device, which is one reason why Android is better. There are some clunky workarounds, like flash drives – also from SanDisk – but few people really want to be carrying them around. If you can’t afford a microSD or have an Apple device, though, you could also turn to free cloud storage. Google Photos and iCloud can help save a lot of space if you’re moving media files, as can Microsoft’s OneDrive.
Rather than needing to double your outlay on the phone with more storage, use these little hacks to keep everything you need while also enjoying all the entertainment you want.
