Phone storage full? What to clear first, and what to leave alone

Before deleting anything, find out what's using the space. On an iPhone, go to Settings, General, iPhone Storage. On Android, go to Settings, then Storage. Menu names vary slightly, but both show a breakdown by app or category.

Clear these first

1. Downloaded video. Check streaming apps for shows you've already watched. This is often the quickest big win.
2. Apps you don't use. Sort by size and remove games you've finished. iPhones can also offload unused apps, which keeps your data while removing the app itself.
3. Downloaded audiobooks and podcasts. Delete finished ones and turn on auto-delete if the app offers it.
4. Messaging attachments. Long group chats can collect a lot of videos and photos. Check the storage tools inside the app.
5. Your downloads folder. Old PDFs and installers tend to pile up there.

Then deal with photos and videos

• Delete videos before photos, since they use far more space.
• Remove duplicates, screenshots and burst shots.
• Empty the recently deleted folder. Deleted photos can keep using space there until you do.

Be careful with these

• Cloud photo settings. Before you delete anything from your phone, check whether it's backed up, and whether deleting it here will also delete it from the cloud. On some setups, it will.
• "Cleaner" apps. You rarely need them. The built-in tools cover most of this, and some of these apps are loaded with ads or charge a subscription.
• App data for things you need offline, such as boarding passes, tickets or maps.