Simple guide to managing your Android device storage like a pro
Want more out of your Android phone? We all do. Thankfully, Android is very versatile and accessible. But what if your device is running out of storage and downloading apps isn’t an option?
Here’s a quick guide to managing (and understanding) your device storage.
Regularly delete old text messages
Sometimes we hold onto text messages for sentimental reasons. That’s fine, but you can store them in a place other than your phone. Any text messages that aren’t critical should be deleted. You’d be surprised how much space text messages can eat up on your phone — especially if photos are attached.
If you want to automatically back up your texts so you don’t have to keep them on your phone, this is what you need to do:
- Go to your Gmail Account and tap the gear icon for Settings.
- Select See all settings. On the next page, select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- In the IMAP access section, select Enable IMAP.
- Next, download an app called SMS Backup+ onto your phone.
- When you launch it, select Connect.
- When the prompt appears, Allow the app to back up your text messages. These will be sent straight to your Gmail account.
Delete the old text messages once you confirm they’re in your Gmail inbox. You can sort them by folder in your Gmail and utilize the 15 GB of space that Google gives each account.
Use storage manager
Did you know a built-in storage manager comes with your Android phone? It’s in the settings menu. Let’s open it up and free up space. This is what you need to do:
- Tap on your Settings icon in your app’s menu.
- Find and tap on Storage to open up your manager.
- Notice the chart that shows your phone’s storage. This will show you how much space is left.
Once you know how much space is being taken up on your phone, you can fix it. If photos are eating up all your space, consider uploading them to Google Drive if you have the room. Apps must be stored in your system’s internal memory (they don’t work with microSD cards), so consider deleting any you don’t use often.
How to clear your browser cache in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari and Brave
Not sure how to clear the cache and cookies in your web browser? Use this easy, step-by-step guide. We’ll show you how to clear the cache on any browser, from Firefox to Brave.
To be clear, these tips are for your computer. If you want to clear your smartphone browser’s cache, we’ve got another article that can help. Tap or click to delete all the annoying tracking cookies from your phone.
Why you can’t access some sites while you’re on a VPN and what to do
Let’s say you’re browsing the web with a VPN. You’re protecting privacy, so you’re confident hackers and advertisers can’t track you. Then you try to go to a site, and it just won’t load.
This can throw a wrench into productivity when working. Or it can ruin your mood when trying to have fun online.
Here’s why your phone is so much slower now than when you bought it
You spend a lot of money on electronics, so why not keep them in tip-top shape? When it comes to computers, speed is the name of the game. Is your PC or Mac running slow? Take these simple steps to speed things up again.
Update Chrome! 3 security upgrades baked into the latest version
It’s estimated that over 2.6 billion people use Google Chrome as their primary browser. This makes it a lucrative target for hackers. Tap or click here for seven quick ways to get more out of Chrome on your Android phone.
Microsoft just added a new reason you might want to try Edge
In a recent update, Microsoft revealed that it would integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its Bing search engine. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, another update might make you want to give Edge another try.
Read on for a significant update coming to Edge that Microsoft hopes will make you switch browsers.