# Phone constantly short on storage space **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2023, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721 "2023-03-27T18:04:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Inferior\_Desecrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@Inferior\_Desecrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inferior_Desecrator)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2023, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721/41 "2023-04-01T17:24:28Z")
For iphone, pictures you delete remain in the “recently deleted” folder. They disappear eventually, but if you are trying to generate space at the moment, you have to clear this out as well, if that’s helpful to anyone. Don’t know about android. I have a 16G 6S and still working fine with space, but my apps are minimal, and use it for phone and email, a little internet reading, maps, but not much else. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721/42 "2023-04-02T20:37:15Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > > [@medstar](#): > > > > @Broomstick, I’m no expert on smartphones, but before I bought my IPhone 12, I used to buy Android phones from HSN or QVC online. These phones ranged from $60.00 - $100.00 and came with 1500 texts, 1500 minutes talk, and 1.5 gigs of internet. You have to activate them on Tracfone, and if I can do it, anyone with a pulse can do it. Hope this helps. ⁢ > > But could I keep my current phone number? That’s important to me. You can, but I don’t believe it is automatic. I believe Tracfone’s website has info about keeping/transfering your old number to the new service. That said, it has been a while since I used this feature. Still, better to check how to do it before you pull the plug. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721/43 "2023-04-03T00:10:02Z")
I like the app DiskUsage for clearing up space. It allows you to visualize what files are taking up an obscene amount of space, but even if it’s a bunch of files of the same type/in the same folder that are not so big themselves but add up to a large amount can be identified and deleted. Those who’ve used the Windows program WinDirStat or Mac GrandPerspective or Disc Inventory X will recognize the utility. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721/44 "2023-04-24T20:20:52Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I had a J3 once. It died the death of USB port failure. Did you check if the fault was in the cable rather than USB port? I’ve had cables fail on me more than once, but when replaced my 2017 phone kept on ticking. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721/45 "2023-04-24T21:44:27Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Did you check if the fault was in the cable rather than USB port? Yes, this was either the phone where onebof the gold contacts peeled off the connector and was crushed to the back of the port or the one where the connector board in the port nroke off entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721/46 "2023-04-25T16:25:22Z")
It’s time to upgrade. [![](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/222295AA-1EFD-4801-82045D4C6E332BE7.jpg) ](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/222295AA-1EFD-4801-82045D4C6E332BE7.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-constantly-short-on-storage-space/981721.md?page=2)