This Easy iPhone Trick Will Save You Tons of Photo Space

2 minute read

We’ve all been there: Running low on iPhone storage space, scrambling to delete photos we can live without to record new memories. Well, Apple’s newest iOS update gave us a handy new way to get more storage out of our iPhones without upgrading the hardware.

Apple’s iOS 8.1 activated a feature called the iCloud Photo Library, which automatically uploads your photos and videos to your iCloud account — Apple’s version of cloud storage. iCloud users get 5GB of storage space for free, but can bump that up to 20GB for $.99/month, 200GB for $3.99/month, 500GB for $9.99/month and so on.

If you choose to activate iCloud Photo Library, your iPhone will by default keep big, high-resolution files both on your device and on iCloud. But here’s where the storage-saving trick comes in: You can set the iCloud Photo Library to upload the higher-resolution files to the cloud and keep only compressed (read: smaller) versions on your iPhone. Those compressed versions are still good enough to show off your photos to family and friends on your iPhone screen, but they take up much less space on your device — leaving you free to take more photos and videos.

To turn on the iCloud Photo Library on your iPhone or iPad, first make sure you’ve got the latest iOS 8.1 update installed and that you’re signed up for iCloud. Then go to Settings, select iCloud, find Photos and turn on iCloud Photo Library. Then, for the space-saving trick, activate the “Optimize” feature, which is also accessible by going to Settings, selecting Photos & Camera, then iCloud Photo Library.

See the World Await and Celebrate Apple's iPhone 6

People pass time as they wait outside an Apple store for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in London on Sept. 17, 2014.
People pass time as they wait outside an Apple store for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in London on Sept. 17, 2014. Lefteris Pitarakis—AP
People wait for the release of Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in front of the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014.
People wait in line in front of the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014.Yuya Shino—Reuters
A man sleeps in a tent in the queue outside an Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014.
A man sleeps in a tent in the queue outside an Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014.Justin Tallis—AFP/Getty Images
A man wearing a replica of an iPhone 6 Plus model on his head yawns while waiting in front of the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.
A man wearing a replica of an iPhone 6 Plus model on his head yawns while waiting in front of an Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.Yuya Shino—Reuters
A woman sleeps in a chair as she waits in queue outside the Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014.
A woman sleeps in a chair as she waits in queue outside the Apple store in London on Sept. 18, 2014. Justin Tallis—AFP/Getty Images
A staff member removes a display poster of iPhone 5S at the Apple store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014,.
A staff member removes a display poster of iPhone 5S at an Apple store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014,.Yuya Shino—Reuters
Customers queue outside an Apple store in Hong Kong on Sept. 19, 2014.
Customers queue outside an Apple store in Hong Kong on Sept. 19, 2014. Xaume Ollerose—AFP/Getty Images
Ken Miyauchi Vice President of Softbank, Japanese mobile phone company and actress Sayaka Kanda, in a pink dress, react during a ceremony to mark the first day of sales of the latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at a store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.
Ken Miyauchi Vice President of Softbank, Japanese mobile phone company and actress Sayaka Kanda, in a pink dress, react during a ceremony to mark the first day of sales of the latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at a store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.Shizuo Kambayashi—AP
Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale in USA
After being first in line for 19 days, Moon Ray, from Jackson, Miss. runs the gauntlet of Apple store workers as she enters the Fifth Avenue Apple store in New York on Sept. 19, 2014.Peter Foley—EPA
Apple store staff high five customers as they enter the store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.
Apple store staff high five customers as they enter an store in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2014.Chris McGrath—Getty Images
A man wearingaA man wearing a mask depicting Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of Apple's new iPhone 6, as he walks into the Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014. a mask depicting Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of Apple's new iPhone 6, as he walks into the Apple Store in Tokyo
A man wearing a mask depicting Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs holds up a cardboard cut-out of Apple's new iPhone 6, as he walks into an Apple Store in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014.Yuya Shino—Reuters
Andreas Gibson celebrates as he exits the Apple store after being the first to purchase an iPhone 6 Plus on Sept. 19, 2014 in New York.
Andreas Gibson celebrates as he exits an Apple store in New York after being the first to purchase an iPhone 6 Plus on Sept. 19, 2014. Julie Jacobson—AP
Jamael Ahmed jumps in the air as he leaves the store after being the first to purchase the iPhone 6 at Apple Covent Gardens in London on Sept. 19, 2014.
Jamael Ahmed jumps in the air as he leaves the store after being the first to purchase the iPhone 6 at Apple Covent Gardens in London on Sept. 19, 2014.Ben A. Pruchnie—Getty Images

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