20 | Your Phone is FULL of Photos: Here’s What NOT To Do
If your phone is constantly running out of storage, or if you have thousands of unorganized photos taking up space, you’re not alone! I’ve been there—dreading the “Storage Full” message while trying to capture a sweet moment with my kids.
Over the last year, I’ve been working to declutter my digital photos, clear up storage, and actually enjoy looking back on my memories without feeling overwhelmed.
Today, I’m sharing the exact steps I’ve taken to organize my photos, from phone storage fixes to creating beautiful prints.
Step 1: Managing iPhone Storage (Before You Hit Full Capacity)
A friend once told me her secret: Every night, she quickly deletes unnecessary photos from her phone—duplicates, blurry shots, and anything she doesn’t truly need.
Try this simple habit:
Delete screenshots you no longer need.
Keep only the best version of a photo.
Remove accidental or blurry shots daily to prevent buildup.
If you start doing this now, it’ll save you from having to do a massive digital declutter later.
Step 2: Using Google Photos to Free Up Space
At first, I thought Google Photos was endless free storage (spoiler: it’s not). But even though Google now charges for extra space, it’s still an amazing tool to keep your photos organized.
How I Use Google Photos to Manage My Storage:
Backup my phone photos to Google Photos.
Tap "Free up space on this device" – this removes already backed-up photos from my phone.
Empty the “Recently Deleted” folder to reclaim storage.
Step 3: What to Do When Your Phone AND Google Photos Are Full
This happened to me. I had thousands of photos from my days as a dance and cheer coach, plus personal photos from over a decade.
Solution: Move large photo/video collections to an external hard drive.
How I cleared space:
Bought a new external hard drive (mine connects to my Chromebook).
Transferred old videos and photos off Google Photos.
Deleted them from Google to free up cloud space.
This strategy bought me years of extra storage without having to pay for more cloud space!
Step 4: Converting HEIC Files to JPG (Because iPhone Photos Can Be Tricky)
If you’ve ever downloaded iPhone photos to your computer only to see blank files, it’s because Apple saves images in HEIC format, which isn’t always compatible with other devices.
Here’s the quick fix I found:
Upload your HEIC files > Convert on this platform
Download them as JPGs (which work on all devices!).
This free tool saved me SO much frustration when I was transferring my photos!
Step 5: Organizing Photos Chronologically (My New System)
Once I had all my photos backed up, I needed a system to keep them organized.
Here’s my simple folder structure on my hard drive:
Yearly folders (e.g., 2023, 2022, 2021)
Monthly subfolders (e.g., 2023 → January, February, March)
Event folders (e.g., "2023 → August → Family Vacation")
This system makes finding photos easy, and I plan to keep it updated each year!
Bonus Tip: Regularly back up your hard drive on a second external drive to avoid losing everything if one fails.
Step 6: Printing Photos with Chatbooks
After all this organizing, I wanted to actually enjoy my photos, not just keep them stored away. That’s where Chatbooks comes in!
Why I Love Chatbooks:
Monthly photo books are automatically created from my phone’s camera roll.
Takes just minutes to select my favorite pics.
$12/month for a beautiful printed keepsake.
My kids LOVE flipping through them—it’s their favorite thing to get in the mail!
If you want a simple way to print your memories, check out Chatbooks!
Final Thoughts: Simplifying Your Digital Photos
If your phone storage is maxed out or your photo library is overwhelming, try taking this process one step at a time:
Step 1: Delete unnecessary photos daily.
Step 2: Use Google Photos for backup & freeing space.
Step 3: Move older photos & videos to an external hard drive.
Step 4: Convert HEIC files to JPG if needed.
Step 5: Organize photos by year, month, and event.
Step 6: Print favorite photos with Chatbooks.
Take action today: Pick ONE step to start with, and work toward a more organized, stress-free digital photo collection!
