Where Are You Storing Your Data?

It’s irritating to get notifications that your device is running out of storage. Device storage decides how many applications, photos, and files you can retain, but when you run out of storage, it can affect your device performance and productivity, sometimes causing a project to grind to a halt until you resolve the issue. But finding the right storage amount isn’t always easy.

Overestimating the amount you need wastes money, but underestimating what you need is just a new headache waiting to happen. This guide will help you figure out how much space is actually needed on an auxiliary storage device.

All devices come with a limited amount of included storage, which refers to space on the phone, tablet, or computer that stores all your data such as apps, photos, videos, and documents, and it’s not hard to fill up that space. When you fill up your storage space, you can no longer save videos and documents. In that case, you would need to pay for additional storage or get a new device.

There are two major types of storage:

Internal Storage: This is built-in to your device. It can't be removed and is usually faster compared to external storage.

External Storage: Ultimately, this is what you’ll need. This includes SD cards, external hard drives, and USB drives, which can be added or removed. They give you more space but may be slower.

Devices automatically come with various storage options. Let's look at some common ones:

Smartphones: A typical smartphone starts at 64GB. High-end models can have up to 1TB. iPhones don't have SD card slots. Many Android phones do.

Tablets: Tablets generally range from 32GB to 256GB. Some have slots for memory cards if you need more space.

Laptops: Laptops tend to contain 128GB to 1TB of storage. You can generally upgrade that later.

Desktops: The real workhorse, desktop computers can have very large storage. 1TB to 4TB is common. You can easily add more if needed.

How much storage space do I really need?

That depends on what you’re saving, but it can be difficult to ascertain how much storage you really need. If you have IT Support, whether an internal IT Services Department or outsourced Managed Services Provider, they can easily tell you about your usage and line you up with appropriate extra storage.

Many people get too much or too little storage. Your storage needs depend on how you use your device. Where do you fall in these user types:

Basic Users

If you use simple apps and mostly browse the web, then 64GB might do the job. This is enough to facilitate your:

Email

Social media

Light photo taking

Average Users

If you take a lot of photos and use many apps, 128GB to 256GB works best. This covers:

Many apps

Photo libraries

Some video storage

Power Users

You are a power user if you engage in:

Video editing

Large game libraries

Huge photo collections

Professional Users

For busy professionals, some jobs need even more space. 1TB or more is common for:

4K video production

Large datasets

Professional photo editing

How might you manage your device storage?

Here are some tips for optimizing your storage to avoid running out of space

Cloud storage: This is a common cure-all for storage issues. Services like Google Drive or iCloud can store your files online and save device space. According to ‘ConnectBit,’ 65.2% of people use cloud storage as their primary storage.

Delete unused apps: This is part of standard decluttering. With apps, if you don't use it, lose it. They take up space and might slow down your device.

Clear your cache regularly: Many apps store temporary files and these add up quickly. Clearing these can free up space.

Stream, don’t download: You like a song, and can get it online whenever you want, so why save it on your device? Stream music and videos rather than download them. That saves a lot of space.

What takes up most of storage?

Storage space is not equal with everything you save. Here are the biggest storage users:

Videos: Videos are space hungry. A 1-hour 4K video can take up 7GB or more.

Photos: While pics take less space compared to videos, they do accumulate rather fast. 1000 high-quality photos may take up 5GB.

Games: This isn’t your father’s gaming. Modern games are massive. Some can be over 100GB each.

Apps: Most apps are small. But some, like editing tools, can be very large.

What to do if you run out of storage?

There are a few remedies for this. If you run out of space, you can add more storage by using SD cards, flash drives or an external drive. This is a great option instead of buying a new device. If possible, change your device for one with higher storage. An upgrade will give you more space internally.

With cloud storage solutions you can also park more files there. Some popular options are Google Drive and Dropbox. This frees up more space on your device.

How do I choose the right storage?

Once you start shopping for a new device, take stock of how many photos and videos you save, how many apps or games you download, and whether you work with big files. Choose a device that will have enough storage for your needs. Even if it costs a little more, it's better to have too much than too little.

Using the tips here, you can make a better choice for your next device. Your needs may change over time, so it’s usually wise to get more storage than you think you need.