Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

GadgetBen

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 8, 2015
1,910
3,788
London
Is anyone else getting this message a lot lately?

I've got the 128GB phone but these days its just not enough. I really hope we see a 256GB or hell, even a 512GB option when the iPhone 7 is announced. I know the 256GB is rumoured.

13912662_1340612515979261_5421106717519578423_n.jpg
 

bufffilm

Suspended
May 3, 2011
4,227
2,536
Tough for you.

That's what happens when you load up on photos, music, etc. buy a bigger size when the ip7 comes out.

Me I still have 103gb free. No rush to put my music on yet.
 

GadgetBen

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 8, 2015
1,910
3,788
London
The problem comes from photo stream syncing years of photos. I've switched it off but that means my new photos won't upload until I plug in.

There is no option to upload your photos from your phone over iCloud without downloading your entire iCloud photo stream on your iPhone?
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,721
Boston, MA
I would say that those filling up a 128gb device are in the extreme minority.

We have 128gb phones since the upgrade through our carrier was free, we are constantly taking photos and video, and haven't even filled half.

I think apples photo syncing options are terrible. I use Flickr. But google is pretty good too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,658
28,433
I use Dropbox for photos. Uploads right to Dropbox when I open the app. Periodically I clean out the Camera Uploads folder. But anything that is truly important gets moved off my phone immediately.

I have a lot of photos in my camera roll, but losing all of them wouldn't affect me as I do NOT store anything (music, video, movie, photo, text message, etc) important long term on my phone without backing it up somewhere local (cloud does not count as local). It's safer that way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire

Ffosse

macrumors 68000
Nov 5, 2012
1,827
652
This I just never did get: 16GB is plenty for me; I stream everything; photos are automatically uploaded to Google and who would want to play games or watch video on a 4 to 5.5 inch screen, anyway?

My SE has 8GB free and I imagine it will be roughly the same in 2 years.
 

BigMcGuire

Cancelled
Jan 10, 2012
9,832
14,032
How do people fill their phones up like this? I have the 128GB and I'm using 20GB. Yeah, really.

Google Photos - Every few months I'll wipe out about 3-4 GB of Photos/Videos (safely backed up on Google, OneDrive, and my computer).

My Google Books app has about 700MB, my Kindle app has just over a gig... How can one fill up 128GB? I do all my TV/Movies on Apple TV / Google Chromecast. I use Google Music subscription for music (2.8GB app size with cache). I have Celtic Tribes and Clash of Clans... but that's about it. Pokemon Go, Ingress...

Even if I quadrupled my storage usage, 128GB would be enough.

Most of my family is the same (around 20-30GB of usage).

Edit: Why I can't use iCloud Photo Library? Because I have 80+GB of Photos/Videos. Google Photos allows me to store all of that without using any space on my iPhone (and have it all accessible). With iCloud Photo Library - I'd have to synch ALL OF THAT to EVERY device I have. I can't and won't do that.
 

M. Gustave

macrumors 68000
Jun 6, 2015
1,856
1,712
Grand Budapest Hotel
Why I can't use iCloud Photo Library? Because I have 80+GB of Photos/Videos. Google Photos allows me to store all of that without using any space on my iPhone (and have it all accessible). With iCloud Photo Library - I'd have to synch ALL OF THAT to EVERY device I have. I can't and won't do that.

No, you wouldn't. If you turn on "Optimize Storage", it will only put thumbnails on your iPhone or iPad. Also, once you turn on iCloud Photo Library, photos are no longer backed up as part of your device backups (it would be redundant).
 
  • Like
Reactions: gim and BigMcGuire

BigMcGuire

Cancelled
Jan 10, 2012
9,832
14,032
No, you wouldn't. If you turn on "Optimize Storage", it will only put thumbnails on your iPhone or iPad. Also, once you turn on iCloud Photo Library, photos are no longer backed up as part of your device backups (it would be redundant).

The only problem with this (not Apple's fault at all) - is that the Google Photos app will backup the thumbnail thinking it is a new photo. I have several thousand photos that are "duplicated" because of this. lol. Wish the Google Photos app knew it was a smaller optimized photo instead of a new photo.
 

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,721
Boston, MA
This I just never did get: 16GB is plenty for me; I stream everything; photos are automatically uploaded to Google and who would want to play games or watch video on a 4 to 5.5 inch screen, anyway?

My SE has 8GB free and I imagine it will be roughly the same in 2 years.
I watch a lot of video on my commute and days I do cardio on the treadmill or elliptical. It's generally streamed though.

I guess it doesn't bother me because I'm not super focused on the video anyway. A larger screen wouldn't really improvement experience in these situations.
 

Ffosse

macrumors 68000
Nov 5, 2012
1,827
652
I get why people like their larger phones, (I had a 5.5" android") and web browsing and typing is definitely better, but for games and movies I'd always go for an iPad or laptop. Watching on a commute I can understand, though. I even read books on my SE as the print size is adjustable.

When I had
 

gim

macrumors 6502
Jul 27, 2014
444
966
No, you wouldn't. If you turn on "Optimize Storage", it will only put thumbnails on your iPhone or iPad. Also, once you turn on iCloud Photo Library, photos are no longer backed up as part of your device backups (it would be redundant).

Only helpful post in this whole thread. Thread starter said the reason for his full storage is too many photos. I don't see why he should switch to google photos or anything else, when there is this one single setting he has to turn on to solve his problem.
 

slopokdave

macrumors regular
Mar 11, 2011
115
16
Only helpful post in this whole thread. Thread starter said the reason for his full storage is too many photos. I don't see why he should switch to google photos or anything else, when there is this one single setting he has to turn on to solve his problem.

Just a few reasons....

Google Photos will store unlimted, for free
Google Photos is cross-device and on desktops
The interface is subjectively better (SUBJECTIVELY)

Shall we go on?
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigMcGuire

randy98mtu

macrumors 65816
Mar 4, 2009
1,459
143
I have the 128 and have 25 free. Just about right. Most of mine is music (55 GB) and photos (20) It's all in how you use the device. I don't get the people who don't get that other people use their device differently. I have tried streaming, Apple Music, Spotify, but I just prefer my personal library methods. I need to catch up on organizing my photos so I can purge my camera roll and just sync the "keepers" and have the rest backed up in Dropbox (where they already are) I run into more trouble with storage on my MacBook with 512 GB. I actually stopped backing up my phone to my computer for a few days when I was recently doing a massive photo reorganization. That's why I need to purge the camera roll.
 

Ffosse

macrumors 68000
Nov 5, 2012
1,827
652
I have the 128 and have 25 free. Just about right. Most of mine is music (55 GB) and photos (20) It's all in how you use the device. I don't get the people who don't get that other people use their device differently. I have tried streaming, Apple Music, Spotify, but I just prefer my personal library methods. I need to catch up on organizing my photos so I can purge my camera roll and just sync the "keepers" and have the rest backed up in Dropbox (where they already are) I run into more trouble with storage on my MacBook with 512 GB. I actually stopped backing up my phone to my computer for a few days when I was recently doing a massive photo reorganization. That's why I need to purge the camera roll.

I don't get Luddites who won't move on and recognise that 16GB is plenty on a phone for the majority of buyers. I don't even use hard drives anymore having music stored online in different locations and streaming Play Music or Tidal lossless with an unlimited 30 to 60MB 4G data connection and around the same speed on home wi-fi

I also have a Chromebook with 16GB space - I've never run out, my Xperia XA will never see a microSD card and guess what? Its 11GB internal will be plenty for me.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ABC5S

BigMcGuire

Cancelled
Jan 10, 2012
9,832
14,032
At reduced quality.

Yeah, $1.99 for 100GB or $9.99 for 1TB at original quality and the ability to remove local storage while having access to entire storage. The only thing I hate about unlimited Google Photos - it degrades videos SO BADLY. Photos? I can't tell a difference, but videos are horrid. So much so, I'm close to uploading at original quality.
 

KarimLeVallois

macrumors 68030
Feb 22, 2014
2,614
1,776
London
My 128GB is almost full and that's due to me having all my music in AIFF lossless format, will get 256GB this time around.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.