This 1 App Is Hoarding Your iPhone Storage, So Here's The Easy Way To Free Up Space

If you are an “Inbox Zero” type of person, chances are you already regularly practice deleting everything after reading it. But for everyone else, sometimes it’s hard to know if it’s better to delete or save.

There are some benefits to deleting. “Deleting an entire conversation can free up substantial storage, especially if that thread is media-heavy,” Merrill said. However, he recommended asking yourself two things before you do so.

First, decide how important the conversation is. “If a conversation holds critical information — like addresses, directions or sentimental memories — it might be better to archive or back up the text elsewhere before deletion,” Merril explained.

Second, opt for a more balanced approach. “Remove the heavy attachments without losing the text content or selectively delete portions of a conversation rather than clearing it out entirely,” he suggested. That way you don’t feel regret after removing a conversation that you might want to look back on later.

But keep in mind, if you delete these threads, you can’t get them back unless you have a phone backup saved, Chen reminds us. (By the way, it’s always a good idea to make regular phone backups on iCloud, your computer or an external hard drive.)

Backup Your Phone’s Storage Often And Do Regular Clean-Outs