There are a few reasons why does TikTok take up so much storage, here are 4 ways you can do to clear and get your storage back!
TikTok is a social media app where users can share short videos of themselves.
One of the reasons TikTok is so popular is because it’s easy to use and it’s a great way to express yourself creatively with short videos format.
However many have come across issues with TikTok taking up so much storage. There are a few reasons for this.
In this article, we will find out why does TikTok take up so much storage, what takes up storage on TikTok, how you can reduce and clear the storage and is there an alternative.
Why does TikTok take up so much storage
A lot of people reported in the forum that TikTok was actually taking a big chunk of their phone storage and causing all sorts of issues.
Although the report is not confirmed but from our own testing and research all over the internet, we can say it seems to happen to a lot of people.
One of the reasons TikTok is taking so much is due to the draft videos that you saved before posting.
When you upload a video on TikTok, just before you hit the Post, there is an option to save as ‘Drafts’ instead of ‘Post’.
If you opt for saving it as a draft, TikTok saves the videos for you and if you don’t post it, it will stay there and eventually build up and take up spaces until you delete it.
The other reason is due to the cached files.
Cached files are temporary files that are created to help the app load faster.
Over time, as you keep using TikTok, these cached files can accumulate within the app file system and take up a lot of storage space on your phone.
That’s why you might notice when first install the app, it doesn’t need too much of your phone storage.
However, as you use the app such as browsing videos, likes videos, saving your favorite videos and etc., all these activities will build up the cache.
Unfortunately this can’t be avoided as apps that are built based on high resolution videos generally will need bigger space regardless if most of the files are in the cloud.
And lastly, the reason why TikTok takes up so much storage is because of the Watch History feature.
Watch History is where TikTok saves all the videos you watched for quick access later on.
The good thing is, you can choose to clear your watch history whenever you want directly from the app.
But still, it’s a feature that some people might not be aware of and wonder why there are so many video files taking up space on their phone.PRO TIP: Simple step by step how to hide your following list on TikTok
How to free up storage on TikTok?
To free up space on TikTok on both iPhone and Android phone, here are a few tips you can use to at least reduce the size as much as possible.
To clear up space on TikTok, it’s a good idea to check all your drafts and delete ones that you no longer need. The other options are to clear the cache and watch history.
You may also simply uninstall and reinstall the app, which will help take all your storage back.
1. Delete all unwanted drafts on your TikTok
Videos in your TikTok draft take up much of your storage and it should not be there permanently so it’s a good practice to review the videos and delete those no longer required.
The process of deleting videos on your draft folder is the same for iPhone and Android.
Here is how to delete videos in your draft folder:
- Open TikTok and go to Profile page
- Go to the Draft folder (first icon in the middle menu)
- Tap on ‘Select’ then choose video you would like to delete
- Tap on Delete
2. Clear the cache on TikTok
Similar to other apps, TikTok relies on Cache so that it can load faster as it saves a portion of historical data locally on your iPhone.
However this tends to build up and start taking a lot of space. There is no harm in deleting it from time to time as these are only temporary data.
Clearing TikTok data or cache does not delete the drafts folder.
Here is how to clear your cache:
- Go to your TikTok profile page
- Tap on the 3-line icon on top right corner
- Select Settings and privacy
- Go to Cache & Cellular menu
- Tap on Clear Cache
3. Delete Watch History on TikTok
The other option to reduce storage is to delete Watch History on TikTok. You will be surprised how many videos are in there!
Remember, deleting Watch History is permanent and cannot be undone
Here is how to access your Watch History
- Go to your TikTok profile page
- Tap on the 3-line icon on top right corner
- Select Settings and privacy
- Go to Content & Display
- Tap on Watch history then tap on Select
- Choose the videos you want to delete
- Tap on Clear (on the bottom)
4. Uninstall & reinstall TikTok app
This should be the last option, reinstalling an app will definitely reset and remove all unnecessary space taken by TikTok especially if you have used it for a long time.
Make sure you remember your TikTok username & password before uninstalling.
Also worth noting, once you uninstall all videos in your draft will get deleted so, please review it before uninstalling.
To uninstall TikTok on iPhone, hold down the TikTok icon until it wiggles and then tap on the X to delete it.
For Android users, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > TikTok > Uninstall.
To reinstall, simply go to Apple App store or Google Play Store and search for TikTok.
Is there any other alternative to save space?
Yes, fortunately there is one option.
And this does not involve clearing or deleting your data or videos but instead, by using an alternative called TikTok Lite version.
It’s a smaller version of regular TikTok with a smaller install package, designed to provide better performance for those on a slower network and using mobile phones with limited storage and memory.
It’s a better option for people who do not post a lot of videos but rather just consume the contents.
Here is the link to download from Google Play, unfortunately for iOS it’s not available in every country.
Conclusion
TikTok can take up a lot of space if you are not careful.
The best way to reduce storage is to delete unwanted videos in your draft folder, delete watch history and clear cache regularly.
If you are still having issues with storage, consider using the TikTok Lite version which is designed to run better on slower networks and mobile phones with limited storage.
We hope you find this helpful. Thank you for reading!