How to free up space on OnePlus phones

Free up space on a OnePlus phone

1. Check what is using space. Open Settings > About device > Storage on the OnePlus phone.
2. Clear duplicates and junk. Use Google Photos: Free up space on this device (Google Photos > profile picture > Free up space on this device) or Files by Google's Clean tab to remove duplicate files and memes.
3. Remove backed-up copies. In Google Photos, tap your profile picture, then Free up space, if your photos are backed up.
4. Empty the trash. Open Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted and empty it; space returns only then.

Where is storage on a OnePlus phone?

• OxygenOS 13 and later: Settings > About device > Storage
• OxygenOS 10–12: Settings > Storage & memory

OnePlus phones run OxygenOS. The storage screen lists apps, images, videos and system files; images and videos are usually the part you can safely shrink.

Where do deleted photos go on OnePlus phones?

Photos keeps deleted items in Recently Deleted for 30 days: Photos > Albums > Recently Deleted. Since OxygenOS 13 OnePlus phones share ColorOS's Photos app. OPPO's support page for that app says deleted items stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days and keep using storage until removed there. OnePlus's own help centre has no page on this.

Which built-in cleaners do OnePlus phones have?

• Google Photos: Free up space on this device (Google Photos app): Google Photos > profile picture > Free up space on this device. Removes on-phone copies of photos that are already backed up, if you use Google Photos alongside the OnePlus Photos app.
• Files by Google cleaning suggestions (Files by Google app): Files by Google > Clean. Can be installed from Google Play to find junk, duplicate and large files; OnePlus's own File Manager has no equivalent cleaner documented by OnePlus.
• Files by Google: available on Google Play — OnePlus phones ship with OnePlus's own File Manager, which OnePlus support refers to for locating backups..
• Google Photos: OnePlus phones have their own Photos (Gallery) app as the camera roll, with Google Photos usually preinstalled as well. Deleting in one app does not empty the other app's bin, and backed-up copies stay in your Google account.

What is different about OnePlus storage?

• From OxygenOS 13 the storage screen moved under Settings > About device > Storage, the same place as on OPPO's ColorOS.
• Photos in Recently Deleted still count against storage for up to 30 days, so empty that album to get space back at once.
• Flagship OnePlus phones can save RAW (DNG) files in Pro mode, and recent ones also save HEIF. RAW files are several times larger than JPEGs.
• Most Nord CE and Nord N models have a microSD or hybrid slot, but numbered OnePlus flagships and the main Nord line do not.
• OnePlus Clone Phone backups are stored on the phone under File Manager > Storage > opbackup until you delete them.

How long do OnePlus phones get updates?

OnePlus states update terms per model on its spec pages. Budget Nord N models get as little as one Android upgrade and three years of security updates.

How do OnePlus phones differ on storage and photos?

• OnePlus (14 models, 2020–2025): storage from 128 GB to 512 GB, 0 with microSD, default photos of 12.5 or 12 MP (about 3.6–3.8 MB), and 11 that shoot RAW.
• OnePlus Nord (9 models, 2021–2025): storage from 128 GB to 512 GB, 4 with microSD, default photos of 12.5 or 12 or 16 MP (about 3.6–4.8 MB), and 0 that shoot RAW.
• OnePlus Open (1 models, 2023–2023): storage from 512 GB to 1 TB, 0 with microSD, default photos of 12 MP (about 3.6–3.6 MB), and 1 that shoot RAW.
• OnePlus Nord N (5 models, 2020–2023): storage from 64 GB to 128 GB, 5 with microSD, default photos of 12 or 16 or 13 MP (about 3.6–4.8 MB), and 1 that shoot RAW.

The newest OnePlus phone here is the 15R (December 2025), which starts at 256 GB; the oldest is the 8 Pro (April 2020). 4 of them launched before Android 11, so their system trash depends on later updates.

OnePlus phones covered