Smartphones have limited storage space, especially as apps and media files take up more and more space over time. Video apps like TikTok can use up significant storage, with users reporting it taking up multiple gigabytes on their devices [1]. With storage at a premium, many users look for ways to free up space. One method is clearing the cache and temporary files that build up in apps like TikTok.
Clearing the cache deletes temporary files stored by the app, which can potentially free up storage space. However, it’s unclear exactly how much space this frees up for TikTok. This article will examine how TikTok uses storage, how to clear its cache on Android and iOS, and how effective this is for actually freeing up space on your device.
How TikTok Uses Storage
TikTok takes up a significant amount of storage space due to the large video files it saves to your device. There are a few key ways TikTok utilizes storage:
Cached videos: As you scroll through your For You feed, TikTok automatically saves copies of videos to your device’s storage. This allows for quicker loading times when rewatching videos. However, the cached videos can quickly consume storage space, especially for frequent TikTok users [1].
Temp files: TikTok creates temporary files when downloading and processing videos from the app. These unfinished files remain stored on your device even after watching a video. Over time, these temporary TikTok files can build up and take up significant storage [2].
App data: The TikTok app itself takes up around 300MB initially. But the app data, including saved settings, login details, and usage information continues growing with extended usage of the app. This steadily accumulating app data can eventually consume a considerable amount of storage.
Checking TikTok’s Cache Size
To check how much storage space TikTok’s cache is taking up, you’ll need to view the app’s storage usage in your device’s settings. The process differs slightly between Android and iOS.
Find Cache Size in Android Settings
On Android, open the Settings app and go to Storage. Here you can see how much total space different apps are using. Tap on TikTok to get a breakdown of the app’s storage usage. The amount listed under Cache is how much space TikTok’s cache is taking up [1].
Find Cache Size in iOS Settings
On iOS, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. This screen lists apps by storage usage. Tap on TikTok to see a detailed breakdown. The amount listed under Cache is TikTok’s cached data [2]. Swipe left on the app’s entry to see the cache size along with other data usage.
Clearing Cache in Android
To clear the TikTok cache on Android devices, follow these steps:
1. Open your device’s Settings app.
2. Tap on “Apps & notifications” or “Apps”.
3. Tap on “See all apps” or “App info”.
4. Scroll down and select TikTok.
5. Tap on “Storage & cache”.
6. Tap on “Clear cache” to delete the app’s temporary data.
Clearing the cache will free up space taken up by TikTok without deleting any of your videos or drafts. According to wikiHow, the cache can take up a significant amount of storage, so clearing it periodically can free up a considerable amount of space.
Clearing Cache in iOS
To clear the TikTok cache on an iPhone or iPad running iOS, follow these steps:
1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device.
2. Scroll down and tap on the TikTok app.
3. Under the Documents & Data section, tap on Clear Cache to delete any temporary cached files stored by TikTok.
This will delete the app’s cached media files, freeing up storage space on your device without removing any of your saved content or draft videos in TikTok.[1]
Alternative Ways to Free Up Space
In addition to clearing the cache, there are some other techniques you can use to free up storage space on your phone when using TikTok:
Delete Old Videos
One of the biggest storage hogs on TikTok are all the videos you have liked or downloaded over time. Go through your “Liked” and “My Videos” sections and delete any videos you no longer need or want to keep. This can potentially free up gigabytes of storage.
Offload Unused Apps
Consider offloading apps you haven’t used in awhile. Offloading removes the app from your device storage but keeps its documents and data. You can easily reinstall the app later if needed. This frees up space while still retaining your app data.
Transfer Photos to Cloud Storage
Upload photos and videos from your camera roll to cloud storage services like Google Photos or iCloud. This will move those large files off your device while still allowing you to access them anytime. Set your phone to automatically back up new photos to the cloud as well.
How Much Storage Does Clearing Cache Free Up?
The amount of storage cleared by deleting the TikTok cache can vary quite a bit depending on usage. For heavy TikTok users that watch a lot of videos, clearing the cache may free up several hundred megabytes or more. For lighter users, it may only free up 100-200MB.
According to Reddit users, clearing the TikTok cache freed up anywhere from 250MB to over 1GB of space on their devices [1]. On iPhone, one user reported freeing up to 600MB [2]. On Android, clearing the cache may free up 100-300MB depending on usage.
In general, the more videos you watch on TikTok, the more cache data it stores on your device, so heavy users will see bigger gains from clearing it out. But for most users it should free up at least 100-200MB, providing a handy little storage boost.
Limitations of Clearing Cache
Clearing the cache in TikTok doesn’t permanently delete all cached files or free up storage indefinitely. Here are some key limitations to keep in mind:
Clearing the cache only deletes cached data like images, videos and other media files that TikTok has temporarily downloaded. It doesn’t delete locally saved videos, drafts, messages or other files associated with your account (1).
The cache begins building up again as soon as you start using TikTok after clearing it. Any new content you view or interact with will get cached again (2). So the storage freed up from clearing cache is usually only temporary.
To maximize the storage cleared, you need to close the app entirely after clearing cache so that it doesn’t immediately start putting new temporary files in. But this storage will still gradually fill up again with use (3).
Clearing cache may also have minor downsides like requiring re-downloading of cached media, slightly slower load times, or needing to re-log into the app. But these are generally negligible drawbacks for freeing up space (1).
In summary, clearing cache can free up a meaningful amount of storage in the short-term, but it’s limited in deleting all TikTok files permanently or preventing the cache from gradually building up again. Other storage management strategies may be needed in addition to cache clearing to keep TikTok’s footprint low.
Best Practices for Managing TikTok Storage
There are some best practices you can follow to make sure TikTok doesn’t eat up too much storage space on your phone:
Regularly clear cache – TikTok caches a lot of data like videos, thumbnails, and images. Make sure to clear the TikTok cache every few weeks to free up space. On Android go to Settings > Apps > TikTok > Storage > Clear Cache. On iOS go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > TikTok > Offload App.
Delete old videos – Open the TikTok app and go to your profile page. Tap on the three-dot menu in the upper right and choose Manage My Videos. From here you can mass delete videos you no longer need. Removing old videos you don’t watch anymore can significantly reduce TikTok’s storage usage.
Use storage saving settings – Enable settings like “Data Saver” and “Reduce Video Quality” in TikTok’s app settings. This will stop high resolution videos from being cached and reduce the app’s storage impact.
Key Takeaways
Clearing the cache on TikTok can temporarily free up storage space on your device. This is done by removing the temporary files, images, and videos that TikTok stores locally to load content quicker. For Android users, the cache can be cleared in the app’s Storage settings. On iOS, it requires navigating to iPhone Storage settings. However, the amount of space freed up from clearing TikTok’s cache is usually small, less than 100MB in most cases. While it can provide a quick storage boost, it’s just one part of effective storage management.
More impactful ways to free up space used by TikTok include deleting videos you’ve saved or downloaded. Reducing TikTok’s video quality setting can also use less data over time. Additionally, optimizing your device storage by deleting or offloading little used apps, photos, and files provides ongoing benefits. Ultimately, TikTok’s cache should be periodically cleared, but not relied on as a primary way to manage storage. A combination of deleting unneeded TikTok content, adjusting data settings, and device optimization is key for long-term storage management.
