[Answered] Why Is TikTok Taking Up So Much Storage

Since smartphones have become an integral part of our everyday lives, numerous tech brands have emerged, releasing a new model one after the other in competition with each other. When purchasing these phones, buyers’ primary focus is on the performance and durability of the product.

While these two factors depend mostly on RAM, the ROM plays an essential part as well. When your device storage maxes out, the applications on your device will slow down, lag, and hang in the middle of the task. For that reason, you need to keep a constant check on what softwares takes up most of your device’s storage.

Many users have shown concern over TikTok taking up so much storage on their smartphones. While the application is great for viewing video content from various types of people worldwide, when nothing seems to work, you’re left with no other choice but to say goodbye to TikTok.

That is why we have brought you this guide, to explain why is TikTok taking up so much storage and what measures you may take to reduce its size. So without further ado, let’s dive into it!

Contents hide

Understand Why Is TikTok Taking Up So Much Storage

Ways To Reduce The Size Of TikTok App

1. Delete Unwanted Drafts On TikTok.

2. Delete And Reinstall TikTok.

3. Clear TikTok Cache.

4. Offload TikTok App.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1. What happens when I clear the cache on TikTok?

2. Will deleting the TikTok app get rid of my saved drafts as well?

Bottom Line: Why Is TikTok Taking Up So Much Storage

Understand Why Is TikTok Taking Up So Much Storage

Currently, TikTok is the most popular app in the world, with over millions of active users. They upload videos daily on their profile, flooding the software’s server. Because there’s so much content to view, unlimited trends to follow, and endless media to explore, anyone can easily get addicted to the app and spend hours scrolling through at one go.

Now all the applications running on your device store cache on use. This build-up of data helps in the faster loading of the program’s interface for subsequent use. So what makes TikTok so different and causes it to take up more storage on your device in comparison to other social media platforms?

Well, to cut the answer short, TikTok does not offer its users to share content in the form of pictures or texts. Instead, its content is purely dependent on videos, and we all know that this type of format utilizes more space on your device than any other.

When you’re scrolling through your feed, TikTok is not only downloading the videos you’re watching but also storing them as user data. The application also allows you to save video drafts on your account, which further adds to the amount of space TikTok is covering.

Now that you understand why is TikTok taking up so much storage, let’s discuss what you can do to tackle the situation.

Ways To Reduce The Size Of TikTok App

Because TikTok is taking up so much storage, users are left with no choice but to think of ways to free up some space on their devices. This way, they will not only continue using the app but also enhance the performance of their phone that was otherwise being compromised.

Here are some of the best ways to make more space on your phone.

1. Delete Unwanted Drafts On TikTok.

Most of the storage consumed by TikTok is due to your saved drafts on the application. This is because the video drafts are saved on your account rather than being shared on the public server.

So, if you want more storage on your device, either upload the video or go through your drafts. Delete the ones you’re not planning to share with your followers anytime soon. Here’s how:

To get started, tap on the TikTok app to open it on your device.
Next, go to the Me tab from the bottom pane.

There, you will see the drafts. Tap to open it.
Then, tap Select from the upper right corner of your screen.
Now, choose the drafts that you don’t want.
Finally, tap on the Delete option and then select Discard.

2. Delete And Reinstall TikTok.

If you want to delete all the drafts saved on your TikTok account and don’t want to spend much time performing the task, this method is for you. You can simply delete the application and reinstall it on your device. This also helps in clearing all the app cache that was built up over time on your phone.

Here’s how to do it if you own an Android:

Begin by going to the App Drawer and locating the TikTok app there.
Now, press and hold its icon until a menu appears.
From the options, choose Uninstall.

Then, a confirmation pop-up will appear. Tap on OK to confirm your action.
Next, open the Google Play Store.
Now type ‘tiktok‘ in the Search bar.

Lastly, tap on Install to bring the application back on your device.

To do the same in an iPhone, follow these steps:

Firstly, locate the TikTok app on the App Library.

Next, long-press its icon until a few options appear.
Then, choose Delete App. Alternatively, you can long-press the Home Screen until all the applications start to wiggle and press the ‘–‘ sign at the upper left corner of the TikTok app.

From the pop-up options, select Remove App.

Now, go to the App Store and type ‘tiktok‘ in the Search bar.
Finally, tap on the Install icon to be able to use the application again.

However, since removing the TikTok application from your device, even for a short time, will delete all your saved drafts, it’s recommended to save them to your local storage if you only intend to remove glitches and cache files through this method.

3. Clear TikTok Cache.

Many users report that their app is taking more storage as compared to someone that has more drafts saved on their account. This is because TikTok taking up so much storage does not depend entirely on the saved drafts but also the temporary data files the application stores on the device to speed up its performance.

Clearing Tiktok cache is also a preferred method for users who would like to free up some space on their phones but keep their drafts at the same time as they’re important. If that’s the case for you as well, you can clear cache either from the phone’s settings or the TikTok app itself.

Here’s how to delete cache from your device’s settings:

From the Settings app on your phone, go to Apps.

Then, scroll down and select TikTok from the list of apps.
Now, choose Storage.
Finally, tap on Clear cache.

Keep in mind that the latter option will not only delete the unwanted files but also log you out of your account. Hence, don’t tap on it unless you remember your password. Now to clear cache from the application, follow these steps:

To start, launch the TikTok application on your device.
Next, tap on the Me tab from the bottom pane.
Now, tap on the three-dots menu icon at the upper right corner of the screen to access your account’s settings.

Then, scroll down and select Free up space.

Here, either choose to delete the cache or downloads such as filters, effects, stickers, etc., by tapping on the Clear button.

4. Offload TikTok App.

If you’re an iPhone user, there’s simply no option to clear the application’s cache. Hence it’s a good thing that TikTok offers a way to clear cache through your account’s settings. But as Apple always goes one step ahead in most cases, it provides a feature called Offloading.

This is a feature that’s specifically available on Apple devices that aims to free up some storage by deleting the applications’ program data, but keeping the associated settings. When you choose to offload an app, its icon and user data that was built over time will remain but the application will be removed. When you reinstall it, the app will read the saved data and use it.

Here’s how you can offload TikTok to temporarily clear some space on your iPhone:

To begin, tap on the Settings app from your Home Screen.
Then, go to General.

From there, go to iPhone Storage.

Now, scroll down and tap on TikTok.
Lastly, tap on the Offload App option.

Now, whenever you want to use the application again, simply tap on its icon to reinstall it on your device.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

1. What happens when I clear the cache on TikTok?

If you fear deleting the TikTok cache, know that it will only delete the temporarily stored data for the application that’s taking up necessary space on your phone. This cache mainly includes the pre-loading profile info and your watch history. It does not delete your saved drafts whatsoever.

2. Will deleting the TikTok app get rid of my saved drafts as well?

Yes, if you delete TikTok from your phone, it will remove all user data, including your saved drafts. So if you want to go about this method, it’s advisable to either upload them on your profile or store these drafts to your device’s storage first.

Bottom Line: Why Is TikTok Taking Up So Much Storage

This concludes our guide on why is TikTok taking up so much storage and what you can do to free up some space. The app consumes more storage because of saving significant amounts of data on your device and also because of the saved drafts.

That was it! If you still have any questions regarding the topic, feel free to state them in the comment section below. We’ll be happy to provide further assistance.

Why Is TikTok Taking Up So Much Storage

Understand Why Is TikTok Taking Up So Much Storage