Your phone's memory space is running out quickly because of this option which you should disable

Your phone's memory space is running out quickly because of this option which you should disable.

Often times, we cry because our phone memory suddenly runs out, but we don’t realize that it might be our fault. In most cases, the lack of space on our phones is not just a matter of capacity, but rather a matter of poor configuration.

One of the biggest reasons your phone keeps begging you to delete content is because you’ve chosen the wrong file formats, especially when it comes to photos. This is where we have to talk about the weight of RAW images.

RAW images are raw image files that contain all the information captured by the camera’s sensor. This means they offer more flexibility when editing them, preventing information loss when adjusting their parameters, but, in case you didn’t know, it also means a much larger file size compared to JPEG formats.

- Why do RAW photos take up so much space?

Simply put, each pixel in a RAW image contains more data. We're talking about information about color, brightness, etc... which results in much larger files. In addition, RAW files usually don't have the compression that JPEG files have, which increases their weight and takes up much more space in your smartphone's memory.

Obviously, unless you are a professional or one of those advanced amateurs who are keen on editing their photos down to the millimeter, and who usually prefer the RAW format due to the higher image quality and editing possibilities it offers, we do not recommend using this setting. For the average user who simply wants to take photos to share on social networks and more, the JPEG format is usually more than sufficient.

- How to properly configure your mobile camera

In general, you just have to access the camera settings on your mobile phone, whether it is an iPhone or Android, and select the format you want within the settings, in a section called Format or File Type.

To help you know what's best for you, here are the main types of photo files you'll find on your smartphone:

- JPEG: A compressed format that provides good image quality and a smaller file size. Ideal for sharing on social networks and for most users.

- RAW: An uncompressed format that provides maximum image quality but with large file sizes. Ideal for professional photographers and advanced amateurs who need to deeply edit their images.

- HEIF: A high-efficiency image format developed by Apple, which provides better image quality than JPEG with a smaller file size.

Choose JPEG if you don't need the highest image quality or HEIF if you want a balance between quality and file size, although many editing programs may not be compatible with the latter and you may have problems with some image viewers.