Hi All,

I figure this is general enough to put into the main section of Ramblings, but apologize if it isn't!

I have an iPhone 5, and filled the small 16GB storage up pretty quickly. I'm literally down to like 30mb free, and sometimes 0 BYTES free. I've sometimes been in the moment where I need to go on an app deletion spree just to take a picture LOL! Sometimes, it will randomly go back to 100-200mb free, I think when Facebook and other apps clear their cache randomly?

Anyways, I've realized I have about 5GB of text messages. This is due to friends/family sending pictures and videos on a constant basis and they are stored in various text message threads. Some are group threads, single threads, etc.

There is a way to go into each thread and save the pics, but I can't even do that since I have no space. I'd like to delete all the texts, but SAVE the images/videos and then either keep them on my PC or put them in the cloud (dropbox, google drive, etc.) to access them through my phone.

Does anyone know a way to get all the pics off my phone in some type of organized fashion?

I have found programs that can do this, but they are all programs that you have to buy, and have trials with limited access.

I also found out that when you backup your phone with iTunes it extracts all the texts with images, but they are stored in a weird way. They can be extracted by using this:

How to Extract & Back Up All Your Text Messages & Picture Messages from Your iPhone to Your Mac « iOS Gadget Hacks (i also have a PC - but there's similar ways using PC)

but I was hoping there is something I can do that's quicker, simpler, and easier.

Anyone have any insight? I would delete them all and just move forward, but a lot are pics/videos of my nephews, concerts, and other media I'd like to view again.

Thanks in advance!

 

Nope. Unless your phone is jailbroken, you won't have a 'free' solution. If you really want to do it simply, then pay the developer that is doing what you want to do it properly. Else, uninstall your app,s save each picture to your camera roll, then upload to dropbox, then reinstall app.

 

In settings, maybe set your message history to 1 year? (Maybe yours is set on forever right now?)

Download Smart Memory Pro app. It's like $0.99 or $1.99 but with a quick 15 second scan it clears your RAM and tons of junk files. First time I used it, it cleared 500 MB of memory.

 

Before iOS 8, there was no way to delete the messages from memory permanently. If you are still in 7 or earlier, update the software. Then you will be able to go into settings and choose the amount of time the messages are saved. (I think forever, 1 year or 30 days are the options.)

iBackupBot is a software that you can use to pull certain files from backups. I don't know about PC land, but iPhoto or Preview can extract all of your photos. Do that, then delete them from the phone, and then you can save all of the pictures from your messages and extract those as well.

:ibtehmove:

 

This is what I used on my iPhone 5 and found photos from picture messages that were three years old even though they were 'deleted' from my messages.

 

I don't think he can update to iOS8 with such little memory free. A very common complaint on iPhones.

 

This is true.

I should have put my paragraphs in reverse order.

 

Speaking of extracting photos, can't you just cut and paste out of the DCIM folder when the iPhone is connected to the PC via USB?

 

OP was referring to photos sent via text/iMessage i believe


read:dixpix...

 

No I was referring to the dixpix already in the photo storage to quickly open up space

 

I've never used a PC to pull the photos, but on the mac, there are multiple ways to "import". It isn't as direct as a copy/paste from the DCIM folder, but it's faster than a back up and extraction.

 

I pay the .99/mo. for 20MB of additional cloud storage and it solved all my issues. For .99 it's a no brainer not to have to deal with all the messages that you're out of storage. In my case "your phone hasn't been backed up in 42 weeks".

I also copied all my pictures and videos onto my laptop via iTunes. Then I was able to delete 850 pics/vids off my phone. It's much happier now.

 

Doom878 - yes there is. Plug the iphone into a pc, open up Computer or My Computer, you should see the iphone listed as an external or USB device, right click on the iphone list and select "import pictures and videos". There is also a check box to delete pictures and videos after importing, select or not as you see fit. Windows will create a new folder under My Pictures with the date you imported the pictures.

 

Fixed for accuracy

20MB wouldn't get you very far... (2 photos perhaps? )

 

Yes. Thanks