any phone · out of space

Out of space: move photos and videos to the computer, then delete

The fastest way to get a phone back is to move the camera roll off it. The only thing that matters is doing it in an order where nothing gets lost.

1. Move first, delete last

Never delete on the phone until the copy on the computer is proven. A copy that failed at 64% looks like a file and is not one. The check is a hash: the computer computes the SHA-256 of what landed and compares it with the phone’s. ZiggSend does this for every file: only files that pass get their final name, and History shows each fingerprint (today’s on Free, all of them on Pro).

2. Watch out for “Optimize storage”

iCloud Photos with “Optimize iPhone Storage” keeps only smaller versions on the phone, and Google Photos with “Storage saver” keeps only a reduced copy in the cloud — after “Free up space” removes the phone’s originals, that copy may be all that is left. Copying those gives you small copies. On the iPhone, ZiggSend downloads the original from iCloud before sending (that step needs internet); on Android, check that the files on the phone are the originals, not the cloud previews, before deleting.

3. Send the whole roll in one go

Select everything and send. There is no file count or size limit; a broken transfer resumes where it stopped. We moved 22 GB in 184 files with 0 failures from an Android to a Mac over a USB 2 cable, and 806 MB over home Wi-Fi in 46 s.

4. Then delete on the phone

With every file checked and listed in that day’s History, delete on the phone and empty “Recently Deleted” (iPhone, 30 days) or the Trash (Google Photos, 30 days), otherwise the space does not come back until then.

5. Back up the folder on the computer

The computer is now the only copy. Put that folder in whatever backup you already use — an external drive, a cloud drive — so one disk failure does not become the thing you were avoiding.

Measured, not promised. 22 GB in 184 files with 0 failures from an Android to a Mac over a USB 2 cable (about 28 MB/s); an 806 MB video over home Wi-Fi in 46 s; up to 49.7 MB/s over Wi-Fi from a Mac to an iPhone. Every file is checked against the original on arrival. How we measure.

What people ask before they trust a transfer app

“I don’t trust my private photos to a site I don’t know.”

Neither do we. ZiggSend has no site in the middle: the file goes from one device to the other over your home Wi-Fi (or, from Android to a Mac, a cable), and no file is stored anywhere else. The computer app only contacts ZiggSend to check for updates, to register a random install ID when it opens and, if you go Pro, to activate the license and check its status once a day; the privacy policy lists exactly what goes out.

“Mine fails at 64% every time.”

A transfer that breaks resumes where it stopped. Every file is written as a temporary part and only gets its final name after the SHA-256 check passes — you never end up with a half file that looks whole.

“I’m out of space and need to empty the phone.”

Move everything to the computer first: only files that pass the SHA-256 check get their final name, and History shows each fingerprint (today’s on Free, all of them on Pro). Then delete on the phone. Originals, no size limit.

Free forever with 1 phone. Pro when you need it.

The phone apps are free. So is the computer app, with one paired phone. Pro — several phones, full history, automatic folders, up to 3 computers — is $39 a year, or $19 once for the first 1,000 founders.

Get ZiggSend

Questions people actually ask

How do I know the copy is complete before deleting?

By hash, not by eye. Each file gets a SHA-256 on arrival, compared with the original; a file only gets its final name and shows up in History with its fingerprint when the two match.

Why is my phone still full after copying?

Recently Deleted keeps files for 30 days. Empty it. Also check that “Optimize storage” did not leave previews that count as photos but were never copied as originals.

Does it keep RAW files and Live Photos?

RAW, yes: files are copied as they are (HEIC, RAW/DNG, ProRAW). From a Live Photo only the photo goes; the short video clip is not sent.

Does it work wirelessly, over wifi, without a cable?

Yes: phone and computer on the same Wi-Fi, tap Connect to a computer, pick the computer (or scan its QR code), check the safety code on both screens and allow it on the computer. No internet, no account, nothing uploaded — the file goes straight from one device to the other, verified byte for byte. An 806 MB video took 46 s on home Wi-Fi in our measurement.

Does it work with Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi and other brands?

Yes. ZiggSend does not depend on the maker’s software (no Smart Switch, no ShareMe, no Quick Share): any Android with the app on the same Wi-Fi works the same way (from Android to a Mac, also by USB cable). Our cable measurement (22 GB, 184 files, 0 failures) was on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

And a really long video — an hour, two hours?

Same as any file: no length or size limit, one piece, verified on arrival. Two hours of 4K is roughly 40 to 85 GB: at the Wi-Fi speeds we measured (17.5 to 49.7 MB/s), 40 GB takes about 14 to 40 minutes, and a Wi-Fi transfer that breaks resumes where it stopped.

Related guides

Videos from iPhone to a PC or laptop without compressionVideos from Android to a PC or laptop without compressionVideos from a phone to a PC or laptop without compressioniPhone not showing up in WindowsPC not recognizing your phone over USBOpen HEIC files on Windows

Compared with

ZiggSend vs iCloudZiggSend vs Google DriveZiggSend vs Dropbox