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Hoping to get your hands on a sleek and powerful Apple Watch Ultra? We’ve scoured the web for the best offers and discounts out there so you can snag Apple’s latest and greatest smartwatch for less.

Revealed alongside the Apple Watch Series 8, the new Ultra offers a more utilitarian Apple Watch experience with several features aimed at elite athletes, hikers and scuba divers. It offers the biggest and brightest Apple Watch display yet with a 49mm titanium case and a flat sapphire front crystal. The device is more durable than ever with MIL-STD-810H-grade certification for altitude, temperature and dust, as well as a higher water-resistance rating, up to EN13319, for diving. There’s also a new customizable Action button that offers instant access to a range of features to suit your needs.

A headline feature of the Apple Watch Ultra for outdoor types is the increased battery life, now up to 36 hours per charge — double that of the regular Apple Watch models — and that can be extended to up to 60 hours with a new low-power setting.

The Apple Watch Ultra retails at $799 ( 849, AU$1,299). We’ll be sure to update the below list with any Apple Watch Ultra deals that crop up.

Best Apple Watch Ultra deals

Apple

Amazon

Save $19

While Apple Watch Ultra deals are few and far between right now, Amazon does have select configurations available for $780, which is $19 less than the Apple price. Be sure to click through all the various band options to see if the style and size you need is discounted.

$780 at Amazon

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Apple

Best Buy

Up to $150 off with trade-in + free Apple services

Best Buy doesn’t have a direct Apple Watch Ultra discount at the moment, though we have seen as much as $50 off there in the past. You will, however, score four free months of Apple Fitness Plus from Best Buy, which is a month more than Apple gives new users. Best Buy also has its own trade-in program, and is offering up to $150 off the Apple Watch Ultra for qualifying devices.

$799 at Best Buy

Apple/Dawnthea Price Lisco/CNET

Apple

Up to $160 off with trade-in

Apple Watch Ultra is now readily available at Apple, both online and in stores. All configurations cost $799, but you can get as much as $160 off by handing over your old Apple Watch for trade-in. If you are an Apple Card holder, you’ll also be able to get 3% cash-back if you buy that way.

$799 at Apple

Apple

Target

5% off with RedCard

Target has the Apple Watch Ultra listed at full price, though Target RedCard holders can save 5% on the purchase which is good for $40 off. You’ll nab four free months of Apple Fitness Plus via Target, too.

$800 at Target

Apple

Adorama

Rewards program

Apple Watch Ultra isn’t discounted at Adorama right now, and several models are out of stock there. Its Adorama Rewards program is free to sign up for, though, which allows you to earn points to redeem as credit against future purchases which is good for regular shoppers.

$799 at Adorama

Apple

Verizon

$180 off with trade-in

Verizon is offering as much as $180 off the Apple Watch Ultra on any plan when you trade in your old smartwatch. Alternatively, get $120 off when you buy an Apple Watch Ultra with a new iPhone.

$799 at Verizon

Apple

AT&T

Buy one, get $330 off another

AT&T is running a promotion on the Apple Watch Ultra that offers $330 off when you buy two. If you and someone else in the family are in the market for an upgrade, it’s a nice chunk of money off.

$799 at AT&T

Apple

T-Mobile

Buy one, get $200 off another

Similarly, T-Mobile will give you $200 back in credit when you buy two Apple Watch models. You’ll need at least one new line and wireless service for each device.

$799 at T-Mobile

The Meta Quest 2 and Quest Pro already have hand tracking that works across many apps, and in the headset’s OS without using a controller, but it’s not necessarily good enough yet to replace your controllers. Meta’s latest Quest OS update looks like it’s trying to change that, and maybe make work interactions in VR feel a little less awkward.

Quest’s v50 update, announced Tuesday and rolling out now, adds an experimental mode called “Direct Touch” that changes the metaphor a bit for hand interactions. Previously, you’d point at objects and pinch your fingers to select where you’re pointing at. Direct Touch allows for reaching out and just tapping a button with your virtual finger instead.

Direct Touch also works on virtual keyboards, which means that typing on the pop-up Quest keyboard whenever it appears hovering in the air could feel less awkward, too.

Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, believes future Quest headsets could potentially ship without controllers, but at the moment hand tracking hasn’t been good enough yet to make that happen: “I think it’s pretty possible that someday we could ship a headset that didn’t have controllers with them, for audiences for whom their use cases didn’t need the extra weight expense. But we’re not there yet,” Bosworth told CNET last December.

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Meta’s expected Quest 3 headset is expected later this year, and Apple’s own VR/AR entry is expected to be announced soon, too. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, looks like it’s continuing to evolve the interaction language on the Quest as it starts to bridge into mixed reality.

The v50 update also adds 2D app multitasking within other games and apps on the Quest 2, a feature that was already available on the Quest Pro.

The Pokemon Company teased upcoming announcements Tuesday, with a video presentation scheduled for Monday Feb. 27. It promised “about 20 minutes” of news about the monster collecting megafranchise, which will likely include additional content for Nintendo Switch games Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

“Tune in to our official YouTube channel at 6:00 a.m. PST on February 27 for about 20 minutes of exciting Pokémon news in celebration of #PokemonDay 2023,” it wrote.

The presentation is coming on the 27th anniversary of Pokemon Red and Green‘s original release in Japan.

When will the Pokemon Presents start?

The Pokemon Presents video will be available 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET next Monday, which converts to 2 p.m. GMT or 1 a.m. Tuesday AEST.

How to watch the Pokemon Presents

The event will be streaming from The Pokemon Company’s YouTube channel. We’ll embed the YouTube link above, so you can watch right here.

Paid streaming subscriptions are bumping up their rates while offering a handful of cheaper tiers. Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus and Hulu offer great movies and shows, but you don’t have to stay locked in to meet your entertainment needs. There are a bunch of free alternatives to the big streamers, and we’ve gone through the testing and research to find the best ones for you.

Many of these services are ad-supported, so you won’t be able to skip commercials on these platforms. Most have older shows and movies, sort of like basic cable reruns. Some network sites (including ABC) won’t let you stream every show unless you’re a paid cable or satellite subscriber, but there are services like Sling Free, which offers a free tier in addition to paid plans.

Here’s a look at some of the best free streaming sites, which are all legal ways to indulge your inner couch potato. Prefer movies? Check out these 10 free Netflix alternatives.

Read more: Free Live TV News to Stream Right Now

James Martin/CNET

Peacock

Peacock is NBCUniversal’s subscription service, which comes loaded with plenty of NBC content as well as movies and original programming. Unlike Netflix, Hulu and competitor Paramount Plus, however, Peacock has a free tier. There are also $5 Premium and $10 Premium Plus ad-free tiers, and certain cable customers can receive Premium for free. There’s a catch, however. As of January 2023, you must already be a Peacock Premium subscriber to use the free tier. Premium subscribers have the option to downgrade their accounts.

The free streaming version has thousands of hours of television shows, films, news, skit-style clips and exclusive big-budget original programming. Peacock’s slate of originals includes Poker Face, Bel-Air, Girls5Eva and a Psych movie sequel. With the free version you won’t get access to every episode of the original series, and you’ll also miss out on a lot of the other content Premium subscribers get. In addition to NBC programming, Peacock has content from NBC-owned networks such as Bravo, E, Syfy and USA along with daytime soap operas, talk shows and sports. Paying for Peacock unlocks the full 80,000-hour library; with the free version you get about half of that.

Read our Peacock review.

See at Peacock

Sarah Tew/CNET

Roku Channel

Roku Channel is a free TV streaming service designed for people who own the company’s streaming devices and TVs, but it’s also available via Roku’s apps for phones and tablets as well as online.

The Roku Channel offers 300 live channels including a channel guide, with its existing selection of on-demand content. While the linear TV includes live news and lifestyle channels, the on-demand content ranges from Roku Originals (like the Weird Al Yankovic biopic), to reality TV (Hoarders, Kitchen Nightmares) to popular series like House, 2 Broke Girls and Downton Abbey. You’ll also find anime (live and on-demand) and crime shows.

Unfortunately, not every TV series is complete (Bewitched, for example), and the service only offers a single episode in some cases. There’s plenty of stuff to watch, however, including a dedicated kids section. There’s also a solid array of classic movies including Robocop, Dawn of the Dead and The Cable Guy. In addition, you can subscribe to premium services including HBO, much like you can via Prime Video channels or the Apple TV app.

See at Roku

James Martin/CNET

Pluto TV

Pluto TV is noteworthy for offering not only on-demand, free movie streaming, but also more than 250 live and linear channels on the platform, including BBC Food, Minecraft TV, Star Trek and CBS News. Because it’s a Paramount-owned brand, Pluto also has episodes of South Park and Survivor.

Pluto offers an impressive selection of live channels sorted into categories like news, reality, sports, comedy and movies in a grid format. On-demand TV content is organized into TV drama shows, sitcoms, crime, action series, sci-fi and more. The layout is not nearly as slick as the live channels, but there’s a variety of genres. One oddity: If you’re watching a livestream, there’s no way to pause. You can only mute it.

See at Pluto TV

James Martin/CNET

Tubi TV

Tubi TV generated huge buzz from its 2023 Super Bowl ad, and now the service may demand your attention. It offers considerably more free movie streaming than TV shows, but it continues to grow its extensive library and its live channel lineup. This ad-supported network doesn’t require an account, though signing up for one enables you to save favorites and resume playback if you switch between devices.

Tubi offers nationwide and local news livestreams in addition to live sports, weather and entertainment channels.The streaming site’s TV selection offers some of the reality shows we’ve come to expect, such as Hell’s Kitchen and Dance Moms, plus oddball inclusions such as the Australian drama McLeod’s Daughters. In 2023, the platform is adding content from HBO and Warner Bros., with titles including Westworld, The Nevers, Raised by Wolves and The Time Traveler’s Wife.

To watch TV series on demand, you can browse by title, network or genre, including a Tubi Kids category. Not every show has full seasons available, but you’ll find Quantico, Columbo and 14 seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation among the choices. There are also a handful of Tubi Originals and feature films such as Doctor Sleep and Rambo: Last Blood.

See at Tubi TV

James Martin/CNET

Freevee

Formerly known as IMDb TV, Freevee is Amazon’s ad-supported streaming service that features a motherlode of TV and movie lore. In addition to TV series and movies, you can stream Freevee Originals and a string of 24/7 live channels.

Though the service’s initial focus was primarily on movie streaming, it’s now filled with TV shows too. Popular movies like Red Sparrow and The Purge are available, as well as all seven seasons of the AMC classic Mad Men and all eleven seasons of The X-Files. Other titles include MacGyver (the reboot), Desperate Housewives, Good Times, Freevee Original Judy Justice and nine seasons of the Gen X classic Little House on the Prairie, starring Michael Landon.

See at Freevee

Sarah Tew/CNET

Sling Freestream

Though Sling’s live TV packages start at $40, Sling Freestream offers more than 40,000 titles of free on-demand TV, and movies and over 210 live TV channels.

Sling TV’s free streaming service includes livestreams for news, entertainment, sports, kids and more. You’ll find channels for ABC News Live, The Walking Dead Universe, Bon Appetit, Barstool Sports and on-demand selections including Ryan’s World, Brother vs. Brother and Chopped Junior.

You do not need to create an account when watching Sling Freestream, but if you do, it makes it easier to personalize what you watch. The service is available to watch on a web browser and via the Sling app. No payment information is required for viewing.

See at Sling

Crackle

Crackle

Crackle is an ad-supported streaming service that offers mostly movies, but also some TV shows — including original content. It doesn’t require you to set up an account, though doing so enables you to save favorites, get recommendations and resume playback if you switch between devices.

Crackle’s commercial-supported selection has expanded with over 300 different shows, and mainly consists of older releases such as Sherlock (with Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch), Alf and The Partridge Family. As with other free services, however, not every TV series is complete — you might get only one or two seasons, or even just a partial season. There are movie selections from the 1940s to the present, including The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series and Sophie’s Choice.

See at Crackle

Plex

Plex

Starting as a way for users to stream content stored on users’ computers, Plex has evolved to incorporate other sources such as OTA broadcasts, Tidal, and free streaming TV. You don’t need to install the Plex server, you just stream it with the basic Plex app, or if you want, sign up for an account.

Plex’s free streaming service operates similarly to Pluto. The offering started with a modest slate of ad-supported content, mostly movies, but Plex has since entered a partnership with Crackle, offering thousands more TV shows and movies from that service. In addition to on-demand content like Hannibal and Kitchen Nightmares, Plex also offers live TV channels like Stories by AMC, Hallmark and niche 24/7 streams for certain series, including The Walking Dead.

Movie fans can search by title and genre. Or you can check out themed collections such as Cheap Thrills or The Dojo.

See at Plex

Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET

Hoopla Digital

Got a library card? Check to see if your library has partnered with Hoopla. This digital-media service allows you to check out all kinds of stuff — from ebooks to movies to TV shows. When you “borrow” one, you have 72 hours in which to watch it. Your library determines the total number of titles you can borrow each month. An added bonus for this service is there are no commercials interrupting your viewing experience.

Hoopla’s TV selection is something of a hodgepodge, with a smattering of well-known shows mixed in with a lot of self-help, documentary and family fare. For example, you’ll find three seasons of the SyFy original Humans, both seasons of The Jim Gaffigan Show and lots of Ken Burns documentaries. Hoopla also has instructional videos from The Great Courses series, various PBS Kids shows and plenty of Acorn TV content that would otherwise require a subscription. Film selections rotate on and off the platform, so be sure to check the rotation on a regular basis.

See at Hoopla Digital

Read more: Best Live TV Streaming Service for Cord-Cutters in 2022

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How we test streaming services

With more than 150 streaming services in existence — globally — it can be hard sifting through each brand and its offerings. We narrowed this list down based on several factors, including accessibility, popularity, on-demand content, live channels and reliability. We watched each service on a TV and mobile device to evaluate its user interface and channel roster.

These apps can be easily accessed on virtually any media player, smart TV, web browser or mobile device, and they offer a variety of content to suit genre preferences or age ranges. Because they’re free services, there’s added value for those that offer originals and live channels. When doing test runs of these services, we didn’t encounter problems with crashing, lag time or choppy live broadcasts, but your mileage may vary.

Free streaming services FAQs

I firmly believe that music is a gift to the world, and it’s one I enjoy every single day. If you love music, too, and you want an actual gift (card, that is), check out this deal on the Beats Fit Pro that we found on Amazon. The headphones themselves aren’t discounted from their usual price tag of $200, but you get a $25 Amazon gift card that you can put toward a future purchase.

You can choose from black, white, sage gray and lavender options here. For Prime members in most areas, you can also get same-day delivery. It might be a sudden boot to your old headphones, but you’ll be thankful you did it.

Beat Fit Pro

$200 at Amazon

We consider the Beats Fit Pro the sportier AirPod that we’ve always wanted. Released just days after the debut of the third-gen AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple’s H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro’s features including active canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ.

In fact, these headphones won our Editor’s Choice Award in 2021 and for good reason. With a lightweight design and integrated wingtips, they are made to fit securely and comfortably in your ear. The Beats Fit Pro produce great sound and have a better battery life than the AirPods Pro (six hours with noise-cancelling and seven hours off of it at moderate volume levels).

When it comes to tablets, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S lineup has long been among our favorite slates. Several generations have earned a spot on our lists of the best Android tablets, and the best tablets overall, and right now you’ve got a chance to pick up one of the latest models for less. Amazon currently has the base model Galaxy Tab S8 on sale for $599, which saves you $101 compared to the usual price. You can also save up to $111 on select configurations of the upgraded Tab S8 Plus right now as well. There’s no set expiration on these deals, but we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later.

With an easy-to-use Android OS and Microsoft 365 integration, this sleek Samsung tablet is designed for both work and play. It features a vibrant 11-inch LCD display, and comes with the S Pen stylus (a $60 value) included, which makes it great for taking notes, sketching, marking up documents and much more. Internally it’s equipped with a powerful first-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 8GB of RAM, and while the base model only comes with 128GB of storage, that can easily be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card. It also features support for Wi-Fi 6E for lightning-fast web performance, though you’ll need a compatible 6E router to take full advantage of those speeds. With an impressive 10,090-mAh battery and weighing in at just over 1 pound, it’s designed for all-day use while you’re on the go.

If you’re looking for another model, you can check out our roundup of all the best tablet deals for even more bargains.

Art is a great way to destress and express yourself after work — or even a profession for some. But you don’t need to go back to college or buy expensive tools if you want to learn or become a better artist. There are plenty of great online art classes that are easy and convenient to take and can do wonders for your passion. From figure drawing and illustration to graphic design and more, there is a class that’s perfect for you.

We’ve pulled together five of the best drawing classes online to help you learn the basics of drawing and form your own art style. It’s time to grab your pencil and start sketching, regardless of your skill level.

Read more: Procreate App Review: Become an iPad Artist With This $10 App

Udemy/Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

The Ultimate Drawing Course: Beginner to Advanced with Jaysen and Quinten Batchelor

Udemy

The Ultimate Drawing Course on Udemy doesn’t ask you to go out and invest in high-end supplies when you’re starting out, which I appreciated. The course has 12 sections with 64 class lectures that cover the fundamentals of drawing and build upon each other. On this drawing journey, you’ll learn about perspective, texture, drawing from life, drawing the human face and figure, space, value and contrast. There’s also a bonus video about animation-style art.

What it costs: Udemy’s course prices are set by the individual instructors from a price tier, unless they choose to offer them for free. The Ultimate Drawing Course is currently $130.

See at Udemy

Udemy/Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

The Complete Drawing Masterclass: From Beginner to Advanced with Chad Newman and Jonathan Simon

Udemy

Udemy’s Complete Drawing Masterclass course also covers some fundamental artistic teachings like lines, value, contrast and perspective, but goes a bit more in-depth in each lecture. The course also explains art supplies, like different types of paper, suggested brands, sharpening tools and how using a table or an easel can affect your work.

What it costs: Udemy’s course prices are set by the individual instructors from a price tier, unless they choose to offer them for free. The Complete Drawing Masterclass course is currently $85.

See at Udemy

Creative Live/Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

Learn to Draw: Landscape with Amy Wynne

Creative Live

I liked that art teacher Amy Wynne’s landscape course was about enjoying nature and relaxing, too — which is key, since trying to learn a new skill can be frustrating if you’re not picking it up as quickly as you’d like to. Over the course, you’ll assemble a field sketch journal as Wynne teaches you about seascapes, countrysides and industrial scenes. In this online class, you’ll learn about assembling an efficient (and portable) art kit, how to use light and a viewfinder, sky-to-land ratio, achieving depth and establishing atmosphere.

What it costs: CreativeLive sells a premium subscription for $39 a month or $149 annually. This gives you access to features like the site’s entire library of over 2,000 classes and ways to track your goals with learning paths. You can also set up an account and purchase classes individually. For example, Wynne’s course costs $14 right now during CreativeLive’s seasonal sale. Otherwise, it costs $29.

See at Creative Live

Skillshare/Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

Pen and Ink Illustration: The Basics for Creating Magical Drawings with Yasmina Creates

Skillshare

Pilot Precise V7 pens (you can find them at office supply stores) are one of my favorite tools for drawing. If you’re interested in pen and ink, Yasmina Creates has a course on Skillshare that covers it all.

The online drawing class breaks down the different supplies and how different tools act. You’ll also learn tips and tricks about things like line variation, texture and patterns.

I liked that the class projects displayed on the course page showed varied styles like realism, illustrative and cartoons, so it looks like the instructor gives you room to find your own art style.

What it costs: Some online classes on Skillshare are free when you create an account, but most require a premium membership, which costs $165 annually or $13.75 a month, after a seven-day free trial.

See at Skillshare

Skillshare/Screenshot by Shelby Brown/CNET

Start Drawing: Techniques for Pencil Portraits with Gabrielle Brickey

Skillshare

This online drawing course is classified as intermediate, so if you’re pretty green when it comes to drawing, I wouldn’t start with this one. Brickey’s class focuses on lifelike pencil portraits, breaking down pencil techniques, facial features and their proportions and supply recommendations.

Brickey’s syllabus lists class supplies needed for this life drawing class: paper, pencils, lead (if you’re using mechanical pencils), blenders (tissues, cotton swabs or blending stumps) and erasers. She says you can use any type, but provides specific brand recommendations in the syllabus.

What it costs: Some online classes on Skillshare are free when you create an account, but most require a premium membership, which costs $165 annually or $13.75 a month, after a seven-day free trial.

See at Skillshare

More ways to broaden your horizons

• How to Become a YouTuber: Online Classes and Equipment to Get Started

• Learn Cybersecurity With These 5 Online Classes
• Learn Guitar Online: 5 Lessons You Can Take From Home Right Now

• Want to Learn to Code? Check Out These 5 Online Coding Courses for Beginners

Tablets are portable, powerful and versatile, hitting a sweet spot between phones and computers. Whether you need to use your tablet for work, school or just for home, these devices can help you accomplish so many things. Apple’s iPad lineup continues to dominate the tablet market, with several of its latest devices topping our list of the best tablets in 2023. Whether you want an iPad for serious work or you just need something you can use for general scrolling and streaming when kicking back on the couch, the iPad Air 5 is a solid option. It offers a great balance of power and price with a midsize screen and modern design.

You can save almost $100 across a variety of fifth-gen iPad Air models at Amazon right now, dropping entry-level configurations as low as $500. There’s no set expiration date for this sale, so we recommend you get your order in as soon as possible if you want one.

The fifth-gen iPad Air was released in 2022 and is our pick for the best iPad for those seeking an iPad Pro alternative without spending big bucks. It’s equipped with Apple’s M1 chip which is super powerful and efficient, so it can breeze through work tasks and still last all day on a single charge. The latest iPad Air has a 10.9-inch display which is just shy of the 11-inch iPad Pro but a little more roomy than a base-level ninth-gen iPad at 10.2 inches. It also has a 12-megapixel ultrawide auto-zooming front camera and USB-C connectivity.

The model on sale for $500 is the Wi-Fi-only variant with 64GB of storage in your choice of blue, purple, space gray or starlight, with the final discount being reflected at checkout. Cellular-enabled and higher capacity versions are also seeing similar savings at Amazon.

Looking for deals on a different model? Check out our roundup of all the best iPad deals available now.

Diablo 4 is one of the biggest titles expected in 2023, and players will have a chance to try out the game before it’s released.

The Diablo 4 Open Beta and Early Access Beta will take place next month. Those who preordered Diablo 4 on PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS4 or PS5 can get early access to the beta the weekend of March 17-19. Then on March 24-26, anyone interested in the beta and who has access to the previously mentioned platforms can participate in the open beta.

Developer Blizzard Entertainment says the open beta will focus on the early parts of the campaign covering the prologue and Act 1, which takes place in the Fractured Peaks zone. Players will be able to max their characters to level 25, but can still play the beta throughout the weekend.

Diablo 4 is the newest entry in the legendary dungeon-crawling action RPG. Players will fight against the horde of monsters controlled by Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, one of the Great Evils, and is called the Mother of Sanctuary, the world in which the Diablo series takes place.

Diablo 4 will officially launch June 6 for $70.

If don’t have have any storage space left on your iPhone, it’s pretty difficult to get anything done. You can’t install the latest iOS software updates, download more apps or even take a single photo or video. And your phone will probably crash more often. You do have a few obvious options to clear up your storage, but they require you to either delete things or spend money.

You can remove large files, like movies, TV shows and music albums, but maybe you’re not ready to give those up. There are also various cloud alternatives to beef up your existing storage, but that requires shifting files around, and you may have to pay for it. You could also just buy a new phone with more storage — but that’s an expensive option.

That’s why, if these options aren’t appealing to you, you can and should take advantage of certain iOS features to free up storage on your iPhone without having to delete anything or spend any money.

There are two built-in iOS settings that can help you clean up a significant amount of storage on your iPhone — one permanent and the other temporary — so that you can install the latest software updates, take more photos and videos and download more apps. Here’s what you need to know.

If you want more tips on getting more iPhone storage, check out how to free up space on your iPhone with these easy tricks and the best cloud storage options in 2023.

Optimize your iPhone photos and videos

It’s not always easy to just delete what’s in your camera roll, so if you want to keep your precious memories, or even just your meme screenshots, but still want to free up device storage, the easiest way to do that is by optimizing the photos and videos already stored on your device.

By default, every time you take a photo or video, it is saved in full resolution on your device. If you’re capturing photos and videos in the highest resolution possible, they can take up quite a bit of space. A minute of video shot in 4K at 60fps takes up approximately 400MB — nearly half a GB. That’s pretty significant.

To optimize your photos and videos, go to Settings > Photos and toggle on Optimize iPhone Storage (for this to work, you’ll need to have the iCloud Photos setting above it enabled). Depending on how many photos and videos you have on your iPhone, this can take up quite a bit of time, but once it’s finished, you should see significantly more space on your device storage.

All of your full-resolution photos and videos are then transferred over to your iCloud, while smaller, lower-resolution versions are kept on your device, to take up less space. If you want to access your higher-resolution photos and videos, you can go into the Photos app and download any file that’s being optimized, but this requires a decent internet connection. Your more recently taken photos and videos may exist in full-resolution, so you won’t need to download every photo or video.

If you don’t have enough iCloud storage, it’s easier to upgrade your cloud than get a new phone. In the US, you can upgrade to 50GB for only a dollar a month, or you can go bigger: 200GB for $3 a month or 2TB for $10 a month. Prices range depending on your country or region.

To upgrade your iCloud on your iPhone, go to Settings > (your name) > iCloud > Manage Account Storage > Buy More Storage. Choose a plan and then follow the instructions. If you upgrade to any paid iCloud subscription, you’ll get access to iCloud+, which also offers the iCloud Private Relay and Hide My Email features.

Offload your biggest apps

You don’t use every application stored on your iPhone. Many of them just sit there, like apps for your favorite airlines, third-party cameras and music production. And even if you use them only every once in a while, you probably don’t need consistent, daily access to most apps, which is why you should consider offloading apps in case you desperately need storage.

Say for example you want to download and install the latest iOS update. If it’s a major update, like iOS 16, you may need a little over 5GB to successfully install the software. If it’s a point update, like iOS 16.1, you’re looking at around 1GB. And if you don’t have enough storage space to update, you can quickly offload apps, which is a middle ground between keeping and deleting your apps.

Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and check which apps are taking up the most storage. Certain built-in apps like Photos and Messages cannot be offloaded, so be warned. If you find a sizable app you want to offload, tap on it and hit Offload App. Wait a little bit and the app should then be removed offline, while your documents and data will stay saved on your device.

If you need temporary storage, for a software download, just go through the list and offload every app you can. The amount that’s offloaded for each app will vary, but you should see the number next to App Size. Discard the number next to Documents & Data, because that will stay on your device. The only way to get rid of that is to actually delete the app.

Offload as many apps as you need until you have enough storage. Obviously you can’t use an app that’s offloaded, but if you want to get an offloaded app back, go to your App Library and tap on the iCloud button to redownload it. If the offloaded app is on your home screen, simply tap on it to download it. You won’t have to re-sign in or anything — you’ll have access to the app as if it was never deleted.