How many photos can 32GB hold?
Photo sizes change with the phone or camera, so the number on the card or phone doesn't say how many pictures fit. Pick a size and a photo type to see the count.
A 32 GB phone or memory card holds about 10,600 photos from a recent iPhone, at 3 MB a photo. From a Canon EOS R50 camera it holds about 3,600 JPEGs or 1,100 RAW files.
Those counts assume the whole space is free. On a phone, the system and your apps take part of it, so the real number comes out lower.
How to use the calculator
Pick a storage size, then pick the kind of photo you take. The count updates as you change either one.
- Storage size: the number printed on the card or in the phone's name. On an iPhone, the used and free space is under Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
- Photo type: a recent iPhone saves 24 MP HEIF photos unless you changed it. Check under Settings > Camera > Formats.
- Camera owners: choose JPEG or RAW to match the setting on your camera's image quality menu.
For example, a 64 GB card in a Canon EOS R50 shooting RAW holds about 2,370 photos. The same card holds about 21,300 iPhone photos.
How the math works
The calculator divides the storage size by the size of one photo, then rounds down.
Storage makers and Apple count in decimal units: 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. So 32 GB is 32,000 MB, and 32,000 MB divided by 3 MB is about 10,666 photos.
Real counts vary for three reasons:
- The scene changes the file. A busy street scene compresses less than a plain blue sky, so its file is bigger.
- The phone keeps space for itself. The operating system and apps use part of the label, so less is free for photos.
- Settings change the size. A 48 MP photo, a RAW file or a Live Photo takes more room than a default shot.
Treat each count as a good estimate, not a promise.
Photos per storage size
Sizes per photo: iPhone default 3 MB, iPhone HEIF Max 5 MB, camera JPEG 8.7 MB, camera RAW 27 MB. Camera figures are from the Canon EOS R50 manual.
| Storage | iPhone default | iPhone HEIF Max | Camera JPEG | Camera RAW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 GB | 2,666 | 1,600 | 919 | 296 |
| 16 GB | 5,333 | 3,200 | 1,839 | 592 |
| 32 GB | 10,666 | 6,400 | 3,678 | 1,185 |
| 64 GB | 21,333 | 12,800 | 7,356 | 2,370 |
| 128 GB | 42,666 | 25,600 | 14,712 | 4,740 |
| 256 GB | 85,333 | 51,200 | 29,425 | 9,481 |
| 512 GB | 170,666 | 102,400 | 58,850 | 18,962 |
| 1 TB | 333,333 | 200,000 | 114,942 | 37,037 |
| 2 TB | 666,666 | 400,000 | 229,885 | 74,074 |
When your phone or card is full
A full phone usually means the camera roll has outgrown it. You can delete, or you can move the photos somewhere bigger and free the phone.
Most libraries fit well inside 500 GB. That is about 166,000 iPhone photos or 18,500 camera RAW files. StorageBites sells 500 GB for $3/mo, with every file encrypted in your browser before upload.
Keep them all: 500 GB for $3/mo
A smaller library fits in 100 GB for $1/mo. A big RAW archive fits in 1 TB for $5/mo. Every size is on the pricing page. Want to try it first? New accounts get 30 days with 5 GB, no card.
RAW, HEIF Max and ProRAW: why some photos take ten times the room
A RAW file keeps everything the sensor saw, so you can fix exposure and color later. The price is space. Apple says ProRAW files are 10 to 12 times larger than HEIF or JPEG files.
On a 48 MP iPhone, one ProRAW photo is about 75 MB. A 128 GB phone fills after about 1,700 of them. HEIF Max at 5 MB keeps the full resolution in far less space.
On a camera, shooting RAW plus JPEG stores both files for every shot. Add the two sizes together before you count.
Phone or memory card: what changes
A memory card holds little besides your photos. A phone shares its storage with the system, apps, messages and video. So the same 128 GB holds fewer photos on a phone than on a card.
Video eats space fastest. One minute of 4K iPhone video takes as much room as dozens of photos. If your camera roll mixes both, the video storage calculator shows how many hours fit.
Photographers with a growing RAW archive can compare options in cloud storage for photographers.
Frequently asked questions
How many photos can 32GB hold?
About 10,600 photos from a recent iPhone at 3 MB each. From a 24 MP camera it holds about 3,600 JPEGs or 1,100 RAW files. On a phone, expect fewer, because the system uses part of the space.
How many photos can a 64GB card hold?
A 64 GB card holds about 7,300 JPEGs or 2,300 RAW files from a Canon EOS R50. Cameras with more megapixels make bigger files, so the count drops. Check your camera manual's file size table for an exact figure.
How many photos can 128GB hold?
About 42,000 iPhone photos at the default setting, or about 4,700 camera RAW files. If you shoot 48 MP ProRAW, the count falls to about 1,700.
How many photos can 256GB hold?
About 85,000 iPhone photos at 3 MB each. In camera RAW at 27 MB a file, it's about 9,400.
How many photos can 1TB hold?
About 333,000 iPhone photos, or about 37,000 camera RAW files. That's more than most people take in a lifetime of phone photos. StorageBites sells 1 TB for $5/mo.
How many photos can 2TB hold?
About 666,000 iPhone photos or 74,000 camera RAW files. Few personal libraries need that much. Check your real library size first, because a smaller size may hold it all.
How many photos can 16GB hold?
About 5,300 iPhone photos, 1,800 camera JPEGs or 590 RAW files. Small cards like this fill quickly on a camera set to RAW.
How many photos and videos can 128GB hold?
It depends on the mix. Each minute of 4K video at 170 MB takes the room of more than fifty photos. Use this calculator for the photos and the video calculator for the clips.