How Much Storage Does a Business Laptop or Phone Need?

The honest answer for most businesses is “less than you think”, as long as files are kept in the cloud rather than on the device. The storage figure on a laptop’s spec sheet matters far less when a member of staff’s documents live in OneDrive and SharePoint and only download when they’re opened.

Where it does matter is for people who work with large files locally, and for cheap devices that start life almost full.

What takes up space on a business device

On a typical office laptop, the space goes on:

• Windows itself and its updates. Microsoft lists 64 GB as the minimum storage to run Windows 11, and monthly and annual updates need free space to install.
• Apps. Microsoft 365 apps, Teams, a browser or two and line-of-business software such as case management or accounts packages.
• Synced files. Anything kept “always on this device” in OneDrive, plus a local copy of email if Outlook keeps one.
• Downloads and temporary files. Often the biggest waste of space, and the easiest to clear.
• Media. Video recordings, photos and design files are what fill a disk quickly.

How much to buy, by role

These are the sizes we suggest when specifying devices for small offices. Your line-of-business software may need more, so check its requirements.

Office staff: 256 GB

For people who work in Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and a browser, with files in OneDrive or SharePoint, 256 GB is comfortable. It leaves room for Windows updates and a few years of growth. It’s also the minimum storage Microsoft sets for a Copilot+ PC, so a new laptop that meets the Copilot+ specification will have at least this.

People who keep large files locally: 512 GB

Choose 512 GB for staff who need large folders offline (for example on the train or in court), who work with big PDFs, scanned bundles or large spreadsheets, or who use apps that keep their own local databases.

Video, design and specialist data work: 1 TB or more

Video editing, CAD, photography and large data sets are the exceptions. These users need fast local storage, and often an external drive or network storage for finished projects.

Desktops

Desktops usually have room for a second drive, so you can start with 256 GB or 512 GB and add more later if a role changes.

Phones and tablets

Work phones mostly run email, Teams, an authenticator app and a browser. Storage problems on phones usually come from photos and videos, so set them to back up to the cloud and remove local copies. If staff use their own phones for work, keep business data inside managed apps such as Outlook and Teams.

Storage isn’t the only number

Two other specs matter as much as storage when buying a business laptop:

• Memory (RAM). Too little makes a laptop slow with Teams, a browser and Excel open. Microsoft sets 16 GB as the minimum for a Copilot+ PC; we’d treat that as the baseline for a new business laptop too.
• Upgradeability. On many thin laptops the storage and memory can’t be changed later. Buy for the device’s whole working life, not just the first year.

If you’re replacing older machines, note that Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. Any device still running it should be upgraded or replaced.

How to free up space on the devices you have

Before buying anything, try these on Windows 11:

1. Turn on OneDrive Files On-Demand and choose Free up space on folders you don’t need offline. Files stay visible and download when opened.
2. Turn on Storage Sense in Settings > System > Storage. It clears temporary files when space runs low, and you can set it to empty the Recycle Bin and old Downloads after a set time.
3. Use Cleanup recommendations on the same page to find large or unused files and apps you rarely use.
4. Uninstall software nobody uses, including trial software that came with the laptop.
5. Move personal photos and videos off work devices.

On phones, check Settings > General > iPhone Storage on an iPhone or Settings > Storage on Android to see what’s using the space.

If a laptop is still full after this, find out what’s on it before buying more storage. It’s often a forgotten folder of local files that should be in SharePoint, which is a data protection risk as well as a space problem. Our posts on the best cloud storage for UK businesses and organising your devices cover the next steps.

Buying for the whole team

It’s tempting to buy the cheapest laptop that will do today’s job, or the most expensive one to be safe. Both cost money: one in replacements and lost time, the other in capacity nobody uses. Matching the specification to each role, and keeping files in Microsoft 365 rather than on the devices, usually gives the best value.

If you’d like help choosing devices for your team, our IT consulting service includes hardware sourcing: the right equipment for each job, at the right price, without overkill.