We’ve all been there, especially if you’re rocking an Android phone with what you thought was a larger amount of storage space you may well soon find that it’s filling up. Picture this: you’re psyched to install that awesome new game or that captivating app, but suddenly, the dreadful message pops up—you’ve hit the dreaded storage limit.
Don’t panic just yet! If you’re not quite ready to splurge on a new phone, and your device doesn’t come with a convenient microSD slot for extra storage, fear not. With a little bit of simple house cleaning, you can likely reclaim a substantial amount of free space.
But before we dive into the simple tips you can do to take back some of that storage space, find out first how much storage you have. Here’s how:
In the Settings of your Android device, you’ll find a dedicated “Storage” section. This handy feature allows you to monitor the available space on your Android phone or tablet and identify what’s taking up the most storage.
To discover which Android apps are hogging your storage, the process may vary slightly depending on your device. On a Samsung Galaxy device, navigate to Settings > Battery & Device Care > Storage. For Google Pixel and most other Android devices, you can find it easily by going to Settings > Storage. Within this section, you’ll find a breakdown of storage usage categorised by images, videos, audio, documents, apps, and more. It’s an excellent starting point to identify where your storage is being consumed.
Now, let’s free up some space!
Tip 1: Use your phone’s ‘Free up space’ tool
Some Android devices have their own ‘Free up space’ tool built-in into their settings.
This can help users maximise the usable storage on your phone. Accessing this tool is a breeze:
- Open your phone’s settings and select “Storage.” Within this section, you’ll find details about the amount of space in use and a categorized list of files.
- Tap on the “Free up space” button to remove unwanted data and clean up storage.
You’ll be seamlessly directed to Google’s Files app, specifically to its “Clean” feature, where you’ll receive valuable suggestions on how to free up space by eliminating unnecessary junk files, deleted screenshots, large photos, backed-up media, and unused apps.
But  if you can’t find the option in settings then download that app directly from the Google Play Store instead.
Tip 2: Delete your downloads
Over time, your Android device can accumulate a significant number of downloads. From ringtones and Facebook memes to photos for sharing with friends or work-related PDFs, the “Downloads” folder becomes a repository for a lot of files.
- Locate the Downloads folder, by utilising a File Manager app. On Samsung Galaxy devices, you’ll find it labeled as “My Files.” Google Pixel devices typically come preinstalled with Files by Google.
- Once located, it’s a simple process of selecting the files you wish to delete and tapping the trash button.
Keep in mind that theDownloads folder can quickly fill up with files that are no longer necessary. By keeping it tidy and regularly removing unneeded files, you can effectively address your storage woes.
Tip 3: Clear your Android phone’s cache
As you use apps on your Android device, temporary files known as “cache” are downloaded. These files often help with app performance and enable smoother loading, especially when you have a weak data connection. The good news is that deleting cache files can reclaim storage space without causing significant disruptions to the app. To clear your cache, simply:
- Swipe down from the top of your screen once or twice (depending on your phone) and tap the gear icon to access the Settings.
- Go to the “Apps” section within the Settings app. Here, you’ll find a list of all the apps installed on your Android device (you may need to expand the list to view them all).
- Tap the app you want to clear.
- On the App Info page, you’ll see the option “Storage & Cache” or simply “Storage.” Choose the appropriate option.
- Choose between “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache.” In this case, we want to select “Clear Cache.” Please note that “Clear Storage” essentially resets the app, so exercise caution.
- Once you select “Clear Cache,” the cache files will be immediately cleared, and you’ll notice the cache size listed on the page decreasing to zero.
Tip 4: Get rid of unused apps
To free up valuable space, you could declutter your device by deleting apps that you haven’t used in months. We often download apps, try them briefly, and then forget about them while moving on to other things.
If you’re curious about the last time you used specific apps, here’s how you can find out:
- Open the Play Store app on your device.
- Tap on your personal icon located in the upper right corner, and then select “Manage apps & device.”
- Choose the “Manage” tab. Below that check if “Installed” button is highlighted. If not, tap on it.
- On the right side of the “Apps” heading, tap on it and sort it by “Least used.”
- Now, you’ll see the apps you have rarely or never used at the top of the list. While you may not want to remove all of them (some apps may still be useful to have around just in case), you might identify a few that you no longer need.
By reviewing and removing unnecessary apps, you can reclaim valuable space on your device.
Tip 5: Embrace the cloud!
Taking numerous photos on a regular basis, whether they’re delightful moments with your kids, adorable pets, or simply selfies, can quickly eat up a big chunk of your phone’s storage space. So, it’s worth considering if you truly need all those photos taking up valuable memory.
While it’s enjoyable to have local access to your photos for immediate viewing and sharing, using cloud storage presents an alternative solution.
Apps such as Amazon Photos or Google Photos offer a convenient solution for quickly and easily back up your photos to the cloud, helping free up space on your phone. You can store your photos at high quality, ensuring that you don’t compromise on the storage experience.
To make things even more seamless, these apps can be configured to automatically upload your photos to the cloud each time you capture a new image. This eliminates any concerns about potential data loss. However, at some point, you may find it necessary to invest in a paid storage plan to accommodate your increasing storage needs.
Last resort
If these tips still don’t resolve your storage issues, you might consider resorting to a factory reset. This process can effectively clean your phone and restore it to a fresh state. However, it’s important to note that a factory reset will result in the loss of files and personal data stored on the device. Therefore, it is crucial to back up any important files or data before proceeding with the reset.
