Free up space - Android Help (2024)

To download more apps and media, or help your phone run better, you can clear space on your phone.

  • Storage is where you keep data, like music and photos.
  • Memory is where you run programs, like apps and the Android system.

Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 9.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Free up storage

Remove photos

If you back up with Google Photos, you can delete the copies on your phone or tablet. You can find the backed-up copies in the app when your device is connected to the internet. Learn how to delete photos and videos from your device.

Remove downloaded movies, music & other media

To delete content from other sources, delete from the app that you used to download it.

Remove apps & app data

Close apps that don't respond

You don't usually need to close apps. But if an app isn't responding, you can try to close or force stop the app. Learn how to troubleshoot apps that aren't working.

Uninstall apps you don't use

If you uninstall an app and need it later, you can download it again. You don't have to buy the app again if you paid for it. Learn how to uninstallapps.

Clear the app's cache & data

You can usually clear an app’s cache and data with your phone’s Settings app. Settings can vary by phone. For more info, get help from your device manufacturer.

  • Clear cache: Deletes temporary data. Some apps may be slow the next time you open them.
  • Clearstorage: Permanently deletes all app data. Try to delete the data within the app first.

Automatically archive apps to free up space

Your device can automatically archive apps you don’t use often to free up space for new apps. When this setting is on, the apps you don’t use often will be removed, but your personal data on the app will be saved. The app’s icon will remain on your device. You'll be able to download the app again, as long as it's available on Google Play.

If you try to install an app but don’t have enough space, you’re notified to automatically archive apps. To set how your device automatically archives apps:

  1. Open the Play Store app Free up space - Android Help (6).
  2. Go to Settings Free up space - Android Help (7) General.
  3. Turn on or off Automatically archive apps.

Delete or move files

Delete downloaded files

To save space, you can delete downloaded files you don't need.

Copy files to a computer

You can move files and folders to a computer with a USB cable, and then delete them from your phone or tablet. Learn how to transferfiles between your phone and computer.

Check & free up memory

You don't usually need to close apps. But if an app isn't responding, you can try to close or force stop the app. Learn how to troubleshoot apps that aren't working.

Tip:If you think an app is using too much memory, you can delete the app. Learn how to uninstallapps.

Related resources

Free up space - Android Help (2024)

FAQs

How do I free up space on my Android phone for free? ›

  1. Close apps that don't respond. You don't usually need to close apps. ...
  2. Uninstall apps you don't use. If you uninstall an app and need it later, you can download it again. ...
  3. Clear the app's cache & data. You can usually clear an app's cache and data with your phone's Settings app.

What should I delete when Android storage is full? ›

Here's how to clear unwanted files and get extra storage space
  1. Uninstall apps you don't need. This is the first thing you should look at when looking to free up storage space on an Android device. ...
  2. Use the File Clean feature. ...
  3. Delete photos and videos. ...
  4. Get more storage. ...
  5. Delete your downloads.
Aug 30, 2023

How to clear storage in Android? ›

Clean up storage through Google One
  1. On your Android device, open the Google One app .
  2. At the bottom, tap Storage. Free up account storage.
  3. Select the category you want to manage.
  4. Select the files you want to remove. To sort files, at the top, tap Filter . ...
  5. After you select your files, at the top, tap Delete .

Why is my phone storage always full after deleting everything? ›

Cached Data: Sometimes, apps store temporary data or cache files on your phone's internal storage. Even if you delete files, these cached data may still occupy space. Clearing the cache of specific apps or using a cache cleaner app can help free up storage.

Why is my Android storage always full? ›

If you're seeing an "Insufficient storage available" message on your Android, chances are that you've used up most of your device's available memory. To fix this, you'll need to make some space by deleting apps and/or media; you can also add external storage, such as a Micro SD card, to your phone.

What takes up the most storage on an Android phone? ›

Unsurprisingly, apps take up a lot of space on your Android device too. App files themselves take up space, plus they accrue extra files during installation and after being used over time. So, if you have apps that aren't being used anymore, freeing up storage space is one of several reasons why you should remove them.

How to free up space without deleting apps on Android? ›

Clear the cache of your Android phone: You can clear cached data from a single app by going to Settings > Apps and tapping on the individual app. In the app info, tap Storage > Clear cache. Some Android phones have the option of clearing cached data from all apps; go to Settings > Storage and tap Cached data.

Does deleting text messages free up space? ›

Every little bit of storage space matters if you're getting close to the capacity. Remember that deleting messages won't be a one-time fix as future text messages will cause that space to fill right back up over time.

What is taking up all my storage? ›

Personal files such as videos, music, photos, and documents can take up a lot of space on your device. To see which files are using the most space: Select File Explorer from the taskbar and find the files you want to move. Under This PC in the menu on the left, select a folder to see what files are saved in it.

How do I free up other storage on Android? ›

Clear Cache and Residual Files: Go to 'Apps' in the Settings menu. Select apps individually and clear their cache. Some devices also have an option to clean residual files. Use Built-in Cleanup Tools: Many Android devices have a built-in cleanup tool to help manage and delete unnecessary files from 'Other' storage.

What should I delete when my phone storage is full on Samsung? ›

Deleting images, videos, audio recordings, or other unnecessary files can clear up space on your device.

Why is my Gmail storage full after deleting everything? ›

This happens because Gmail uses a distribute architecture to maintain storage, ensuring redundancy and backup to avoid atrocities like data loss. Thus,if you have emptied your trash bin but Gmail is still showing storage full, try signing out of your Gmail account and then sign in again to see if the issues resolves.

How do I clear my phone storage without deleting everything? ›

Clear the cache of your Android phone: You can clear cached data from a single app by going to Settings > Apps and tapping on the individual app. In the app info, tap Storage > Clear cache. Some Android phones have the option of clearing cached data from all apps; go to Settings > Storage and tap Cached data.

What is the best app to free up space on Android? ›

Brought to you from the makers of the world's most popular PC and Mac cleaning software, CCleaner for Android is the ultimate Android cleaner. Quickly and easily remove junk, reclaim space, monitor your system and more, and truly master your device.

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